King Hammurabi of Babylon: A Biography

This book presents the first biography written in English of the famous Babylonian lawgiver, King Hammurabi, who ruled from 1792 to 1750 BC. It presents a well–rounded view of this ancient Mesopotamian king s accomplishments, by drawing on the extensive writings of his time, including those by Hammurabi himself. Numerous letters and reports by ambassadors to his court and others are presented in translation.

Marc Van De Mieroop traces Hammurabi s career as a diplomat and conqueror, describing how he dealt with powerful rivals and extended his kingdom to create the large state of Babylon. He explores the administration of the kingdom and looks at the legacies of Hammurabi s rule, especially his legal code, the earliest complete body of legal instructions in world history.

The book demonstrates how Hammurabi s conquests irrevocably changed the political organization of the Middle East and shows that Hammurabi was long remembered by the ancient Mesopotamians as one of the greatest kings of the past.

List of Illustrations.

Preface.

Map.

Chronology.

Abbreviations.

1. The Early Years.

2. The Defeat of Elam.

3. The Annexation of Larsa.

4. The Overthrow of Eshnunna.

5. Supremacy in the North.

6. The Sack of Mari.

7. Governing the New State.

8. Hammurabi the Lawgiver.

9. Hammurabi′s Character.

10.Hammurabi′s Legacy.

11. On Writing′s Hammurabi′s Biography.

Glossary.

Notes.

Bibliography.

Guide to Further Reading.

Index.

Marc Van De Mieroop is Professor of Ancient Near East History at Columbia University, New York. He has written numerous books and articles, including most recently A History of the Ancient Near East, c. 3000 323 BC (Blackwell Publishing, 2004).

Van De Mieroop evokes vividly Hammurabi s rise from one King among many to Lord of a territory stretching from the Gulf into Syria . He succeeds in delineating Hammurabi s remarkable achievements and providing glimpses of his personality. Amelie Kuhrt, University College London

"In an age that featured aggressive militarism and shaky thrones, Hammurabi of Babylon forged clever alliances and practiced patient strategies. In these accessible and well–turned pages, Marc Van De Mieroop explains how Hammurabi created an empire through martial and administrative talents. But he also details another of Hammurabi′s major achievements: sponsoring a law code that places him, along with Moses, as one of antiquity′s greatest lawgivers. I recommend this book to one and all." Jack M. Sasson, Vanderbilt University

"Marc Van De Mieroop brings to history a flair for a story....Mieroop has delivered a readable history of a time strangely familiar as we watch modern Iraqis working towards hopefully, a similarly benign relationship." Insights

"This is an excellent book, also easily accessible for the uninitiated. It provides authoritative information on a ruler who was a conqueror, the ancient lawgiver ... One can only look forward to the future volumes in the series on the lives of great men and women of ancient times." Scholia Reviews

"Insofar as it is possible to write Hammurabi′s story, Van De Mieroop has done so. Based as it is on a thorough knowledge of both long–known and recently published evidence, a solid acquaintance with the most up–to–date scholarship, and a historian′s awareness of the varying reliability of the ancient sources, this book is an excellent account of a fascinating ruler, and as near to biography as one is going to get." Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies