King Hammurabi of Babylon: A Biography

Blackwell Ancient Lives

by Marc Van de Mieroop

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.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Ancient History, Ancient, Archaeology

184 pages, Paperback

First published October 22, 2004

About the author

is a professor of Ancient Near Eastern history at Columbia University.

Reviews

[Iset · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the book blurb says, this is the first biography of Hammurabi in English, and as such it is invaluable to the English-speaking investigator of ancient Mesopotamia. That fact might seem remarkable, given how recognisable Hammurabi’s name is in the modern world, linked inextricably with his Law Code. But, as Marc van de Mieroop explores in his final chapter, the information we have about Hammurabi is remarkably scattered and limited. We know when he reigned, for example, but we do not know when he was born, when he died, or the names of his wives and children. And of the information we do have, only a scant amount has made its way into the general public consciousness. Van de Mieroop does examine Hammurabi’s Law Code, but spends time highlighting the lesser known areas of his life as well, including his early decades as king, which were fairly unremarkable, and his military conquests, which in his own lifetime were certainly considered a much more important legacy than his Law Code. The chapter that I found the most intriguing was also the most frustrating; van de Mieroop does his best to uncover Hammurabi’s personality and character, but the best we get are glimpses, since the majority of sources are official documents which present the ceremony of kingship but do not capture the individual quirks of the man wearing the crown. Nevertheless, a fascinating, informative, and enjoyable read.

8 out of 10

[Linh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cũng thật bất ngờ là người ta có thể tìm được nhiều tư liệu, dù bị phân mảnh, đứt quãng, nhiều lỗ hổng vể 1 vị vua Babylon sống cách đây 3700 năm như thế.
Vùng Lưỡng Hà thời kỳ này đã có sự phát triển đô thị và hành chính rất cao, với các cuộc chiến tranh và hoạt động ngoại giao rất phức tạp giữa các city state trong khu vực. Trong 30 năm cầm quyền ban đầu, Hammurabi chỉ là vua của 1 lãnh thổ nhỏ là Babylon, nhưng trong 10 năm cuối, ông đã vươn lên thôn tính hết các đối thủ, và ấn định Babylon sẽ trở thành thành phố vĩ đại nhất, trung tâm văn minh của vùng Lưỡng Hà trong 1000 năm sau.

Và tất nhiên, ông được hậu thế biết đến nhờ Code of Hammurabi, hay chính xác hơn là bản khắc vào bia đá một loạt các luật của triều đại ông.

[Eseula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mieroop elindeki - elimizdeki -kısıtlı bilgilere ve eserlere dayanarak, nerdeyse 3700 yıl öncesinde bir adamın, bir hükümdarın portresini çizmeye çalışmış ve başarılı da olmuş diyebiliriz. Eli yüzü düzgün bir biyografi bu anlamda ama konularına göre ayrılmış bölümlerde bazen kronolojinin ucunu kaçırıp, antik kentler ve hükümdarlar, memurlar, mektuplar arasında kaybolmak mümkün. Yine de sadece Hammurabi'yi öğrenmek için değil, dönemi - milattan önce 2.binyılın ilk yarısındaki Mezopotamya dünyasını ve yüzyıllardan hiç değişmeden tekrar eden kaderini, bugününü şekillendirişini okumak için başlıca bir kaynak.

[Stephen · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book sucked ass

[Kurtar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tarih, özellikle de antik çağa merkalıysanız çok ilginç bilgiler içeriyor.
Keşke o bölgede daha fazla kazı yapılabilse diyorsunuz

[Zachary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fine, readable, and short biography of an influential early king. Contextualizes Hammurabi, perhaps not to the fullest extent that I might like. There was room here to expand on Babylonian social history. The author treated the issue of justice well, but could have said more about (among other things) warfare, agriculture, infrastructure, or any of the other areas of Babylonian life on which Ham. had direct oversight. The author acknowledges and excuses limitations, summarizing difficulties in accessing necessary sites (Babylon itself). I would recommend this as a fine entry point to Middle Bronze Age History.

[Septemus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Açıkçası bu kitap beni iki açıdan çok şaşırttı. Birincisi 3800 yıl önce var olmuş bir krallıkta kime hangi tarlanın verildiği, kime ne kadar ücret verileceği, kimin kimden alacaklı olduğunun muhasebesi bile tutulmuş, kimin hangi şikayeti neticesinde kimi mahkemeye verdiğinin bile kaydı tutulmuş.Fakat Hammurabiden 2000 yıl sonra bile ortaya çıkan topluluk veya kavimlerde tarihsel olaylara dair Babillilerin yaptığı gibi en azından taşa yazılmış bir yazı bile bulunmayışı çok ilginç.

İkinci olarak Hammurabi kanunlarının kendinde önce ve kendinden sonra tarih sahnesinin muhtelif yerlerinde beliren toplumlara ait kitap ve kanunlara olan söylemsel benzerlikleri beni gerçekten şaşırttı.

[Elentarri · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short, concise biography of Hammurabi, focusing on his military exploits and his "law code". There isn't very much information available on Hammurabi so we don't know anything about his family life. The author includes a chapter on the difficulties of writing a biography with limited information. Interesting.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dry and marred by a lack of complementary information, Van De Mieroop's biography is still worth trudging through for those interested in the period and the figure of Hammurabi. The details of Hammurabi's reign and the conquering and subsequent inclusion of the various city-states in the Babylonian empire was most interesting.

[Daniel Pugsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an interesting read, full of fascinating insights into the world of ancient Babylon. Van de Mieroop really brings these historical characters to life, and his writing is very engaging. It feels more like a story than a history book. I found it invaluable when researching my novel Son of Babylon.

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know what I expected. I guess I learned a little more than I knew about Hammie. Bits of narrative plunked between dates of reigns and battles. Fairly dry, but how much juice can you squeeze out when your primary sources are 4000 year old cuneiform tablets.

[Ahmed Lary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skimmed through the book and paid more attention on the final chapters concerning his law code ..
The author paid great attention on having an objective analyze of his laws and the effects they had on people of Babylon ..

[Berk Tamura · Rating 3 out of 5]

equality with privilage, Babylon's god moddeling and temples that god's home. The power of Hammurabi that given by God's for justice and conquer. Informations about Elam, Babylon, Mari, Aşşuna and North Mezopotamya ( with their leader şampiyon adid)

[Ümit]

Not bad

[Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, concise and clearly written. It’s a solid addition on the period to Marc Van de Mieroop’s Near East textbook.

[Truls Ljungström · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ytterligare en intressant person vars intressanta liv beskrivs på ett oerhört blodfattigt sätt. Jag rekommenderar läsare att hitta en annan biografi - denna är informativ men mycket torr.

[Eray Mutlu · Rating 4 out of 5]

King Hammurabi of Babylon: A Biography by Marc Van de Mieroop is a captivating book that offers a fresh perspective on one of the most significant figures in ancient Mesopotamian history. The author's meticulous research and engaging writing style make this biography an essential read for anyone interested in the history of Babylon and the ancient Near East.

One of the book's strengths is the author's ability to place Hammurabi's life and achievements in their historical context. By providing a detailed account of the political and social landscape of Mesopotamia during Hammurabi's reign, the reader gains a better understanding of the challenges that the king faced and the decisions he made.

The book also does an excellent job of analyzing the impact of Hammurabi's code of laws, one of the most enduring legacies of his reign. The author provides a nuanced interpretation of the code and its significance, showing how it reflected the social and economic conditions of the time and how it influenced legal systems throughout the ancient Near East and beyond.

Despite of his laws, he is not a moral character. We can see his perceptions over other leaders while he expects being called 'Father', he get mad if they see him as equivalant or brother. The letters between Zimri Lin and Hammurabi (Big Family) reveals his pragmatic moves, he has betrayed Zimri Lin's trust and win over him while they were ally. Hammurabi can be considered both conquerer and builder. Today, we have accepted his effects even in far continents like USA.

Overall, King Hammurabi of Babylon: A Biography is an outstanding work of scholarship that sheds light on one of the most important figures in ancient history. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of the ancient Near East, law and governance, and the enduring legacy of Hammurabi's reign.

[AskHistorians]

Hammurabi is one of the most famous Near Eastern figures in history, and this extensively researched account of his life is a good introduction both to Hammurabi and the society he existed in. It's also a keen illustration of the depth of cuneiform resources.