When Hammurabi turned eighteen years old, his father became very sick. Soon his father died and young Hammurabi was crowned king of the city-state of Babylon. At this time, Babylon was a fairly small kingdom. There were many other larger kingdoms surrounding Babylon including Assyria, Mari, Larsa, and Eshnunna. It was now Hammurabi's job to keep the city safe and help it to prosper. This may sound like a daunting task for an eighteen year-old, but Hammurabi was not scared. He was confident he could lead and he had a plan. 

After several years of building, Hammurabi's peace came to an end. The powerful kingdom of Elam invaded Mesopotamia and conquered the kingdom of Eshnunna. The city of Babylon was next in their path. Hammurabi called on his ally of Larsa to help and then he gathered his army to fight the Elamites. Hammurabi and his army faced the Elamites. He expected an army from Larsa to arrive, but it never did. However, Hammurabi had done a good job in preparing Babylon for battle. His army crushed the Elamites. 

Once Hammurabi had conquered Mesopotamia, he didn't consider his work done. He wanted to improve the way of life for all the people in his kingdom. He embarked on many reforms and construction projects. He built new canals, aqueducts, and temples throughout the land.

Today Hammurabi is most famous for enacting a new set of laws called the Code of Hammurabi. These laws were carved into stone columns called stelae that everyone could read. There were 282 laws. You can go to the link below to learn more about Hammurabi's Code of Laws.

The term "stele" refers to a large stone or wooden column that was inscribed to commemorate an important event or honor a person. The Stele of Hammurabi, a seven-foot-tall basalt structure, is a prime example. It contains the law code presented by King Hammurabi of Babylon to his people. The stele also granted Hammurabi divine authority to rule, lending credibility to the diverse population within his empire. With nearly 300 laws engraved on it, Hammurabi's law code, while not the first of its kind, stands as the most extensive and influential, serving as a source of inspiration for other societies in the development of their own legal systems, including the laws found in the Bible.