Download Stele of Hammurabi

Stele of Hammurabi
Figures 2-1 and 2-17
Alex Gelber, Michael Eagleton, Audra Ferry
•Artist: Unknown
•The 7’4” basalt carving discovered near Susa, Iran, was carved
ca. 1780 BCE.
•The top portion of the stele is an artistic carving depicting the
sun god Shamash, seated, handing a symbol of authority to
Hammurabi.
•The Babylonians, who carved the sculpture, were some of the
first artists to utilize the technique of foreshortening, which is
displaying an object at an angle to give the appearance of depth.
•Hammurabi (r. 1792-1750 BCE) was a Babylonian king who
reestablished a centralized government in southern
Mesopotamia.
•He is most known for establishing a set of law codes which
implemented an “eye for an eye” punishment policy for crimes
such as murder, adultery, and theft.
•The bottom portion of the “Stele of Hammurabi” contains
Hammurabi’s law code, inscribed into the stone in the
Akkadian language using cuneiform characters. The stele is the
most prominent remaining record of Hammurabi’s law code.
Detail of the law code inscribed
upon the stele
Educated Opinion
•The “Stele of Hammurabi” is an important piece of art
because it is the most prominent recording of Hammurabi’s
Law Code.
•While the carving at the top of the stele is visually pleasing, it
is triumphed in importance by the recording of the laws
beneath it.