Hammurabi

Hello! My name is Hammurabi, and I was the king of a special city called Babylon. My home was in a land that existed a very long time ago, around the year 1810 BCE. Babylon was a beautiful city built right next to a big, winding river called the Euphrates River. The river gave us water and helped our city grow strong. From the moment I became king, I knew I wanted to do more than just wear a crown. My biggest wish was to be a great king who helped all of my people, making sure everyone was safe and treated with kindness. I wanted to build a kingdom where everyone could feel happy and protected under my care.

I became the king of Babylon around the year 1792 BCE. When I first started, my kingdom was quite small. But I had big dreams for my people. I worked very hard every single day to make our home bigger, stronger, and safer for everyone. One of the first things I did was build canals, which are like little rivers that farmers can use to bring water to their fields. This helped them grow lots of yummy food for everyone to eat. I also made sure our city walls were very tall and strong. These walls were like a big, protective hug around our city, keeping everyone inside safe from any dangers outside. My job was to look after my people, and I took it very seriously.

As my kingdom grew, I noticed something that worried me. People would often argue with each other because they didn't have clear rules to follow. One person might think something was fair, while another person thought it was unfair. I knew I had to fix this. So, I decided to create a set of rules for everyone in my kingdom. I had my helpers carve 282 rules onto a giant stone pillar, which we call a stele. We placed this tall stone in the middle of the city so that everyone could see it and know the laws. These rules became known as the Code of Hammurabi. My goal was to make sure my laws were fair and that the strong could not hurt the weak. Everyone had to follow the same rules.

I ruled as king for many years, until about the year 1750 BCE. I lived to be about 60 years old. Even though I lived a very long time ago, people today still remember my Code of Laws. My rules are famous because they were one of the very first times a leader wrote down all the laws for everyone to see. It was an important step in making sure the world could be a more fair and just place for everybody. My story shows that clear rules can help everyone live together peacefully.