ABSTRACT
Hammurabi united the independent city-states of Mesopotamia and formed the political foundations of one of humankind's first great civilizations. Born sometime between 1820 to 1810 B.C.E., Hammurabi was the son of King Sinmuballit of Babylon, then a small city-state and rival of the hundreds of other small city-states that made up ancient Sumeria and Mesopotamia. Initially, Hammurabi engaged in building or restoring temples, dedicating worship objects to the deities, and overseeing the construction of the all-important irrigation canals. Initially, Hammurabi engaged in building or restoring temples, dedicating worship objects to the deities, and overseeing the construction of the all-important irrigation canals. In 1764, Hammurabi arranged a coalition with neighboring kingdoms to assure access to the metal-producing areas of Persia and prevent an unfriendly coalition from building against him. Hammurabi is often credited for greatness because of the Code of Hammurabi, which laid down the rule of administrative and judicial regularity as well as the state management of resources and ritual.
