Hammurabi for Dummies

Hammurabi is a name that refers to a person who lived a long, long time ago. He was a very important leader who made a lot of rules and laws for his people to follow. Just imagine if you were the boss of a classroom and you needed to make some rules to keep everything running smoothly, like rules about talking softly, raising hands, and sharing toys. Well, Hammurabi was kind of like that boss, but instead of just a classroom, he was the boss of a whole kingdom called Babylonia.

Now, Hammurabi didn't just come up with rules randomly. He wanted to make sure that everyone in his kingdom knew exactly what they were supposed to do and what would happen if they broke the rules. So, he wrote down all of these rules on a big stone pillar called a stele. It was like a really, really ancient version of a rulebook!

One of the most famous things Hammurabi is known for is something called the "Code of Hammurabi." This was a collection of over 280 laws that covered all sorts of things, like how to treat slaves, what people could do if they were accused of a crime, and even how much people had to pay for certain things. It was a way for Hammurabi to make sure everyone was treated fairly and that there were consequences for breaking the rules.

So, when someone says "Hammurabi," they are usually talking about this important leader from history and his code of laws. It's kind of like talking about a really wise and fair person who did a lot to create order and justice for his people.