Dating to the 1700s BCE, Hammurabi’s Code is one of the oldest sets of laws. These laws help shed light on what life was like in Ancient Babylonia. In this lesson, students use Hammurabi’s Code to consider religious, economic, and social facets of life in the ancient world.
[Teacher Materials and Student Materials updated on 04/20/2020. Alt text added to PowerPoint on 7/10/2026.]
Image: Relief of Hammurabi and the god Shamash from the stela copy of Hammurabi's Code. From the Wikimedia Commons.