Excerpts from the Law Code of Hammurabi

"When the lofty Anu, king of the Anunnaki gods, and Enlil, lord of heaven and earth, he who determines the destiny of the land, committed the rule of all mankind to Marduk, the chief son of Ea...when they made Babylon famous among the quarters of the world and in its midst established an everlasting kingdom whose foundations were as firm as heaven and earth. At that time, Anu and Enlil named me, Hammurabi, the exalted prince, the worshipper of the gods, to cause justice to prevail in the land..When Marduk sent me to rule the people and to bring help to the country, I established law and justice in the language of the land and promoted the welfare of the people. At that time I decreed," etc.

"The king who is preeminent among kings am I. My words are precious, my wisdom is unrivalled. By the command of Shamash, the great judge of heaven and earth, may I make justice to shine forth on the land. By the order of Marduk, let no one scorn my statutes...Let any oppressed man come before my image as king of justice!  Let him read the inscription on my monument! Let him give heed to my weighty words!... Let him exclaim: Hammurabi indeed is a ruler who is like a real father to his people; he has given reverence to the words of Marduk, his lord; he has established prosperity for the people for all time...In the days that are yet to come, for all future time, may the king who is in the land observe the words of justice which I have written on my monument."