The code of hammurabi was one of the earliest and most complete written legal codes, proclaimed by the babylonian king hammurabi, who reigned from 1792 to 1750 b. c. hammurabi expanded the city-state of babylon along the euphrates river to unite all of southern mesopotamia. the hammurabi code of laws, a collection of 282 rules, established standards for commercial interactions and set fines and punishments to meet the requirements of justice. hammurabi’s code was carved onto a massive, finger-shaped black stone stele (pillar) that was looted by invaders and finally rediscovered in 1901.