The Modern Hammurapi: An Old Babylonian King in Imperial Germany

The discovery of the ‘Code of Hammurapi’ in 1902 sparked widespread discussion in Imperial Germany and attracted considerable attention beyond the academic sphere. For conservative Christian and Jewish theologians, the discovery of the Old Babylonian law appeared to challenge the authenticity of biblical law. Other scholars were enthusiastic: historians identified allegedly striking similarities between the Old Babylonian king from the eighteenth century BC and highly esteemed German rulers such as Frederick II of Prussia and Kaiser Frederick William I. Legal scholars praised the supposed rule of law in ancient Babylonia, thereby drawing a direct line to the modern German “Rechtsstaat.” Such comparisons did not arise from a lack of historical reflection; contemporaries were, of course, aware of the historical, social, and cultural differences. However, as this book argues, the temporal entanglement between ancient Babylonia and modern Germany was prompted by specific political, legal, and religious issues that seemed to be similar in both worlds. This was one of the reasons why Hammurapi became a historical reference figure in various ideological branches in Imperial Germany, including nationalism, racism, and antisemitism.