Hammurabi’s Origin
Hammurabi inherited the throne from his father, Sin-muballit, in 1792 BC, who was the fifth king of the first dynasty of Babylonia, reigning from 1748 BC to 1729 BC. Little else is known of either of parents of Hammurabi. There were actually only a few kings of Babylon leading up to Hammurabi. The was known as the First Dynasty. The first king of Babylon was Su-abu or Suum-abum, of whom there is very little information on, other than he reigned from 1959-1945 B.C. The second king of Babylon was Sumula-ilum, who ruled from 1945-1909 B.C. The third king of Babylon was Sabium or Sabum, who ruled from 1909-1895. The fourth king of Babylon was Apil-Sin, who ruled from 1895-1877 B.C. He was the preceding ruler of Hammurabi’s father, Sin-muballit, who ruled from 1877-1857 B.C., then was followed by Hammurabi.
However, all the kings from this list are disputed, including even Hammurabi’s rule, if it even took place when it did. The reason for this is that there are actually two texts, stating that they are both the lists of Babylonian kings. The only reason for using List A, rather than List B, is little more than habit. Also, List B is far more complex; eventually, hopefully, someone will figure out which list is accurate. The reason Babylon’s First Dynasty’s origins are so hard to nail down, is because it is located in an area that was flooded often; very few actual archaeological finds are available for research from the city. The one fact among the very few known about the first few kings leading up to Hammurabi, is that they acquired very little land during their reigns. The accomplishments of Hammurabi are staggering in the wake of his ancestors; at least to our current knowledge. No one really knows what the other guys did before him.