Hammurabi

Hammurabi (c. 1810 BC-1750 BC), sometimes spelt Khammurapikh or Ammurāpi ("kinsman-healer"), was the sixth king of the First Babylonian Dynasty, reigning from 1792 BC to his death. He was preceded by his father, Sin-Muballit, who abdicated due to failing health. He extended Babylon's control throughout Mesopotamia through military campaigns. Hammurabi is best known for the Code of Hammurabi, one of the earliest surviving codes of law in recorded history, which had a profound influence on most subsequent legal systems.

Hammurabi in In the Presence of Mine Enemies
The commonly accepted history of Hammurabi was challenged in 2010 by a recent archaeological discovery in the Babylonian ruins. The new find was interpreted by some to indicate that the famous law code, attributed to Hammurabi, in fact predated him by about 250 years. Amateur enthusiast Willi Dorsch of Berlin was in favour of the new hypothesis, while Lise Gimpel was opposed. Their heated debate caused them to miss what his wife and her husband were talking about in the same room.