Hammurabi was the sixth king of the First Babylonian Dynasty who united Mesopotamia. He is most famous for the Code of Hammurabi, one of the earliest and most complete written legal codes in history. Carved onto a massive diorite stele, the 282 laws established standards for commercial interactions and set fines and punishments to meet the requirements of justice. The code famously utilized the principle of 'Lex Talionis' (an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth). While the punishments often varied based on social status, the code provided a sense of legal order and fairness that was revolutionary for its time. It was publicly displayed so that all literate citizens could understand their rights and duties, representing a major step toward the rule of law in human history.