nevertheless in the space of the god. We might say then that the justice stele of
Hammurabi is a monument that configures the place of the ruler in relation to the
law (Bahrani 2008 ).
Hammurabi’s power is subtly expressed. It is the power to decide punishment that
may include the power to end the identity and the life of a citizen. Hammurabi
points to the actions that fall outside the social pact that would disqualify the man
as a normal citizen. These are the actions that put him outside the accepted forms
of social or civilised behaviour.
— The Babylonian visual image —Figure 10. 2 Stele of Hammurabi, 1760 BC. Basalt, height 225 cm, weight 4 tons
(Musée du Louvre).