Following the fall of Ur in about 2100 B.C., people from the surrounding areas began to arrive in Mesopotamia. They remained there for centuries and adopted Mesopotamian customs, law, religion, and art styles.

In 1792 B.C. Hammurabi became king of Babylon, located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Hammurabi was a shrewd, or clever, leader who sought great power. In 1754 B.C. he controlled all of Mesopotamia, in addition to a number of neighboring city-states. His empire was known as Babylonia. It spread from the Persian Gulf northward and eastward to the Zagros Mountains. Hammurabi sent officials throughout the empire to carry out his orders and collect taxes. Taxes paid on property often went to support construction projects.