History: Code of Hammurabi

1750 BCE

A collection of 282 ancient laws used in governing the people of old Babylon. The Code of Hammurabi is one of the best known sources of ancient law text. The Code provides severe penalties for criminal behavior, but these penalties varied according to specific social class. Hammurabi's Code provided for retributatitave justice, based on the precept, "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." The Code of Hammurabi included specific treatment for many aspects of living in society, including criminality, consumer protection, and the responsibility of leaders and government to the citizens. As such, it was an important precursor to modern law code.