While it was not the first known written law, [BLANK-1] of c…
While it was not the first known written law, of ca. 1755 B.C.E. is the oldest nearly complete system of laws known to historians. It was adopted by a Babylonian king of Ancient Mesopotamia, and gave great insight into daily life in Babylonia (for instance, most of the laws relate to marriage, family, agriculture, and lineage, suggesting what was important in this society). Legal penalties varied depending on one’s class and gender; however, those of the same station were famously promised “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” It provided Babylonia with a more uniform system of laws and served as a way for the king to justify his rule.