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All Ancient and Near Eastern Law Codes

The earliest surviving written law, from Mesopotamia, the Aegean and the ancient Mediterranean, predating Roman codification. Belongs here: the Sumerian and Babylonian law collections such as the Code of Ur-Nammu, the Code of Lipit-Ishtar and the Code of Hammurabi, the Hittite Laws, the Cretan Gortyn Code, Draco's Code of archaic Athens, the Roman Twelve Tables, and the Code of Manu (Manusmriti) as the foundational text of classical Hindu law. Does not belong here: a Roman code from the classical or late imperial period, grouped under Roman and late antique law instead.

Facts
Comparison
Landmark Formation Year
1753 BCE 1
Defining Characteristic
The Code of Hammurabi is a Babylonian legal text composed c. 1753 BC, the longest, best-organized, and best-preserved legal text from the ancient Near East. 1
All Ancient and Near Eastern Law Codes
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Sources
1. Code of Hammurabi (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia
  • Code of Hammurabi, lead section, definition sentence
    The Code of Hammurabi is a Babylonian legal text composed c. 1753 BC. It is the longest, best-organized, and best-preserved legal text from the ancient Near East.
  • Code of Hammurabi, lead section, date sentence
    The Code of Hammurabi is a Babylonian legal text composed c. 1753 BC.
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