What was the significance of the Hammurabi's Code?

Study for the OSAT World History/Geography Test. Prepare with detailed questions, flashcards, and enlightening explanations. Master your exam effortlessly!

Hammurabi's Code is significant primarily because it represents one of the earliest and most complete written legal codes in history. Created in ancient Babylon around 1754 BCE, it consists of 282 laws that cover various aspects of daily life, including trade, property rights, and family relationships. The existence of a written legal code allowed for the standardization of laws, providing a clear framework that governed society and justice. This collection of laws also signifies a shift from oral traditions to written documentation, which enhanced the ability to maintain records and enforce legal norms consistently across the population.

The other options, while related to governance and society in different contexts, do not capture the defining essence of Hammurabi's Code itself. It was not focused on establishing democratic governance, promoting religious practices, or dictating economic policies in a broad sense, but rather on creating a structured set of laws that aimed to bring order and fairness to the legal system of Babylon.

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