Name one code from Mesopotamia and its significance for law and order.

• A. Code of Justinian established standardized laws.
• B. Hammurabi's Code established standardized laws and penalties.
• C. Mosaic Law established religious commandments.
• D. Napoleon's Civil Code organized civil law.

Answer: (B)

Written legal codes in Mesopotamia aimed to create clear, predictable rules for everyone, tying law to the authority of the ruler. Hammurabi's Code, from Babylon around 1750 BCE, is a landmark example. It was carved on a public stele and gathered hundreds of laws that covered everyday life—trade, property, family, and crime—so that the same standards and penalties applied across the empire. This standardization reduced personal whim in judging and enforcing laws, helping people know what to expect and making punishment more consistent. The code also symbolized the ruler’s responsibility to maintain order, illustrating the rise of the rule of law as a foundation of governance. The famous idea of proportional justice, often summarized by the notion of punishments matching offenses, shows how a formal legal framework aimed to regulate social behavior and maintain order. Hammurabi's Code thus embodies an early and influential step in organizing law and keeping order in Mesopotamian society.