Question

Hammurabi's Code was not the first set of laws to be created or written down. Archaeologists have found Sumerian laws that are 300 years older, and even those aren't believed to be the very first. But Hammurabi's Code is still famous for a few big reasons. First, the laws are brief and amazingly strict. Hammurabi probably didn't invent the idea of retribution (harming someone in retaliation), but his laws were based on retribution at its purest form.

Second, the laws themselves are beautifully presented. The entire code was etched into a polished black basalt stone nearly eight-feet tall. At the top are two figures: the king of Babylon (Hammurabi) bowing before a god. Below that, the 282 laws were etched in cuneiform. The statue stood in a public place in Babylon so that everyone could know what laws governed them. Sounds pretty fair, right? The tricky part was that hardly anyone could read.

Which of the following is not true of Hammurabi’s Code?
Choose one option
A
It was comprised of 282 different laws.
B
It is the oldest known set of laws.
C
It was based on the idea of retribution.
D
It was publicly displayed in Babylon.

Answer 1

B

Hammurabi's Code was not the oldest known set of laws — Sumerian laws found are about 300 years older (and even those may not be the first).