Hammurabi’s laws are generally believed to be the oldest written laws, though that is not the case. The (mostly)preserved laws of Ur-Nammu predate these by about three centuries, and there is mention of older codices that have not yet been found (oh, the possibilities!)
Hammurabi’s code, though remains the better-known and better-preserved legal codex, dating to the 18th century BCE. Compared to the earlier Sumerian versions, Hammurabi’s laws are more blood-thirsty: while the Sumerian laws provided for monetary compensation for most offences (imprisonment as a punitive concept for general law arose much later), the Babylonian code elucidates the “eye for an eye” concept of retributory law principle. This is the basic principle that evolved into the biblical law of a later millennium. Common with most laws (right up the renaissance), punishments were more severe if the victim was of a higher social status: for example, a doctor could have his hands cut off if a rich patient of his died, but could get away with a fine if the same happened to a slave.
I waited for a long time, but couldn’t get a clear shot, with people constantly milling around. Zoom in quite a bit and the cuneiform text covering the entire stela becomes visible.
The top of the stela shows Hammurabi receiving the laws from Shamash, the god of justice. Isn’t it a little odd to have a god of justice before you have laws etc.? I mean what was Shamash doing all those years before Hammurabi came along? 😀
Shamash is the seated figure (sitting on a symbolic temple) and holding a rod and ring. Considered to represent a measuring rod and a measuring rope (though many disagree), these are nonetheless symbols of regal authority and equivalent to the sceptre modern kings and queens hold.
hbhatnagar 
Hey, its good to see you still active here. Hammurabi’s code written in cuneiform is interesting. It is well preserved! I don’t know much, especially the timeline, but what do you think of Manusmriti? Wasn’t it some a book full of written laws or am I mistaken?
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Posted by Trablogger | 27/10/2020, 9:12 PMWow… well preserved. Thank you for the historical information, Dr. Hb.
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Posted by Amy | 25/10/2020, 10:05 PMIt’s a fantastic relic and a treasure for all humanity. 🙂
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Posted by hbhatnagar | 26/10/2020, 6:27 PMGrammarly sucks. (Which explains why my iPhone ate it). Ha ha ha
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Posted by Sabiscuit | 22/10/2020, 11:35 AMApple eats everything, free of charge.
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Posted by hbhatnagar | 22/10/2020, 11:37 AMI might have an answer for you. The laws existed before the writing of it. As you know, ancient societies had oral traditions. They used to make legal agreements through verbal contracts. In some cultures, it was forbidden to write (things) down as anything written could be corrupted. It’s possible the statue was a way of establishing that a specific social or justice system was in place in the area where it was erected? Hence the apparent discrepancy.
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Posted by Sabiscuit | 22/10/2020, 2:28 AMYes, oral traditions predate written conventions by millenia, agreed. From what we see of Sumerian society though shows that writing was held in high esteem: a written agreement was inviolate. Older versions of Sumerian law were probably written on more perishable clay tablets and didn’t survive in pristine form but maybe there is some undiscovered royal library out there still!
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Posted by hbhatnagar | 22/10/2020, 6:11 AMGot it. Thanks for this information, which certainly explains why the writings of the statutes, etc. did not survive. Perhaps someone’s dog ate it, and a clever little archeologist will dig it out of their stomach?
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Posted by Sabiscuit | 22/10/2020, 11:25 AMI’d say let sleeping dogs lie, but that doesn’t seem to be the flavour (yes, Grammarly, I’ll continue to add a ú’there) of the moment.
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Posted by hbhatnagar | 22/10/2020, 11:34 AM