One of the earliest attempts to set down a series of norms for a society is the Code of Hammurabi, written in ancient Babylonia about 1780 BCE. Many of the laws have to do with contracts, inheritance, and civil disputes, and they would not sound out of place in a modern courtroom, but some sound bizarre to modern ears:
• If man is accused of a crime, he must jump in the river. If he drowns, the accuser gets his house. If he does not drown, the accuser will be put to death.
• If a man sleeps with a female slave, and she has children, then he may not sell her. If she doesn’t have children, then it’s okay to sell her.
And one that many college students might approve:
• If a man wants to kick his adult son out of the house, he must go to court. If the son is found innocent of any crime, he may stay indefinitely (King, 2004).