The Code of Hammurabi is historically significant as the first time law was put into a permanent, accessible form. Prior to this, the laws of the land were whatever the nearest king, governor, or soldier said they were at that moment.
Law in written form (literally carved in stone, in this case) is objective—there is no question if something is illegal, or who the law applies to. A consistent legal code is part of the foundation of a stable society. Modern civilization might not exist in recognizable form if we hadn't started codifying and publishing our laws.
