What was the main purpose of Hammurabi's Code of Laws?

The main purpose of Hammurabi's Code of Laws was to regulate ideas of economics and property. This ancient set of laws, created around 1754 BCE in Babylon, addressed various aspects of daily life, particularly focusing on issues of trade, property rights, and economic transactions. Hammurabi's Code established a framework for justice that included prescribed penalties for specific offenses, thereby promoting stability and order in society.

The laws were aimed at ensuring fair trade practices and protecting property owners, which facilitated economic growth in the region. By codifying these laws, Hammurabi sought to create a uniform standard of justice that would apply to all citizens, thus enhancing the functioning of the economy and the stability of society.

While the other options may touch upon elements present in Babylonian society, they do not capture the primary focus of the Code. The code did involve aspects of governance that can be interpreted as protecting royal power, but its extensive provisions on commerce and property place economic regulation at its core. Similarly, while religion played an important role in Babylonian life, and artistic expression was influenced by cultural norms, these elements were not the central aim of Hammurabi's legal code.