The Code of Hammurabi (dated from 1754 BC), by King Hammurabi himself, established laws that helped structure and regulate social order in Mesopotamia. In this way, he was the creator of the first written laws.
The imaginary trial gives us an insight of the participants of the process (judge, witnesses, the accuser and defendant) and the different steps that take place during the process. After the accusation, the judge consults the Code of Hammurabi, and determines what penalty will be given to the Shepherd. So, by describing the imaginary trial of the Shepherd who stole the nobleman's sheep, the author shows how the Code of Hammurabi might apply to a specific situation.