Which of these ancient documents recorded a set of laws for a society? A. The Enuma-Elish B. The Sumerian King List C. The Epic of Gilgamesh D. The Code of Hammurabi

D. The Code of Hammurabi is the ancient document that recorded a set of laws for a society. The Code of Hammurabi is one of the oldest deciphered writings of significant length in the world. It was created by the sixth Babylonian king, Hammurabi, around 1754 BC (middle chronology). It is a collection of 282 laws, with scaled punishments, adjusting "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" (lex talionis) as graded depending on social status, of slave versus free man.

Extra: The other documents mentioned in the choices have different historical significances.

A. The Enuma Elish is the Babylonian creation myth, which explains how the world and its gods came to be. It is not a legal document but is one of the most important sources for understanding Babylonian mythology and religion.

B. The Sumerian King List is an ancient text in the Sumerian language, listing kings of Sumer (ancient southern Iraq) from Sumerian and neighboring dynasties, their supposed reign lengths, and the locations of "official" kingship. This document is not a legal code but a historical account that reflects the political and dynastic history of the region.

C. The Epic of Gilgamesh is an epic poem from ancient Mesopotamia that is often regarded as the earliest surviving great work of literature. The literary history of Gilgamesh begins with five Sumerian poems about 'Bilgamesh' (Sumerian for 'Gilgamesh'), king of Uruk. These independent stories were later used as source material for a combined epic. The epic centers around the character Gilgamesh and his adventures but does not outline laws for society.