The Code of Hammurabi, created ca. 1780 BC, is one of the earliest known sets of laws. By writing the laws on stone, Hammurabi rendered them immutable. The laws do not accept excuses or explanations for mistakes or fault: the Code was openly displayed in a public place for all to see, so no man could plead ignorance of the law as an excuse. The Code of Hammurabi is often pointed to as the first example of the legal concept that some laws are so basic as to be beyond the ability of even a king to change. This concept lives on in most modern legal systems and gave rise to the term written in stone.