The Epic of Gilgamesh is a significant work of Middle Eastern literature that was written in cuneiform on 12 clay tablets around 2000 BC. This heroic poem is titled for its hero, Gilgamesh, a cruel Babylonian king who controlled Uruk, also known as Erech in the Bible (now Warka, Iraq). The story tells of his adventures and battles, most notably with the god Enlil for the love of a common woman. It is estimated to have taken about five days to recite entirely. Hammurabi's Code was written in the same region where the Epic of Gilgamesh was written on stone. It too is important because it is one of the first laws that allowed for individual rights. In fact, it can be said that without this law, modern democracy as we know it today would not exist. These two epic poems and laws are important because they show that ancient people had a sense of morality which led them to write stories about good and evil, justice and injustice. These peoples knew what moral behavior was and they wanted others to know too.