The Justinian Code was a series of laws and treaties that was established by the Byzantine emperor Justinian from 529 to 534 to rule his empire. It was so successful that the Byzantines continued to use it for 900 years, and directly influenced the Canon Law of the Church.
It was created by collecting all the known Latin (Christian) Empirical codes of the day, and then reviewing them for appropriateness and logic.
- The Justinian Code had provisions to establish Christianity as the official religion of the State. Non Christians were not allowed to be citizens.
- The Justinian Code defined heresy as a State Crime.
- The Code allowed Jews to live within the boundaries, but they were not allowed to be citizens.