Cameron Miranda
The Code of Ur-Nammu, written in Mesopotamia around 2100-2050 BCE, is the oldest known surviving law code. However, the first written code to be discovered was the Code of Hammurabi, created by Hammurabi, the sixth king of the First Babylonian Dynasty, around 1750 BCE. The Code of Hammurabi is the first known code of laws, consisting of 282 laws addressing various aspects of daily life, including trade, marriage, property, and crime. The Code of Ur-Nammu, on the other hand, was written in the Sumerian language and covered both civil and criminal matters, such as divorce, sorcery, and adultery. While the author of the code is disputed, it is believed to have been written by King Ur-Nammu of Ur or his son, Shulgi. These early law codes laid the foundation for the development of legal systems in later civilizations.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Civilization | Hammurabi's Babylonian Empire |
| Year | c. 1780 BCE |
| Number of laws | 282 |
| Language | Old Babylonian dialect of Akkadian |
| Format | Inscribed on a basalt stele |
| Height of stele | 2.25 m (7 ft 4+1⁄2 in) |
| Location of stele | Louvre Museum |
| Topics covered | Trade, marriage, property, crime |
| Purpose | To promote social order and justice |
| Notable aspects | Differentiated between rights of free citizens and slaves |
| Influence | Shaped legal systems in later civilizations |
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What You'll Learn
The Code of Ur-Nammu
- If a man divorces his first-time wife, he shall pay her one mina of silver. If he divorces a widow, he shall pay half a mina of silver.
- If a man accuses another man's wife of adultery, and the river ordeal proves her innocent, the accuser must pay one-third of a mina of silver.
- If a prospective son-in-law is rejected by his prospective father-in-law, who gives his daughter to another man, the father-in-law shall return twice the amount of bridal presents brought by the rejected suitor.
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Mesopotamia's first written laws
Mesopotamia, also known as the 'cradle of civilization', was home to the world's first known written laws. The Code of Ur-Nammu, written in Sumerian c. 2100-2050 BCE, is the oldest surviving law code. It was written by Sumerian king Ur-Nammu (r. 2047-2030 BCE) or his son Shulgi of Ur (r. 2029-1982 BCE). The code is written on tablets in cuneiform, a system of writing invented by the ancient Sumerians.
The Code of Ur-Nammu contains strong statements of royal power, such as "I eliminated enmity, violence, and cries for justice". The code also includes provisions for various criminal and civil matters. For example, it specifies which crimes should be considered capital offences, including murder, robbery, deflowering another man's virgin wife, and adultery when committed by a woman. The code also outlines fines for certain offences, such as a fine of one mina of silver for a man who divorces his first-time wife.
The Code of Ur-Nammu is not a comprehensive law code, and it is possible that it was published by Shulgi after Ur-Nammu's death. The code was further developed by Shulgi's successors and influenced later codes such as the Laws of Eshnunna (c. 1930 BCE) and the Code of Lipit-Ishtar (c. 1870-1860 BCE). These codes, in turn, served as a model for the Code of Hammurabi, which became the first Mesopotamian law collection to be discovered.
The Code of Hammurabi, created by King Hammurabi of Babylon c. 1750 BCE, is the longest, best-preserved legal text from the ancient Near East. It is written in the Old Babylonian dialect of Akkadian on a basalt stele, which was discovered in 1901 at the site of Susa in present-day Iran. The stele features an image of Hammurabi with Shamash, the Babylonian sun god and god of justice, and contains a prologue, epilogue, and numerous laws.
The discovery and study of these ancient Mesopotamian law codes have provided valuable insights into the legal systems and societal structures of the time, as well as the shared values and traditions of the various civilizations that flourished in the region.
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King Ur-Nammu's laws
The Code of Ur-Nammu, created around 2100-2050 BCE, is the oldest known surviving law code. It is from Mesopotamia and is written in the Sumerian language on clay cuneiform tablets. The code was issued by Sumerian king Ur-Nammu (r. 2047-2030 BCE) or his son Shulgi of Ur (r. 2029-1982 BCE). King Ur-Nammu founded the Third Dynasty of Ur and initiated the Sumerian Renaissance, a period in which Sumerian society heavily emphasised the arts and culture.
The Code of Ur-Nammu is distinct from other law codes because, unlike the Ten Commandments, the laws are not dictated by a god or religious figure but by the government. The code contains strong statements of royal power, such as "I eliminated enmity, violence, and cries for justice". The code also invokes the deities for Ur-Nammu's kingship, Nanna and Utu, and decrees "equity in the land". Ur-Nammu presented himself as the father of his people, encouraging his subjects to think of themselves as one family and of his laws as the rules of a home.
The Code of Ur-Nammu covers both civil and criminal matters, with punishments for criminal provisions including capital offences for murder, robbery, deflowering another man's virgin wife, and adultery when committed by a woman. For other misdemeanours, the penalty was a fine in silver. The code also includes laws regarding divorce, sorcery, and the return of bridal presents.
The Code of Ur-Nammu is significant because it set the precedent for other laws written thereafter. It introduced the concept of fines as a form of punishment, with fines ranging from minas and shekels of silver to kurs of barley. The code also identified murder and rape as capital offences. The laws are written in a cause-and-effect format, listing each crime and its respective punishment, which differs from the "eye for an eye" rationale of the later Code of Hammurabi.
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Sumerian influence
The Code of Ur-Nammu, written in the Sumerian language c. 2100–2050 BC, is the oldest known surviving law code. It was written by the Sumerian king Ur-Nammu or his son Shulgi of Ur. The code was issued under Ur-Nammu's name, but it is possible that his son published it after his death. The Code of Ur-Nammu is from Mesopotamia and is written on clay tablets in cuneiform, a system of writing invented by the ancient Sumerians.
The Code of Ur-Nammu contains strong statements of royal power, such as "I eliminated enmity, violence, and cries for justice." The code also includes provisions for various criminal and civil matters, such as murder, robbery, adultery, rape, divorce, and bodily injuries. For example, if a man knocks out another man's tooth, he must pay two shekels of silver. The code also addresses social issues, such as protecting widows and orphans from being taken advantage of by the wealthy and powerful.
The Code of Ur-Nammu established the concept of equity in the land and standardised weights and measures. It also reveals a glimpse of the societal structure during Ur's Third Dynasty, with the king at the top and the people belonging to one of two basic strata: the free person or the slave.
The Code of Ur-Nammu served as a model for later codes, such as the Laws of Eshnunna (c. 1930 BCE) and the laws decreed under the reign of Lipit-Ishtar (c. 1870 to c. 1860 BCE). These codes, in turn, influenced the famous Code of Hammurabi, which had a lasting impact on the laws of other civilizations, including the Mosaic Law of the Bible.
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Babylonian Empire's Code of Hammurabi
The Code of Hammurabi is a Babylonian legal text composed during 1755–1750 BC. It is the longest, best-organized, and best-preserved legal text from the ancient Near East. It is written in the Old Babylonian dialect of Akkadian. The primary copy of the text is inscribed on a basalt stele 2.25 m (7 ft 4+1⁄2 in) tall. The stele was rediscovered in 1901 at the site of Susa in present-day Iran, where it had been taken as plunder six hundred years after its creation. The text itself was copied and studied by Mesopotamian scribes for over a millennium. The stele now resides in the Louvre Museum.
The Code of Hammurabi was issued by Hammurabi, the sixth king of the Amorite First Dynasty of Babylon. He ruled from 1792 to 1750 BC. He secured Babylonian dominance over the Mesopotamian plain through military prowess, diplomacy, and treachery. Hammurabi is best known for having issued the Code of Hammurabi, which he claimed to have received from Shamash, the Babylonian god of justice. The code is among the first to establish the presumption of innocence and to prescribe specific penalties for each crime. Unlike earlier Sumerian law codes, the Code of Hammurabi focused on physically punishing the perpetrator rather than compensating the victim of the crime.
The Code of Hammurabi contains a 300-line prologue that begins with an etiology of Hammurabi's royal authority. In the prologue, Hammurabi claims to have been granted his rule by the gods "to prevent the strong from oppressing the weak". The laws are casuistic, expressed as "if...then" conditional sentences. Their scope is broad, including criminal law, family law, property law, and commercial law.
Hammurabi was known for his fair laws and style of ruling. He wanted his people to obey his laws out of respect, not fear. He managed his court by clearly outlining the laws so that all of the people knew them. Hammurabi was seen by many as a god within his own lifetime. After his death, Hammurabi was revered as a great conqueror and his role as an ideal lawgiver became the primary aspect of his legacy.
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Frequently asked questions
Hammurabi's Babylonian Empire is recognized for creating the first known code of laws, fundamentally shaping the development of legal systems in later civilizations.
Hammurabi was the sixth king of the First Babylonian Dynasty. He ruled from approximately 1792 to 1750 BCE in ancient Mesopotamia, specifically in what is now modern-day Iraq.
The Code of Hammurabi consisted of 282 laws that addressed various aspects of daily life, including trade, marriage, property, and crime.
Hammurabi's Code represented a significant step forward in the development of law, medicine, and the medico-legal system. By codifying laws and making them public, Hammurabi established a system that would influence generations to come.
Ancient Greece and Rome also had notable legal systems. The ancient Greek legal system did not include lawyers, and cases were argued by the parties involved. Large juries, sometimes with 500 jurors, decided the verdicts. The foundation of Roman law was the Twelve Tablets, which were in place for over 1,500 years.
