Cecily Zamora
The Code of Ur-Nammu, which was discovered in 1952, is the oldest known surviving law code. It was written in c. 2100-2050 BCE by the Sumerian king Ur-Nammu or his son Shulgi of Ur. The code contains 57 laws, including strong statements of royal power, and is arranged in a casuistic form of if (crime) then (punishment). The Code of Ur-Nammu was followed by the Code of Hammurabi, which was compiled by the Babylonian king Hammurabi and is one of the earliest and most complete written legal codes. Hammurabi's Code consists of 282 rules that established standards for commercial interactions and set fines and punishments based on justice.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date & Place of Origin | c. 2100-1750 BCE, Sumerian city of Ur in modern-day Iraq |
| Name | Code of Ur-Nammu |
| Purpose | Regulate social and economic life, establish standards of conduct, and define legal procedures and punishments |
| Contents | 57 surviving clauses covering areas like wages, prices, slavery, divorce, and theft |
| Influenced By | Earlier Sumerian laws and customs |
| Influenced | Subsequent law codes in the region, including the better-known Code of Hammurabi |
| Enforcer | King Ur-Nammu, who established the code and ensured its implementation |
| Severity of Punishments | Proportional to social status of victim and severity of crime, with fines, forced labor, and death penalties prescribed |
| Legacy | Represents one of the earliest known attempts to establish a systematic and written code of law |
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What You'll Learn
- The Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest known surviving code of law
- It was written in Sumerian c. 2100–2050 BCE
- The code contains 57 laws, including fines for divorce and adultery
- The laws were arranged in a casuistic form of if (crime) then (punishment)
- The Code of Hammurabi is another early code of law, influencing Mosaic Law
The Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest known surviving code of law
The Code of Ur-Nammu, which dates back to 2100-2050 BCE, is the oldest known surviving code of law. It was discovered in 1948 when a tablet bearing the code was unearthed in Iraq. The code was translated in 1952 by Samuel Noah Kramer, revealing it to be the oldest law code in the world at the time.
The code was written by the Sumerian king Ur-Nammu, who ruled from 2047-2030 BCE, or possibly by his son Shulgi of Ur, who ruled from 2029-1982 BCE. It consists of 57 laws arranged in casuistic form, with the crime stated first, followed by the punishment. The code includes strong statements of royal power and presents Ur-Nammu as a fatherly figure to his people, encouraging them to live together in harmony and respect.
The Code of Ur-Nammu provides insight into the societal structure of Ur's Third Dynasty, with the king at the top and all other members of society belonging to one of two basic strata: the lu or free person, and the slave. The code covers various aspects of life, including family law, property law, and loan agreements. For example, it stipulates that if a man divorces his first-time wife, he must pay her one mina of silver, while if he divorces a widow, he must pay half a mina. It also includes provisions for sorcery accusations and adultery charges.
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 Lipit-Ishtar (c. 1870-1860 BCE). These codes, in turn, influenced the famous Code of Hammurabi, which became known as one of the most thorough and well-preserved sets of laws from ancient history. Hammurabi's Code, established around 1792-1750 BCE, was inscribed on a massive black stone stele and included harsh punishments, such as the removal of body parts for certain crimes.
While the Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest known surviving code of law, there may have been earlier law codes that have yet to be discovered. Kramer himself acknowledged this possibility, suggesting that a copy of a law code preceding Ur-Nammu's could be found in the future. Nonetheless, the Code of Ur-Nammu remains a significant discovery, providing valuable insights into the legal and societal structures of ancient Mesopotamia.
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It was written in Sumerian c. 2100–2050 BCE
The Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest known surviving law code, written in Sumerian c. 2100–2050 BCE. It was discovered in 1948 when a tablet was unearthed in Iraq and was later translated by Samuel Noah Kramer in 1952. The code was written by the Sumerian king Ur-Nammu (who ruled from 2047–2030 BCE) or his son Shulgi of Ur (who ruled from 2029–1982 BCE). The dating of c. 2100–2050 BCE is based on middle chronology; short chronology places the date at c. 2050–2047 BCE, just before or at the beginning of Ur-Nammu's reign. The code is from Mesopotamia and is written on tablets in the Sumerian language.
The Code of Ur-Nammu is centuries older than the famous Code of Hammurabi, which was inscribed by the Babylonian king Hammurabi (who ruled from 1795–1750 BCE). The Code of Ur-Nammu is incomplete, but enough of it was preserved to allow scholars to understand the king's vision of law and order in his lands. The code contains 57 laws, and punishments (except for capital offences) took the form of fines. Ur-Nammu encouraged his subjects to think of themselves as one family and of his laws as the rules of a home. The code reveals a glimpse of the societal structure during Ur's Third Dynasty: beneath the lugal ("great man" or king), all members of society belonged to one of two basic strata—the lu or free person, or the slave (male: arad; female: geme).
The Code of Ur-Nammu is written in casuistic form: if (crime), then (punishment). This pattern is followed in nearly all later codes. It institutes fines of monetary compensation for bodily damage, as opposed to the later lex talionis ('eye for an eye') principle of Babylonian law. However, murder, robbery, adultery, and rape were capital offences. The code includes laws on family matters, such as divorce and inheritance, as well as restitution, loan and hire agreements, and setting standards on charges and wages. For example, if a man divorces his first-time wife, he must pay her one mina of silver; if he divorces a widow, he must pay half a mina.
The Code of Ur-Nammu was considered the oldest law code until 1947 when the Code of Lipit-Ishtar was discovered, followed by the Code of Ur-Nammu's discovery in 1948. Although the Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest known surviving law code, there may have been earlier codes. Kramer, who translated the code, commented that there were indications of lawgivers in Sumer long before Ur-Nammu. However, no other law code predating the Code of Ur-Nammu has been found to date.
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The code contains 57 laws, including fines for divorce and adultery
The Code of Ur-Nammu, which was written in c. 2100-2050 BCE, is the oldest extant law code in the world. It was written by the Sumerian king Ur-Nammu or his son Shulgi of Ur. The Code of Ur-Nammu is a collection of 57 laws that were issued under the king's name. It is believed that the code was further developed and published by Shulgi after Ur-Nammu's death. The code contains strong statements of royal power, such as "I eliminated enmity, violence, and cries for justice." The laws are arranged in a casuistic form of "if (crime) then (punishment)", a pattern that was followed in nearly all subsequent codes. The Code of Ur-Nammu introduced the concept of fines as punishment for crimes, except for capital offences. For example, murder, robbery, adultery, and rape were all capital offences.
The Code of Ur-Nammu also included fines for divorce and adultery. If a man divorces his first-time wife, he must pay her one mina of silver. However, if he divorces a widow, he only needs to pay half a mina. Interestingly, if a man slept with a widow without a marriage contract, he was not required to pay any silver. The code also specified that if a man accused another man's wife of adultery, and she was proven innocent, the accuser had to pay one-third of a mina of silver.
The Code of Ur-Nammu was considered groundbreaking because it applied equally to all people, regardless of social status or privilege. This was a significant departure from other legal codes of the time, which often outlined different standards of justice for different classes. 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. This code also provides valuable insights into the societal structure of Ur's Third Dynasty, revealing that beneath the king, there were two basic strata: free people and slaves.
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The laws were arranged in a casuistic form of if (crime) then (punishment)
The Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest extant law code in the world, dating from c. 2100-2050 BCE. It was written by the Sumerian king Ur-Nammu or his son Shulgi of Ur. The Code of Ur-Nammu is arranged in a casuistic form of "if (crime), then (punishment)". For example, if a man divorces his first-time wife, he must pay her one mina of silver. If he divorces a widow, he must pay half a mina of silver. If a man accuses another man's wife of adultery, and she is proven 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, the father-in-law must return double the amount of bridal presents brought by the suitor.
The Code of Ur-Nammu was also the first code to apply equally to all people, regardless of social status or privilege. This was in contrast to later codes such as the Code of Hammurabi, which differentiated fines and punishments according to a person's legal status: free, slave, or a category in between. The Code of Ur-Nammu also established the principle of ""innocent until proven guilty", which was later adopted by the Code of Hammurabi.
The Code of Hammurabi, created by the Babylonian king Hammurabi, who reigned from 1792 to 1750 BCE, is one of the most well-preserved and complete ancient codes. It is arranged in the same casuistic form as the Code of Ur-Nammu, with 282 edicts written in "if-then" form. For example, if a man steals an ox, he must pay back 30 times its value. The edicts cover a range of topics, including family law, professional contracts, and administrative law. The Code of Hammurabi also introduced the concept of lex talionis, or "an eye for an eye", which was later adopted by Babylonian law.
The discovery of the Code of Ur-Nammu in 1952 challenged the notion that the Code of Hammurabi was the oldest law code in the world. However, due to the partial preservation of the former, only the prologue and five of the laws of the Code of Ur-Nammu have been discerned. Despite this, the Code of Ur-Nammu is still considered the oldest law code, and Ur-Nammu is regarded as the first lawgiver.
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The Code of Hammurabi is another early code of law, influencing Mosaic Law
The Code of Hammurabi is widely recognised as one of the earliest and most complete written legal codes. It was proclaimed by Hammurabi, the sixth king in the Babylonian dynasty, who reigned from 1792 to 1750 B.C. Hammurabi expanded the city-state of Babylon along the Euphrates River to unite all of southern Mesopotamia. The Code of Hammurabi, a collection of 282 rules, established standards for commercial interactions and set fines and punishments to meet the requirements of justice. The code is also one of the earliest examples of an accused person being considered innocent until proven guilty.
The Code of Hammurabi is a collection of legal precedents, set between prose celebrating Hammurabi’s just and pious rule. It is carved onto a massive, finger-shaped black stone stele (pillar) that was looted by invaders and finally rediscovered in 1901. The text is written in cuneiform script and is less a proclamation of principles than a collection of legal precedents. The Code of Hammurabi includes many harsh punishments, sometimes demanding the removal of the guilty party’s tongue, hands, breasts, eye or ear.
The Code of Hammurabi is one of the earliest known efforts to produce a coherent set of abstract legal precepts for an entire country, incorporating diverse local practices and traditional law. It includes several main sections, such as family law, property law and restitution, and loan and hire agreements. It differentiates fines and punishments according to a person's legal status: free, slave, and a category in between. For example, a doctor’s fee for curing a severe wound would be 10 silver shekels for a gentleman, five shekels for a freedman and two shekels for a slave.
The Code of Hammurabi is believed to have influenced Mosaic Law. The U.S. Supreme Court building features Hammurabi among the marble carvings of historic lawgivers lining the south wall of the courtroom. The Code of Hammurabi and Mosaic Law share similarities, such as the lex talionis, or the "eye for an eye" principle. However, there are also significant differences between the two codes. The Mosaic Law, for instance, emphasises the sanctity of human life and contains the notion of mercy, which is exceedingly rare in the Code of Hammurabi.
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Frequently asked questions
The Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest known surviving law code, written in c. 2100–2050 BCE.
The Code of Ur-Nammu was written by the Sumerian king Ur-Nammu or his son Shulgi of Ur.
The Code of Ur-Nammu contains 57 laws, including strong statements of royal power, and institutes fines of monetary compensation for bodily damage.
