Keith Mack
The Code of Ur-Nammu, written c. 2100-2050 BCE, is the oldest surviving law code in the world. It was written by Sumerian King Ur-Nammu or his son Shulgi of Ur. The code is arranged in a casuistic form of IF (crime) THEN (punishment), a pattern followed in nearly all later codes. The code reveals a glimpse of societal structure during Ur's Third Dynasty, where beneath the king, all members of society belonged to one of two strata: the lu or free person, or the slave. The Code of Ur-Nammu is one of several earlier law collections, with others including the Code of Lipit-Ishtar of Isin, the Laws of Eshnunna, and the Code of Urukagina.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Code of Ur-Nammu |
| Date | c. 2100-2050 BCE |
| Origin | Mesopotamia |
| Language | Sumerian |
| Author | King Ur-Nammu or his son Shulgi of Ur |
| Format | Clay tablet |
| Number of laws | 57 |
| Number of deciphered laws | 40 |
| Contents | Laws regarding living in Sumerian society, including divorce, sorcery, adultery, robbery, murder, and capital offenses |
| Legal system | Monetary compensation for bodily damage |
| Influence | Influenced the Code of Hammurabi, which was established approximately 300 years later |
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What You'll Learn
The Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest known surviving law code
The Code of Ur-Nammu, written c. 2100–2050 BCE, is the oldest known surviving law code. It is from ancient Mesopotamia, written in the Sumerian language on clay tablets. The code is arranged in a casuistic form, with a crime followed by its punishment, a pattern followed in nearly all later codes. It institutes fines of monetary compensation for bodily damage, as opposed to the "'eye for an eye' principle of Babylonian law. Murder, robbery, adultery, and rape were capital offenses. The code reveals a glimpse of 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 (free person) or the slave (male: arad, female: geme).
The Code of Ur-Nammu was discovered in Iraq in 1948 and translated by the scholar Samuel Noah Kramer in 1952. The first recension of the code (Ni 3191), an Old Babylonian period copy in two fragments found at Nippur, is held at the Istanbul Archaeology Museums. Owing to its partial preservation, only the long prologue and five of the laws were discernible. Further tablets were found in Ur and translated in 1965, allowing some 30-40 of the 57 laws to be reconstructed. Another copy found in Sippar contains slight variants. The code was written by the Sumerian king Ur-Nammu (r. 2047-2030 BCE) or his son Shulgi of Ur (r. 2029-1982 BCE). Ur-Nammu established the Third Dynasty of Ur in Sumer, also referenced as the Ur III Period and the Sumerian Renaissance.
The prologue, typical of Mesopotamian law codes, invokes the deities for Ur-Nammu's kingship, Nanna and Utu, and decrees "equity in the land". Ur-Nammu banished malediction, violence, and strife, and set the monthly Temple expenses at 90 gur of barley, 30 sheep, and 30 sila of butter. He fashioned the bronze sila-measure, standardized the one-mina weight, and standardized the stone weight of a shekel of silver in relation to one mina. The code also contains strong statements of royal power, such as "I eliminated enmity, violence, and cries for justice." 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 is three centuries older than the famous Code of Hammurabi, which was inscribed by the Babylonian king Hammurabi (r. 1795-1750 BCE). The Code of Ur-Nammu was also influential in the form and underlying vision of 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).
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The Code of Ur-Nammu is from Mesopotamia, written c. 2100–2050 BCE
The Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest known surviving law code, dating back to c. 2100–2050 BCE. It is from Mesopotamia, written in the Sumerian language on terracotta tablets. The code was issued under the name of the Sumerian king Ur-Nammu of Ur, who ruled from 2047 to 2030 BCE, or 2112 to 2095 BCE according to another source. However, it is possible that the code was actually published by his son, Shulgi, after Ur-Nammu's death. Shulgi ruled from 2029 to 1982 BCE.
The Code of Ur-Nammu is considered a glimpse into the societal structure during Ur's Third Dynasty. It reveals that beneath the "great man" or king, all members of society were either free people (lu) or slaves (male: arad, female: geme). A woman (munus) progressed from being a daughter (dumu-mi) to a wife (dam), and if she outlived her husband, she became a widow (nu-ma-su), who could remarry. The code also provides insight into the king's vision of law and order in his lands. Ur-Nammu encouraged his subjects to think of themselves as one family and of his laws as the rules of a home.
The code is arranged in a casuistic form of IF (crime) THEN (punishment), a pattern followed in nearly all later codes. It institutes fines of monetary compensation for bodily damage instead of the "'eye for an eye' principle of Babylonian law". However, murder, robbery, adultery, and rape were capital offenses. The code also includes statements of royal power, such as "I eliminated enmity, violence, and cries for justice."
The prologue of the code, typical of Mesopotamian law codes, invokes the deities Nanna and Utu for Ur-Nammu's kingship and decrees "equity in the land". The code reveals Ur-Nammu's efforts to establish equity, such as standardising weights and measures and protecting the vulnerable, including orphans and widows.
The Code of Ur-Nammu is one of several early Mesopotamian law collections, including the Code of Lipit-Ishtar of Isin and the Laws of Eshnunna. These collections were written in Sumerian and Akkadian and purport to have been authored by rulers. They feature prologues and uphold the "one crime, one punishment" principle. The Code of Ur-Nammu is believed to have influenced later codes, including the Code of Hammurabi.
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The Code of Ur-Nammu was written in Sumerian
The Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest known surviving law code, written in Sumerian c. 2100–2050 BC. It is from Mesopotamia and is written on tablets, with strong statements of royal power such as "I eliminated enmity, violence, and cries for justice". The code is arranged in a casuistic form of "IF (crime) THEN (punishment)", a pattern followed in nearly all later codes. It institutes fines of monetary compensation for bodily damage, unlike the later lex talionis ("eye for an eye") principle of Babylonian law. Murder, robbery, adultery, and rape were capital offenses.
The Code of Ur-Nammu is three centuries older than the famous Code of Hammurabi, which was inscribed by the Babylonian king Hammurabi (r. 1795-1750 BCE). The Code of Ur-Nammu is believed to have been written by the Sumerian king Ur-Nammu (r. 2047-2030 BCE) or his son Shulgi of Ur (r. 2029-1982 BCE). The dating of c. 2100-2050 BCE is based on middle chronology, while short chronology places the date at c. 2050-2047 BCE, just prior to, or at the beginning of Ur-Nammu's reign. The earliest law code from Mesopotamia was the Code of Urukagina (c. 24th century BCE), which survives in the present day only through references in other ancient works.
The Code of Ur-Nammu was discovered in 1952 and is believed to be the oldest surviving law code from the Sumerian Renaissance period. The prologue, typical of Mesopotamian law codes, invokes the deities for Ur-Nammu's kingship, Nanna and Utu, and decrees "equity in the land". The code reveals a glimpse of the societal structure during Ur's Third Dynasty. All members of society belonged to one of two basic strata: the "lu" or free person, and the slave (male "arad" and female "geme"). A woman ("munus") progressed from being a daughter ("dumu-mi") to a wife ("dam"), and if she outlived her husband, she became a widow ("nu-ma-su") who could remarry.
The Code of Ur-Nammu is significant as it provides insight into the legal and societal structures of ancient Mesopotamia. It demonstrates the importance of kingship and the belief in divine legitimacy, with kings presenting themselves as the fathers of their people. The code also showcases the development of law and the move towards a more standardized system of justice, with fines and punishments outlined for specific crimes.
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The Code of Ur-Nammu was written on clay tablets
The Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest known surviving law code, written on clay tablets in the Sumerian language around 2100–2050 BC. It is from Mesopotamia and is the oldest extant law code in the world, centuries older than the famous Code of Hammurabi. The tablets were discovered in two fragments at Nippur, an ancient Sumerian city in modern-day Iraq. The fragments were translated into English in 1952 by the renowned Assyriologist, Samuel Kramer, and they are now held at the Istanbul Archaeology Museums.
The Code of Ur-Nammu is significant because it provides a glimpse into the way justice was conceived in ancient Sumerian society. It is arranged in a casuistic form of IF (crime) THEN (punishment), a pattern followed in nearly all later codes. It institutes fines of monetary compensation for bodily damage instead of the later lex talionis ('eye for an eye') principle of Babylonian law. The code also reveals the societal structure during Ur's Third Dynasty, with the king ("great man") at the top, followed by the lu or free person, and the slave at the bottom.
The prologue, typical of Mesopotamian law codes, invokes the deities for Ur-Nammu's kingship, Nanna and Utu, and decrees "equity in the land". Ur-Nammu is described as a mighty warrior, king of Ur, king of Sumer and Akkad, who established equity in the land by banishing malediction, violence, and strife. He also standardised weights and measures, such as the one-mina weight and the stone weight of a shekel of silver in relation to one mina.
The author of the Code of Ur-Nammu is still somewhat under dispute. The laws are credited directly to Ur-Nammu in the prologue, but some scholars attribute them to his son and successor, Shulgi. Shulgi may have been the actual author, as the code was widely publicised during his reign. However, there is also evidence that Ur-Nammu himself wrote the code, as he is referred to as the "world's first lawgiver".
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The Code of Ur-Nammu was written by Sumerian King Ur-Nammu or his son Shulgi of Ur
The Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest known surviving law code in the world. It is from Mesopotamia and is written in the Sumerian language on clay tablets. The code was compiled between 2100 and 2050 BCE, centuries before the famous Code of Hammurabi. The Code of Ur-Nammu was discovered in Iraq in 1948 and translated by the scholar Samuel Noah Kramer in 1952. The code is written in the casuistic form of IF (crime) THEN (punishment), a pattern 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. Murder, robbery, adultery, and rape were capital offenses.
The code was written by the Sumerian King Ur-Nammu or his son Shulgi of Ur. King Ur-Nammu ruled from 2047 to 2030 BCE and is remembered today for his legal code. He founded the Sumerian Third Dynasty of Ur, in southern Mesopotamia, following several centuries of Akkadian and Gutian rule. He is also known for building many temples and canals, and his main achievement was building the core of the Ur III Empire via military conquest. Ur-Nammu held the titles of "King of Ur, and King of Sumer and Akkad".
While the code was issued under Ur-Nammu's name, it is possible that it was published by his son Shulgi, after Ur-Nammu's death. Shulgi of Ur ruled from 2029 to 1982 BCE and is considered the greatest king. Shulgi promoted his lineage to members of the legendary Uruk dynasty as opposed to Ur-Nammu. He was responsible for ordering the construction of several ziggurats, including the Great Ziggurat of Ur.
The Code of Ur-Nammu reveals a glimpse of societal structure during Ur's Third Dynasty. Beneath the "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 son of a lu was called a dumu-nita until he married, becoming a "young man" (gurus). A woman (munus) went from being a daughter (dumu-mi) to a wife (dam), then if she outlived her husband, a widow (nu-ma-su), who could remarry.
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Frequently asked questions
The first collection of written laws is largely believed to be the Code of Ur-Nammu, which was written c. 2100-2050 BCE.
The Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest surviving law code from Mesopotamia, written on tablets in the Sumerian language. It is arranged in a casuistic form of "IF (crime) THEN (punishment)", a pattern followed in nearly all later codes.
Some examples of laws from the Code of Ur-Nammu include:
- If a man divorces his first-time wife, he must pay her one 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, the father-in-law must return double the amount of bridal presents brought by the suitor.
Yes, several other early written law collections exist, including:
- The Code of Urukagina (c. 24th century BCE)
- The Code of Hammurabi (c. 1772 BCE)
- The Code of Lipit-Ishtar of Isin
- The Laws of Eshnunna
