Cameron Miranda
The Code of Ur-Nammu, written between 2100 and 2050 BCE, is the oldest known surviving law code. It was authored by Sumerian king Ur-Nammu or his son Shulgi, and is written on clay tablets in the Sumerian language. The code is arranged in a casuistic form, with if denoting a crime and then denoting a punishment. It covers both civil and criminal matters, and reveals a glimpse of societal structure during Ur's Third Dynasty.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Code of Ur-Nammu |
| Date | c. 2100-2050 BCE |
| Origin | Mesopotamia |
| Language | Sumerian |
| Author | King Ur-Nammu of Ur or his son Shulgi |
| Format | Clay tablet |
| Number of laws | 57 |
| Number of deciphered laws | 40 |
| Number of fully legible laws | 29 |
| Number of laws concerning capital offenses | 4 |
| Number of laws concerning divorce | 2 |
| Number of laws concerning sorcery | 1 |
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What You'll Learn
- The Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest known surviving law code
- It is from Mesopotamia, written in Sumerian c. 2100–2050 BC
- The laws were attributed to king Ur-Nammu of Ur or his son Shulgi
- The code reveals a glimpse of Sumerian societal structure
- The Code of Ur-Nammu is considered more progressive than the Code of Hammurabi
The Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest known surviving law code
The Code of Ur-Nammu is a collection of 57 laws, 30 of which have been fully reconstructed. The laws are arranged in a casuistic form, with a crime followed by the punishment. For example, if a man knocked out another man's tooth, he would be punished by paying two shekels of silver. The code also includes statements of royal power, such as "I eliminated enmity, violence, and cries for justice."
The code provides insight into the societal structure during the Sumerian Renaissance. It reveals that society was divided into two basic strata: the "lu" or free people, and slaves (male "arad" and female "geme"). The code also mentions the "lugal," or king, who was considered the highest authority.
The Code of Ur-Nammu is believed to have been influenced by religious beliefs, with Ur-Nammu presenting his laws as received from the gods. This pattern of divine authorship can also be seen in later law codes, such as the Mosaic Law of the Bible.
The discovery of the Code of Ur-Nammu has provided valuable insights into the legal and societal structures of ancient Mesopotamia, and it continues to be studied by scholars worldwide.
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It is from Mesopotamia, written in Sumerian c. 2100–2050 BC
The Code of Ur-Nammu, written in Sumerian c. 2100–2050 BC, is the oldest known surviving law code. It is from Mesopotamia and is written on clay tablets in cuneiform. The tablets were discovered in Nippur, in what is now Iraq, and were translated in 1952 by Samuel Noah Kramer. The Code of Ur-Nammu is attributed to King Ur-Nammu of Ur (who ruled from 2047-2030 BCE), although some scholars believe it was written by his son Shulgi.
The Code of Ur-Nammu is arranged in a casuistic form, with a crime followed by its punishment. This pattern was followed in nearly all later codes of law, including the famous Code of Hammurabi. The laws covered both civil and criminal matters, and the punishments varied based on social status. For example, murder, robbery, adultery, and rape were capital offenses, while lesser crimes resulted in fines. The code also reveals a glimpse of the societal structure during Ur's Third Dynasty, with the king at the top, followed by the lu or free person, and then the slave.
The prologue of the code, typical of Mesopotamian law codes, invokes the deities for Ur-Nammu's kingship, Nanna and Utu, and decrees "equity in the land". Ur-Nammu also set the monthly Temple expenses at 90 gur of barley, 30 sheep, and 30 sila of butter. He standardised weights and measures, including the one-mina weight and the stone weight of a shekel of silver in relation to one mina.
The Code of Ur-Nammu is an important example of the first written codified laws, which reveal the level of social, political, economical, and legal development of the Mesopotamian civilization. It is also a valuable source of information about the societal structure and values of the time.
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The laws were attributed to king Ur-Nammu of Ur or his son Shulgi
The Code of Ur-Nammu, developed around 2100-2050 BCE, is the oldest known surviving law code. It was written in Sumerian, in Mesopotamia, on clay tablets. The code is attributed to King Ur-Nammu of Ur, who ruled from 2047-2030 BCE. However, the true author of the code is still under dispute, with some scholars attributing it to Ur-Nammu's son, Shulgi, who ruled from 2029-1982 BCE.
The code is arranged in a casuistic form, with a stated crime followed by its punishment. This pattern was followed in nearly all subsequent codes. The punishments for most crimes were fines, with the exception of capital offences, which included murder, robbery, adultery, and rape. The code also reveals 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', female: 'geme').
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, Sumer, and Akkad, who established equity in the land by removing malediction, violence, and strife. He also standardised weights and measures. The code also contains strong statements of royal power, such as "I eliminated enmity, violence, and cries for justice".
The code is considered advanced for its time, as it institutes fines of monetary compensation for bodily damage, as opposed to the later 'lex talionis' ('eye for an eye') principle of Babylonian law. The code also covered both civil and criminal matters. Ur-Nammu recognised the power of religious beliefs to influence personal behaviour, so he presented his laws as having been received from the gods. This ensured that people understood that the king was only the administrator of the code and that breaking the law was a rebellion against divine will.
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The code reveals a glimpse of Sumerian societal structure
The Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest known surviving law code, dating back to 2100–2050 BC. It is from Mesopotamia and is 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 by nearly all later codes. It provides a glimpse into the Sumerian societal structure during the Third Dynasty of Ur.
According to the code, beneath the lugal ("great man" or king), all members of Sumerian society belonged to one of two strata: the lu (free people) or slaves (male: arad, female: geme). The son of a lu was called a dumu-nita until he married, after which he became a "young man" or gurus. A woman (munus) progressed from being a daughter (dumu-mi) to a wife (dam) and, if she outlived her husband, a widow (nu-ma-su), who could remarry.
The Code of Ur-Nammu also provides insights into the societal roles and rights of women during the Sumerian Renaissance. For example, if a man divorced his first-time wife, he had to pay her one mina of silver. However, if he divorced a widow, he only had to pay half a mina. Additionally, the code mentions sorcery and adultery accusations, with specific consequences for false accusers.
The Sumerians were one of the earliest known civilizations, emerging in southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) during the Chalcolithic and early Bronze Ages. They were skilled farmers, utilizing irrigation techniques similar to those in Egypt, and grew an abundance of crops, including barley, chickpeas, lentils, wheat, dates, onions, garlic, lettuce, leeks, and mustard. Beer brewing was also an important aspect of Sumerian culture, with multiple varieties made from wheat and barley.
The Code of Ur-Nammu, with its insights into societal structure, roles, and rights, provides a valuable glimpse into the early Sumerian civilization and its legal system. It is a testament to the Sumerian's development of complex societal organization and their understanding of law and order.
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The Code of Ur-Nammu is considered more progressive than the Code of Hammurabi
The first-ever law is a difficult notion to pinpoint, as many ancient codes of law have been lost to time. The Code of Ur-Nammu, for example, is considered the oldest known surviving law code, but it is known that earlier law codes existed, such as the Code of Urukagina, which has been referenced in other ancient works but has never been found.
The Code of Ur-Nammu is considered more progressive because its penalties are far less severe than those found in the Code of Hammurabi, which popularized the saying, "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." For example, if a man knocked out another man's eye, the penalty under the Code of Ur-Nammu would be a fine of half a mina of silver, whereas under the Code of Hammurabi, the penalty would be the loss of one's own eye.
The Code of Ur-Nammu also laid out monetary fines as punishment for lesser offenses, such as a fine of two shekels for knocking out a tooth, whereas the Code of Hammurabi often insisted on reciprocal punishment. The Code of Ur-Nammu is thought to have been presented as having been received from the gods, with the king as the administrator, not the author, of the code. This code also reveals a glimpse of the societal structure during Ur's Third Dynasty, with a king at the top, followed by free people, and then slaves.
While the Code of Ur-Nammu is considered more progressive than the Code of Hammurabi, it is important to note that both codes regard similar types of crimes, and some laws in the Code of Ur-Nammu may seem ridiculous, confusing, or barbaric to modern readers. For example, if a man accused another of sorcery, the accused would have to undergo an "ordeal by water" to prove their innocence.
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Frequently asked questions
The first-ever law is the Code of Ur-Nammu, which is the oldest surviving law code, dating back to 2100-2050 BCE. It was written in Sumerian and is attributed to King Ur-Nammu or his son Shulgi.
The first law code is believed to be the Code of Urukagina, which was written in Mesopotamia in the 24th century BCE. However, this code has not been found and only exists as references in other ancient works.
The Code of Ur-Nammu consists of 57 laws regarding living in Sumerian society. It includes a prologue that invokes the deities Nanna and Utu and credits the laws to King Ur-Nammu. The laws are arranged in a casuistic form of "if-then," with crimes and their respective punishments. For example, if a man divorces his first-time wife, he must pay her one mina of silver.
The Code of Ur-Nammu was first discovered in 1952 at Nippur by Samuel Kramer, who translated it. Better-preserved tablets were discovered in 1965, allowing historians to reconstruct 40 of the 57 laws.
