Cameron Miranda
The Code of Ur-Nammu, written c. 2100-2050 BCE, is the oldest known surviving law code. It was written in Sumerian, on clay tablets, and is arranged in a casuistic form of 'if (crime), then (punishment)'. The code was written by the Sumerian king Ur-Nammu or his son Shulgi of Ur. It includes laws on divorce, sorcery, adultery, and property. The Code of Ur-Nammu is an important glimpse into the societal structure of Ur's Third Dynasty. Another well-known ancient law code is the Code of Hammurabi, which was inscribed later, c. 1755-1750 BCE.
| 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 of Ur |
| Format | Tablets |
| Number of laws | 57 (30 reconstructed) |
| Content | Homicide, sexual offences, assault, false accusations, marriage, property, divorce, sorcery, adultery, monetary compensation for bodily damage, murder, robbery, and rape |
| Location | Istanbul Archaeology Museums, Iraq Museum in Baghdad, Istanbul Museum, British Museum |
| Legacy | Oldest surviving law code, glimpse into societal structure during Ur's Third Dynasty |
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What You'll Learn
- The Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest known surviving law code
- The code is from Mesopotamia and is written in Sumerian
- It is three centuries older than the Code of Hammurabi
- The laws are arranged in casuistic form: if (crime) then (punishment)
- The Code of Hammurabi is a Babylonian legal text composed in the 18th century BC
The Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest known surviving law code
The Code of Ur-Nammu was instituted by the Sumerian king Ur-Nammu, who ruled from 2047-2030 BCE. Ur-Nammu established the Third Dynasty of Ur in Sumer, also known as the Sumerian Renaissance. The code reveals a glimpse of the societal structure during this time. Beneath the king, all members of society were either free people ('lu') or slaves (male 'arad', female 'geme'). The code also sheds light on the king's vision of law and order in his lands. Ur-Nammu presented himself as the father of his people, encouraging his subjects to view themselves as one family and his laws as the rules of a home.
While the preface of the code directly credits the laws to King Ur-Nammu, some historians believe they should be ascribed to his son Shulgi, who ruled from 2029-1982 BCE. Shulgi's successors further developed the code, and it influenced later codes such as the Laws of Eshnunna and the laws decreed under Lipit-Ishtar. The Code of Ur-Nammu is significant as it is the earliest legal text that is still extant, predating the famous Code of Hammurabi by about three centuries.
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The code is from Mesopotamia and is written in Sumerian
The Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest known surviving law code, dating from the middle of the 21st century BC. It is from Mesopotamia and is written in Sumerian on clay tablets. The code was translated in 1952 by Samuel Noah Kramer, who spent several days studying the tablets before realising he was holding the oldest law code known to man. The tablets were found in Nippur, in what is now Iraq, and are now held at the Istanbul Archaeology Museums.
The Code of Ur-Nammu is arranged in a casuistic form of IF (crime) THEN (punishment). This pattern was followed in nearly all later codes. The code includes fines 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 offences. 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 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 proclaims: "I eliminated enmity, violence, and cries for justice". 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 Code of Ur-Nammu is one of several collections of law written in Sumerian and Akkadian. Others include the Code of Lipit-Ishtar of Isin, the Laws of Eshnunna, and the Laws of X, which may be the end of the Code of Ur-Nammu. These collections were written by rulers and were likely widespread.
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It is three centuries older than the Code of Hammurabi
The Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest known surviving law code, dating back to 2100-2050 BC. It is three centuries older than the Code of Hammurabi. The Code of Ur-Nammu was discovered in Mesopotamia and is written in the Sumerian language on clay tablets. The code contains strong statements of royal power, such as "I eliminated enmity, violence, and cries for justice." The laws are structured in a casuistic form, with a crime followed by its punishment, a pattern that was followed in many subsequent codes.
The Code of Ur-Nammu provides insight into the societal structure of Ur's Third Dynasty. King Ur-Nammu, who is credited with the laws, ruled over two basic strata of society: the 'lu' or free people, and the 'slaves' (male 'arad' and female 'geme'). A woman's status changed throughout her life, from 'dumu-mi' (daughter) to 'dam' (wife), and if she outlived her husband, she became a 'nu-ma-su' (widow) who could remarry. The code also outlines the laws regarding divorce and compensation for bodily harm. For instance, if a man knocks out another man's tooth, he must pay two shekels of silver in compensation.
The Code of Ur-Nammu also reveals the king's role in standardising weights and measures. Ur-Nammu standardised the one-mina weight and the stone weight of a shekel of silver in relation to the one mina. He also fashioned the bronze sila-measure. Additionally, the code mentions the monthly temple expenses set by the king, which included 90 gur of barley, 30 sheep, and 30 sila of butter.
The discovery of the Code of Ur-Nammu provides valuable insights into the legal and societal structures of ancient Mesopotamia. Despite being significantly older than the Code of Hammurabi, it demonstrates the existence of a sophisticated legal system with established standards for compensation and punishments.
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The laws are arranged in casuistic form: if (crime) then (punishment)
The Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest known surviving law code, dating back to 2100–2050 BCE. It is from Mesopotamia and is written in Sumerian on clay tablets. The code is arranged in a casuistic form, following the pattern of "if (crime), then (punishment)". This structure was later adopted by many legal codes, including the famous Code of Hammurabi.
- 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 accused a woman of adultery, and the river ordeal proved her innocent, the accuser must pay one-third of a mina of silver.
- If a man knocks out another man's tooth, he would have to pay two shekels of silver.
The Code of Ur-Nammu provides insights into the societal structure and values of Ur's Third Dynasty. It distinguishes between different social strata, including free persons ("lu") and slaves ("arad" for males and "geme" or "arad-geme" for females). The code also emphasizes equity and respect among the people, with punishments often taking the form of fines rather than harsher penalties.
Another important law code from Mesopotamia is the Code of Hammurabi, which was written during 1755–1750 BCE. This code also follows the casuistic form of "IF (crime) THEN (punishment)". Here are some examples of laws from the Code of Hammurabi:
- If a man steals an ox, he must pay back 30 times its value.
- If a doctor kills a rich patient, his hands shall be cut off, while only financial restitution is required if the victim is a slave.
- If a slave escapes from the city and is returned, the owner must pay two shekels to the person who brought the slave back.
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The Code of Hammurabi is a Babylonian legal text composed in the 18th century BC
The Code of Hammurabi is widely regarded as one of the earliest and most complete written legal codes. It was proclaimed by Hammurabi, the sixth king of the First Dynasty of Babylon, who reigned from 1792 to 1750 B.C. The code is a collection of 282 rules that established standards for commercial interactions and set fines and punishments to meet the requirements of justice.
The Code of Hammurabi is written in the Old Babylonian dialect of Akkadian, a Semitic language. It is composed in the 18th century BC, during the reign of Hammurabi, and is inscribed on a basalt stele that is 2.25 metres tall. The stele features an image in relief of Hammurabi with Shamash, the Babylonian sun god and god of justice. Below the relief are about 4,130 lines of cuneiform text, with one-fifth containing a prologue and epilogue in poetic style, and the remaining four-fifths containing the laws.
The code 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. It is now housed in the Louvre Museum. The Code of Hammurabi is the longest, best-organized, and best-preserved legal text from the ancient Near East. It has been copied and studied by Mesopotamian scribes for over a millennium and has had a significant influence on the development of law.
The Code of Hammurabi includes a range of edicts, from family law to professional contracts and administrative law. The edicts outline different standards of justice for the three classes of Babylonian society: the propertied class, freedmen, and slaves. For example, a doctor's fee for curing a severe wound would vary depending on the social status of the patient. The code also provides some of the earliest examples of the doctrine of "lex talionis," or the laws of retribution, often referred to as "an eye for an eye."
While the Code of Hammurabi is one of the earliest known written legal codes, it is important to note that several earlier collections do exist, such as the Code of Ur-Nammu, which is the oldest known surviving law code, dating back to 2100-2050 BC. These earlier collections were written in Sumerian and Akkadian and were also purported to have been written by rulers.
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Frequently asked questions
The Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest known surviving law code, written c. 2100–2050 BC.
The Code of Ur-Nammu is written on tablets in the Sumerian language and includes laws on divorce, sorcery, adultery, and murder. It also reveals societal structure during Ur's Third Dynasty, with people belonging to one of two strata: the lu or free person, or the slave.
The Code of Hammurabi was the first Mesopotamian law collection to be discovered, but it was not the first to be written.
