Cameron Miranda
The Code of Ur-Nammu, written c. 2100-2050 BCE, is the oldest known surviving law code. It is from Mesopotamia and is written in the Sumerian language on tablets. The Code of Ur-Nammu is one of the earliest known law codes, preceding the famous Code of Hammurabi by several centuries. The Code of Ur-Nammu is considered advanced for its time, as it institutes fines of monetary compensation for bodily harm rather than following the eye for an eye principle of Babylonian law.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Code of Ur-Nammu |
| Date | c. 2100-2050 BCE |
| Location of Origin | Mesopotamia |
| Language | Sumerian |
| Number of Laws | 57 |
| Number of Reconstructed Laws | 30 |
| Number of Reconstructed Laws (Alternative Source) | 40 |
| Author | King Ur-Nammu of Ur |
| Alternative Author | Ur-Nammu's son Shulgi |
| Type of Medium | Tablets |
| Location of Discovery | Iraq |
| Year of Discovery | 1948 |
| Year of Translation | 1952 |
| Translator | Samuel Noah Kramer |
| Location of Fragments | Istanbul Archaeology Museums, Iraq Museum in Baghdad, Istanbul Museum, British Museum |
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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 code was written on tablets, with strong statements of royal power
- It includes laws on divorce, sorcery, and adultery
- The Code of Ur-Nammu predates the famous Code of Hammurabi by several centuries
The Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest known surviving law code
The code was issued under the name of King Ur-Nammu of Ur, who ruled from 2112 to 2095 BCE and founded the Third Dynasty of Ur in Sumer. However, some historians believe that the code may have been published by Ur-Nammu's son, Shulgi, after the king's death. The code consists of 57 laws, 30 of which have been fully reconstructed. These laws covered a range of topics, including divorce, sorcery, adultery, and compensation for bodily harm. For example, if a man knocked out another man's tooth, he would be required to pay two shekels of silver as compensation.
The prologue of the Code of Ur-Nammu is typical of Mesopotamian law codes, invoking the deities Nanna and Utu and decreeing "equity in the land". The code also contains strong statements of royal power, such as "I eliminated enmity, violence, and cries for justice." Ur-Nammu presented himself as a father figure to his people, encouraging them to think of themselves as a family and of his laws as household rules.
The discovery and translation of the Code of Ur-Nammu in 1952 by Samuel Noah Kramer were pivotal moments in understanding the ancient legal system of Mesopotamia. Despite being incomplete, the code provides valuable insights into the king's vision of law and order in his kingdom. It also influenced later codes, such as the Laws of Eshnunna and the laws decreed under Lipit-Ishtar, which in turn served as models for the famous Code of Hammurabi.
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It is from Mesopotamia, written in Sumerian c. 2100-2050 BC
The Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest known surviving law code, written in Mesopotamia in Sumerian c. 2100-2050 BC. It is written on clay tablets in cuneiform, a system of writing invented by the Sumerians. The tablets were discovered in Nippur, in what is now Iraq, and were translated by Samuel Noah Kramer in 1952. Only the prologue and five of the laws were discernible.
The Code of Ur-Nammu is attributed to King Ur-Nammu of Ur, who ruled from 2112-2095 BC. However, the author who had the laws written down is still under dispute. Some scholars attribute it to Ur-Nammu's son, Shulgi. The code includes strong statements of royal power, such as "I eliminated enmity, violence, and cries for justice". It also reveals a glimpse of the societal structure during Ur's Third Dynasty, with the king, or "great man", at the top, followed by two basic strata: the lu or free person, and the slave.
The laws are arranged in a casuistic form of "IF (crime), THEN (punishment)", a pattern followed in nearly all later codes. The code institutes fines of monetary compensation for bodily damage, as opposed to the later "eye for an eye" principle of Babylonian law. Some examples of the laws include: "If a man divorces his first-time wife, he shall pay (her) one mina of silver" and "If a man is accused of sorcery [translation disputed], he must undergo ordeal by water; if he is proven innocent, his accuser must pay 3 shekels".
The Code of Ur-Nammu is an important artifact of ancient Mesopotamia, providing valuable insights into the societal structure, legal system, and principles of kingship during that time.
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The code was written on tablets, with strong statements of royal power
The Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest known surviving law code, written on tablets in the Sumerian language c. 2100–2050 BC. It was discovered in Iraq in 1948 and was written by the Sumerian king Ur-Nammu or his son Shulgi of Ur. The tablets were found in Ur and translated in 1965, allowing 30 of the 57 laws to be reconstructed. The code reveals a glimpse of societal structure during Ur's Third Dynasty, with two basic strata: the 'lu' or free person, and the slave (male: 'arad', female: 'geme').
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 laws regarding divorce, sorcery, adultery, and bridal presents. For instance, if a man accused a woman of adultery and the river ordeal proved her innocent, the man had to pay one-third of a mina of silver. The code was written to make the laws clear to the people and to set out the king's behavioural expectations. Ur-Nammu encouraged 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 considered remarkably advanced for the oldest extant law code known to history. It institutes fines of monetary compensation for bodily harm, rather than the later 'eye for an eye' principle of Babylonian law. However, capital crimes such as murder, robbery, adultery, and rape were punished by death. The code also predates the famous Code of Hammurabi by several centuries.
The Code of Hammurabi, written by the Babylonian king Hammurabi c. 1792–1750 BC, is another well-known ancient law code. It is the longest, best-preserved legal text from the ancient Near East, written in the Old Babylonian dialect of Akkadian. The primary copy is inscribed on a basalt stele, which was rediscovered in 1901 in present-day Iran.
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It includes laws on divorce, sorcery, and adultery
The Code of Ur-Nammu, developed around 2100-2050 BC, is the oldest known surviving law code. It was discovered in Mesopotamia and is written in the Sumerian language on tablets. The code offers insight into the societal structure of Ur's Third Dynasty, revealing that society was divided into two strata: the 'lu' or free person, and the 'slave'.
The Code of Ur-Nammu includes laws on divorce, sorcery, 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. Notably, if there was no marriage contract and the man slept with the widow, he is not obligated to pay any silver. Regarding sorcery, if a man is accused and proven innocent through an ordeal by water, his accuser must pay three shekels. Additionally, if a man accuses another man's wife of adultery, and she is proven innocent through a river ordeal, the accuser must pay one-third of a mina of silver.
Assyrian law, or the Middle Assyrian Laws (MAL), developed between 1450 and 1250 BCE, also includes provisions related to divorce, sorcery, and adultery. According to Assyrian law, if a man divorces his wife, he may choose to give her something, but he is not obligated to do so. In the case of sorcery, if a man or woman is caught practising it, they shall be prosecuted and convicted. Concerning adultery, if a man catches another man with his wife, both the adulterer and the wife may be put to death. The husband has the right to decide the punishment, including disfiguring the adulterer's face.
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The Code of Ur-Nammu predates the famous Code of Hammurabi by several centuries
The Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest known surviving law code, dating back to around 2100–2050 BC. It was discovered in Mesopotamia and is written in the Sumerian language on tablets. The code is named after Ur-Nammu, a military officer who founded the Third Dynasty of Ur and is credited with writing the laws. The prologue invokes the deities for Ur-Nammu's kingship, Nanna and Utu, and decrees "equity in the land". The code provides insight into the societal structure during this time, revealing that beneath the king, there were two basic strata: the lu or free person, and the slave. It also includes provisions for divorce, sorcery accusations, and bridal presents.
The Code of Hammurabi, on the other hand, is a well-known ancient law code from Babylon that was created around 1760 BC. This code consists of 282 laws and focuses primarily on contract laws, legal distinctions between freemen and slaves, and the punishment of criminal offenses such as perjury, defamation, theft, and murder. The Code of Hammurabi is famous for its use of the "an eye for an eye" principle, also known as lex talionis, in contrast to the Code of Ur-Nammu, which institutes fines for bodily damage.
The Code of Ur-Nammu is significant because it predates the famous Code of Hammurabi by several centuries. While the Code of Hammurabi has a more extensive set of laws and is better preserved, the Code of Ur-Nammu provides valuable insights into the legal and societal structures of ancient Mesopotamia. The discovery and translation of these law codes have allowed scholars to trace the development of legal systems and the quest for human justice in ancient civilizations.
The Code of Ur-Nammu and the Code of Hammurabi are both considered Pre-Mosaic Codes of Law, indicating that they predate the Mosaic Law, which is associated with the biblical figure Moses. These codes are significant because they represent some of the earliest attempts to establish systematic and comprehensive written statements of laws, influencing subsequent legal traditions and laying the foundations for much of Western law and religion.
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Frequently asked questions
The Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest surviving law code, written c. 2100-2050 BCE.
The first copy of the code was found in two fragments in Nippur, now located in Iraq.
The code was written by the Sumerian king Ur-Nammu or his son Shulgi of Ur.
The code was written on tablets in the Sumerian language.
