The Code of Ur-Nammu, dating back to approximately 2100–2050 BCE, is the oldest known legal code in history. It was created during the reign of King Ur-Nammu (r. 2112–2095 BCE), the founder of the Third Dynasty of Ur in ancient Sumer (modern-day Iraq). This period was marked by political stability and economic prosperity, and the code aimed to establish order and justice in society. Scholars believe that Ur-Nammu’s son, Shulgi, played a role in compiling and enforcing the laws after his father’s reign.
The code was discovered in the early 20th century in fragments at archaeological sites in Nippur and Ur. It was inscribed on clay tablets using cuneiform script and written in the Sumerian language. Though some portions are missing, scholars have reconstructed much of the text. The most significant preserved copy is housed at the Istanbul Archaeology Museums in Turkey.
The Code of Ur-Nammu consists of a prologue, a set of laws, and punishments for violations. The prologue emphasizes the king’s divine right to rule and his role as a just ruler. The laws cover various aspects of criminal, civil, and economic life. For crimes such as murder, the punishment was death, but for injuries, fines in the form of silver were often imposed instead of physical retaliation. This was a notable difference from later legal codes, such as the Code of Hammurabi, which followed the principle of lex talionis (“an eye for an eye”).
Family laws included provisions for adultery, marriage, and divorce. For example, adultery was punishable by death, while women had certain rights in divorce cases, including financial compensation. Economic laws regulated slavery, land disputes, and wages, ensuring that laborers and servants were treated fairly. The legal system also set guidelines for irrigation and agriculture, crucial for the agrarian economy of Sumer.
Compared to the Code of Hammurabi (c. 1754 BCE), the Code of Ur-Nammu was more lenient and placed a greater emphasis on monetary fines rather than harsh physical punishments. While Hammurabi’s code was written in Akkadian and enforced strict class-based punishments, Ur-Nammu’s laws were in Sumerian and often applied more evenly across society.
The significance of the Code of Ur-Nammu lies in its role as the world’s first known legal system, establishing a precedent for codified laws. It influenced later Mesopotamian legal traditions and even biblical laws found in the Torah. By focusing on justice, compensation, and legal structure, the code laid the foundation for future legal systems and governance models. While Hammurabi’s Code is more famous, the Code of Ur-Nammu remains a pioneering achievement in legal history.
