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factbase-ancient-history/legal-codes/code-of-ur-nammu.md
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Code of Ur-Nammu

Code of Ur-Nammu

Overview

The Code of Ur-Nammu (~2100–2050 BCE) is the oldest known legal code, predating the Code of Hammurabi by ~300 years. It was issued by Ur-Nammu (or his son Shulgi) of the Third Dynasty of Ur.

Key Facts

  • Date: ~2100–2050 BCE
  • Issuer: Ur-Nammu or Shulgi, Third Dynasty of Ur
  • Language: Sumerian
  • Discovered: Fragments found at Nippur and Ur

Content

  • Prologue establishes the king as agent of divine justice
  • ~30 surviving laws (originally more)
  • Covers: Bodily injury, robbery, sexual offenses, marriage, slavery, agricultural disputes
  • Uses monetary compensation (fines) rather than lex talionis ("eye for an eye") 1

Significance

  • Oldest known legal code, predating Hammurabi by ~300 years
  • Shows that Sumerian legal tradition favored fines over physical punishment
  • Demonstrates sophisticated legal thinking in the 3rd millennium BCE 2

Review Queue

  • @q[temporal] Line 10: "Date: ~2100–2050 BCE" - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 11: "Issuer: Ur-Nammu or Shulgi, Third Dynasty of Ur" - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 12: "Language: Sumerian" - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 13: "Discovered: Fragments found at Nippur and Ur" - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 16: "Prologue establishes the king as agent of divine justice" - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 17: "~30 surviving laws (originally more)" - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 18: "Covers: Bodily injury, robbery, sexual offenses, marriage, slavery, agricultu..." - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 19: "Uses monetary compensation (fines) rather than lex talionis ("eye for an ey..." - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 22: "Oldest known legal code, predating Hammurabi by ~300 years" - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 23: "Shows that Sumerian legal tradition favored fines over physical punishment" - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 24: "Demonstrates sophisticated legal thinking in the 3rd millennium BCE 2 " - when was this true?

  • @q[missing] Line 10: "Date: ~2100–2050 BCE" - what is the source?

  • @q[missing] Line 11: "Issuer: Ur-Nammu or Shulgi, Third Dynasty of Ur" - what is the source?

  • @q[missing] Line 12: "Language: Sumerian" - what is the source?

  • @q[missing] Line 13: "Discovered: Fragments found at Nippur and Ur" - what is the source?

  • @q[missing] Line 16: "Prologue establishes the king as agent of divine justice" - what is the source?

  • @q[missing] Line 17: "~30 surviving laws (originally more)" - what is the source?

  • @q[missing] Line 18: "Covers: Bodily injury, robbery, sexual offenses, marriage, slavery, agricultu..." - what is the source?

  • @q[missing] Line 22: "Oldest known legal code, predating Hammurabi by ~300 years" - what is the source?

  • @q[missing] Line 23: "Shows that Sumerian legal tradition favored fines over physical punishment" - what is the source?

  • @q[stale] Line 19: "Uses monetary compensation (fines) rather than lex talionis ("eye for an ey..." - Roth source from 1997 may be outdated, is this still accurate?

  • @q[stale] Line 24: "Demonstrates sophisticated legal thinking in the 3rd millennium BCE 2 " - Kramer source from 1954 may be outdated, is this still accurate?

  1. Roth, M.T. Law Collections from Mesopotamia and Asia Minor (1997) ↩︎

  2. Kramer, S.N. "Ur-Nammu Law Code" Orientalia 23 (1954) ↩︎

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