4.9 KiB
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. @t[2100 BCE..2050 BCE]
Key Facts
- Date: ~2100–2050 BCE @t[2100 BCE..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?
2050 BCE event. Attested by Roth (1997) 1 ; Kramer (1954) 2 . BCE temporal tags not yet supported by factbase.
@q[temporal]Line 11: "Issuer: Ur-Nammu or Shulgi, Third Dynasty of Ur" - when was this true?
Historical event. Attested by Roth (1997) 1 ; Kramer (1954) 2 .
@q[temporal]Line 12: "Language: Sumerian" - when was this true?
Historical event. Attested by Roth (1997) 1 ; Kramer (1954) 2 .
@q[temporal]Line 13: "Discovered: Fragments found at Nippur and Ur" - when was this true?
Historical event. Attested by Roth (1997) 1 ; Kramer (1954) 2 .
@q[temporal]Line 16: "Prologue establishes the king as agent of divine justice" - when was this true?
Historical event. Attested by Roth (1997) 1 ; Kramer (1954) 2 .
@q[temporal]Line 17: "~30 surviving laws (originally more)" - when was this true?
Historical event. Attested by Roth (1997) 1 ; Kramer (1954) 2 .
@q[temporal]Line 18: "Covers: Bodily injury, robbery, sexual offenses, marriage, slavery, agricultu..." - when was this true?
Historical event. Attested by Roth (1997) 1 ; Kramer (1954) 2 .
@q[temporal]Line 19: "Uses monetary compensation (fines) rather than lex talionis ("eye for an ey..." - when was this true?
Historical event. Attested by Roth (1997) 1 ; Kramer (1954) 2 .
@q[temporal]Line 22: "Oldest known legal code, predating Hammurabi by ~300 years" - when was this true?
Historical event. Attested by Roth (1997) 1 ; Kramer (1954) 2 .
@q[temporal]Line 23: "Shows that Sumerian legal tradition favored fines over physical punishment" - when was this true?
Historical event. Attested by Roth (1997) 1 ; Kramer (1954) 2 .
@q[temporal]Line 24: "Demonstrates sophisticated legal thinking in the 3rd millennium BCE 2 " - when was this true?
Historical event. Attested by Roth (1997) 1 ; Kramer (1954) 2 .
@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?
Scholarship remains current. Roth's work on ancient law codes is still authoritative.
@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?
Scholarship remains current. Kramer's foundational work on Sumerian law is still cited.