The Oldest Known Law Code Is Nearly 4,000 Years Old

Long before the famous "an eye for an eye" principle of the Babylonian king Hammurabi, a more ancient legal system was established in Mesopotamia. This earliest surviving set of laws, known as the Code of Ur-Nammu, was inscribed on clay tablets in the Sumerian language. It was created during a period of urban growth and increasing complexity in Sumerian society, which necessitated standardized rules to resolve disputes and maintain order. The code is attributed to the Sumerian king Ur-Nammu, who reigned over the city-state of Ur, though some scholars suggest it may have been completed by his son, Shulgi. Discovered in fragments at sites in modern-day Iraq, the first pieces were translated in 1952 by the Assyriologist Samuel Kramer.

The laws themselves offer a fascinating glimpse into ancient Sumerian justice and societal structure. The code's prologue credits the king with establishing equity and banishing violence and strife. Following this introduction are the laws, formatted in a conditional "if-then" pattern that became a standard for future legal codes. For instance, if a man committed a kidnapping, he was to be imprisoned and pay 15 shekels of silver. Unlike the later Code of Hammurabi, which often prescribed physical retaliation, the Code of Ur-Nammu generally favored monetary compensation for bodily injuries. However, serious offenses such as murder and robbery were still considered capital crimes.

The legal code also sheds light on the social hierarchy of the time, dividing society into free persons and slaves. It addressed a range of issues including property rights, marriage, and even accusations of sorcery, which required an ordeal by water to prove innocence. The laws also aimed to protect the most vulnerable members of society, with provisions against corrupt officials and protections for the poor. This foundational legal document not only provided a framework for justice in its own time but also influenced subsequent law codes throughout Mesopotamia and beyond, laying the groundwork for legal principles that have endured for millennia.