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

While the Babylonian "eye for an eye" principle is famous, the concept of written law began with a more nuanced approach centuries earlier. In the Sumerian city of Ur around 2100 BCE, a sophisticated legal framework was inscribed on clay tablets in cuneiform script. This collection of laws, attributed to King Ur-Nammu, represents humanity's earliest known attempt to create a uniform standard of justice for all citizens, aiming to protect the weak from the powerful and establish social order.

What makes the Code of Ur-Nammu so fascinating is its emphasis on monetary compensation over physical retaliation. Rather than demanding a limb for a limb, the code prescribed specific fines for bodily injuries. For example, if a man broke another's bone, he was required to pay one mina of silver. The laws also addressed capital crimes like murder and robbery, as well as civil matters such as divorce, false accusations, and agricultural disputes. It even offered protections for slaves, allowing them to be compensated if they were wrongfully harmed.

This ancient document, pieced together by archaeologists from fragmented tablets, reveals a surprisingly advanced legal philosophy. It shows that long before Hammurabi, Mesopotamian society was already grappling with complex ideas of restitution, fairness, and the state's role in mediating conflict. It serves as the foundational text in a long tradition of law-making that would shape civilizations for millennia to come.