Code of Ur-Nammu (ca. 2050 B.C.)

The Code of Ur-Nammu was written during the reign of Ur-Nammu (ca. 2050 B.C.), who ruled after his predecessor successfully expelled the Gutian invaders from Sumeria. Ur-Nammu initiated a vigorous revival of Sumerian culture, of which the code is the most enduring legacy. It is one of the earliest lists of laws yet discovered and is usually seen as the precursor to the Code of Hammurabi. Although the Sumerians were not Semites, the civilization they created shaped the Semitic empires that followed, including the Babylonian Empire of Hammurabi. To the extent that the original cuneiform can be interpreted, Ur-Nammu's Code is a list of tax codes, ceremonial laws, courtroom procedures, rules for litigation, and penalties for various infractions. It is an early step on the long road toward the ideal of the rule of law.

Bibliography

Kramer, Samuel Noah. From the Tablets of Sumer: Twenty-Five Firsts in Man's Recorded History. Indian Hills: The Falcon's Wing Press, 1956.

Source

The biographical material about the author originally appeared on The Goodrich Room: Interactive Tour website.