The First Written Law from 2100 BCE: If a Man Commits Murder…

The Code of Ur-Nammu, dating to around 2100–2050 BCE, is considered the oldest known written legal code in history. Issued by Ur-Nammu, king of Ur in ancient Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq), the code predates Hammurabi’s more famous laws by several centuries. Among its provisions, the very first law stands out for its stark clarity and lasting legal significance:

“If a man commits a murder, that man must be killed.”

This early declaration of capital punishment is more than a historical curiosity — it offers insight into how justice, authority, and legal structures were viewed nearly 4,000 years ago.

At the time of Ur-Nammu’s rule, Sumerian city-states were increasingly being organized into larger political and administrative systems. To govern effectively, legal codes were developed to create uniform rules and to centralize authority. The Code of Ur-Nammu was written in Sumerian, using cuneiform script, and was intended to establish order and fairness across the kingdom.

Unlike oral traditions, written laws reduced ambiguity. Codifying a crime like murder—the deliberate taking of a life—as the very first law, reinforced the severity of the offense and the power of the state to punish it.

"If a man commits a murder, that man must be killed."

This law reflects a principle known in legal theory as retributive justice, which holds that punishment should be proportionate to the offense. In this case, capital punishment was the prescribed penalty — the ultimate consequence for the most serious transgression.

Key points:

• Murder was distinguished from accidental killing, which often carried lesser penalties (sometimes fines) in ancient codes.

• The phrasing implies intentionality — “commits a murder” likely referred to premeditated killing, not manslaughter.

• No class or status is mentioned, suggesting that the law theoretically applied equally — though in practice, ancient justice systems often differentiated by rank, gender, or role in society.

• Capital Punishment: Execution as a state-sanctioned penalty.

• Casuistic Law Format: Early codes, including this one, often used “if... then…” structures, a foundational approach still visible in legal writing today.

• Codification: The process of formally writing and organizing laws, critical for consistent governance.

Later legal codes, like the Code of Hammurabi (c. 1754 BCE), also imposed the death penalty for murder. However, Hammurabi’s laws introduced more complexity, including social class distinctions — for example, penalties varied depending on whether the victim or perpetrator was a noble or a slave.

Ur-Nammu’s code, in contrast, appears more direct and uniform, at least in its surviving fragments. It prioritized clear consequences over nuanced exceptions.

While modern legal systems have evolved far beyond the ancient Sumerians, the first law of Ur-Nammu remains significant because it marks a moment where society officially recorded and enforced justice. It symbolizes the transition from tribal or religious vengeance to state-administered rule of law.

Moreover, it sets a foundation for exploring how early civilizations balanced crime, punishment, and order, themes still central to contemporary legal debates.

References

1. Kramer, S. N. (1952). History Begins at Sumer. University of Pennsylvania Press.

2. World History Encyclopedia. (2021). Code of Ur-Nammu. Retrieved from: https://www.worldhistory.org/Code_of_Ur-Nammu/

3. Finkelstein, J. J. (1961). The Ox That Gored. Transactions of the American Philosophical Society.

4. Ancient Pages. (2016). Codes Of Ur Nammu: World’s Oldest Known Law Code. Retrieved from: https://www.ancientpages.com/2016/03/11/codes-of-ur-nammu-worlds-oldest-known-law-code/

5. Wikipedia contributors. Code of Ur-Nammu. Retrieved April 2025, from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_of_Ur-Nammu