Ur-Nammu is credited with the oldest surviving written law code from ancient Mesopotamia. The Code of Ur-Nammu was written in Sumerian and is usually dated to about 2100–2050 BCE, during the Third Dynasty of Ur.
The prologue presents Ur-Nammu as a ruler chosen by the moon god Nanna and responsible for establishing justice. The surviving laws generally prescribe monetary compensation for offenses rather than the retaliation often associated with later law collections.
The code is older than the Code of Hammurabi by several centuries, although only fragments survive. Scholars have recovered its text from damaged clay tablets and later copies, so some details remain uncertain. It is also important not to confuse the code with the city’s administrative records, which document taxes, labor, and trade rather than legal principles.