Code of Urukagina

Enheduanna Hymns

The code of Urukagina (2,380-2,360 BC) no actual copy of law survives however is known to have existed by its reference in the later codes such as…

• Cuneiform law (2,350-1,400 BC) - refers to any of the legal codes written in cuneiform script.
• Code of Ur-Nammu, king of Ur (ca. 2050 BC) - Earliest code of which fragments have been discovered. The code speaks of witchcraft and the flight of slaves.
• Laws of Eshnunna (ca. 1930 BC) - sometimes ascribed to king Bilalama.
• Code of Lipit-Ishtar (ca. 1870 BC) - With a typical epilogue and prologue, the law deals with penalties, the rights of man, right of kings, marriages, and more.
• Babylonian laws / Code of Hammurabi (ca. 1790 BC) - the most preserved of the ancient laws. Discovered in December 1901, it contains over 282 paragraphs of text, not including the prologue and epilogue.

Other Ancient code of laws…

• Hittite laws (ca. 1650–1100 BC)
• Code of Nesilim (c. 1650-1500 BC)
• Assyrian laws / Code of the Assura (c. 1075 BC)
• The Draconian constitution (7th century BC)
• Twelve Tables of Roman Law (451 BC)
• Gortyn code (5th century BC)
• Edicts of Ashoka of Buddhist Law (269-236 BC)
• Law of Manu (ca. 200 BC)
• Corpus Juris Civilis (Justinian code) (529 to 534 AD)