Reform Edict of Urukagina

( ca. 2350 BCE ) Commentary by Mark Chavalas, University of Wisconsin—La Crosse

“Now, since time immemorial, since the seed [of life] came forth—In those days [before me], the head boatman appropriated boats, the livestock official appropriated asses, the livestock manager appropriated sheep, the fisheries inspector appropriated taxes, and the lustration priests measured out grain taxes [as payment] at [the town of] AMBAR.” - Column iii
“When the god Ningirsu, warrior of the god Enlil, granted the kingship of Lagaš to URU-KA-gina, selecting him from among the myriad people, he restored the customs of former times, carrying out the command that the god Ningirsu, his master, had given him.” - Columns vii–viii
“URU-KA-gina made a binding oral agreement with the god Ningirsu that he would never subjugate the orphan [or] widow to the powerful.” - Column xii
“As for women of former times—a man [could] take two of them; but for women of today—indemnity payments [for debts?] have been removed [and the practice has been abolished].” - Version 3, Column iii

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