Activism Change

Find out what pagans thought of slavery!

Question:

THE OLD TESTAMENT AND SLAVERY So what does the Old Testament have to say about slavery? The book of Leviticus (25:44) commands that Israelites must not be sold as slaves but : "Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you, from them you may buy slaves" So far from saying one must not engage in the practice of slavery this command, which is a direct command from God (25:1), allows it. Note slaves are to be drawn from other races i.e. people are to be treated differently according to their race. Leviticus also states "You can will them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life" (25:45). Exodus (22: 1-4) also contains a direct command from God : "In case a man should steal a bull or sheep and he does slaughter or sell it, he is to compensate with five of the herd for the bull ….he is to make compensation without fail. If he has nothing, then he must be sold for the things he stole". The passage advocates slavery as a punishment for property crime. Exodus (21:1-6) allows Hebrew slaves to go free after the sixth year (but not his wife and children if the wife was originally the property of the slave owner). In contrast the pagan Laws of Hammurabi (in the second millennium BC) allow the release of slaves after the third year (Ancient Near Eastern Texts, J Pritchard, 1950, p170).  There is also a direct command from God : "If a man beats his male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies as a direct result, he must be punished, but he is not to be punished if the slave gets up after a day or two, since the slave is his property." (Exodus 21:20-21). Passages in the Old Testament allow that slaves and other "property" can be plundered from other tribes. Other passages however command the killing of slaves as part of genocide. In a direct command from God the Israelites are told : "However, in the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breaths. Completely destroy them – the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites as the Lord your God has commanded you" Deuteronomy (20:16-17). Similarly in Deuteronomy 7:1-5 the Hittites and other groups  are to suffer genocide by command of God "

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