Customs & Culture
Slaves, Freedmen and Manumission
Slavery in the biblical world included several systems of unfree labor, debt service, household slavery, and war captivity, while manumission could change a person's legal status.
Primary Scripture
Historical and Cultural Background
Israelite law placed particular limits on some forms of Hebrew servitude. The Greco-Roman world of the New Testament contained large numbers of slaves and freed persons in households and occupations.
Biblical Examples
Key biblical examples include Exodus 21:2-11; Leviticus 25:39-43; 1 Corinthians 7:21-23; Philemon 10-17.
Biblical Significance
This background is necessary for reading household instructions, Paul's language of slavery and freedom, and the letter to Philemon without simply equating every ancient form with one later slave system.
Common Misconceptions
Ancient slavery was neither benign employment nor identical in every respect to modern racialized chattel slavery. It could involve coercion, sale, punishment, and severe loss of autonomy.
Historical Setting and Evidence
Culture: Israelite, Judean/Jewish, Greek/Hellenistic, Roman
Period: United Monarchy, Divided Monarchy, Roman / Second Temple Period, Apostolic / Early Church Period
Evidence: Well Attested
Interpretive Importance: Essential
Biblical law, papyri, inscriptions, Roman law, and ancient literature provide extensive evidence.