In my recent studies of the book of Deuteronomy I’ve been thinking about ancient laws on slavery (circa 2000 BCE). Slavery was an economic reality in the Ancient Near East, a means of getting oneself and one’s family out of debt by being bonded to a “master”or a slave as a spoil of war and used as a workforce for the victorious parties.The following verses are just one example of such slave laws:
“17. If any one find runaway male or female slaves in the open country and bring them to their masters, the master of the slaves shall pay him two shekels of silver.18. If the slave will not give the name of the master, the finder shall bring him to judgment; a further investigation must follow, and the slave shall be returned to his master.”
What do you make of these?
1. Slaves would run away for various reasons but I imagine maltreatment would certainly be one of them.
2. You could make a small amount of money (maybe a tenth the actual value of the slave) by returning them to their rightful master.
3. Detectives would be called in to ensure that a stubborn slave (they may have ran away to avoid punishment for a crime) is brought back to their master to face due punishment.
4. The rules of ownership and justice are upheld.
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Was slavery morally acceptable? was it indeed acceptable up until 200 years ago in the west? are morals absolute or dependent on the zeitgeist? or was slavery always wrong, and we just worked this out 200 years go ? if so, i wonder what else we’ll decide is wrong, in the next 200 years.
So what do you make of those laws in the culture of the day, in their Zeitgeist?
my 21st century, post french revolution mindset
believes in Liberty, Equality, Fraternity !!! no man can own another.
Though as you say in the zeitgeist of the day… maybe the laws were reasonable, and well thought out process. whats the vox’s thoughts… i sense you are driving it somewhere
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