Owning slaves was the order of the day and played significant economic role across much of the ancient world - so naturally, there had to be rules regarding their acquisition and treatment, and very naturally this is how you survived the bronze age onward past the various forms of serfdom of the ages after unto the industrial revolution.
With any mind toward the proliferation and preservation of your core population, you could not break the backs of your fighting men which ranged around a measly couple hundred thousand during the Exodus (and this was with nations all around you trying to kill or fuck you over), nevertheless you had to have a workforce which was comprised of the lowest members of your society; and like any nation, a sort of caste system follows which might be an entire point unto itself. Those Hebrews who did become slaves were often in debt (which could be paid) or were petty criminals; and went free on the 7th year and you would furnish his departure. Non-Hebrew slaves were either captives or traded, but even they had certain rights and could escape their captivity under various circumstances and had protections thereunder.
It was a farcry from the types of slavery that manifested within adjacent cultures and what still manifests around the world today.
If you were to take my word for it, Jesus was the completion of the old testament; which is to say, forbearing my own interpretations, that much of what we read of the old testament is the vein of context throughwhich he is brought into the world - like the stages a flower goes through before it comes into the totality of its blossom. None of these stages are savory to the palatte save for the appreciation of the flower and the harvest of its fruit; and by its fruit the good vine is known.
A culture of slavery is obselete, I liken it to the bitter bud, but there is still a lot you can learn by observing its development. There are others who still live as if it had not come to season however and conduct slavery in other ways (they're not Christians mind you).
Owning slaves was the order of the day and played significant economic role across much of the ancient world - so naturally, there had to be rules regarding their acquisition and treatment, and very naturally this is how you survived the bronze age onward past the various forms of serfdom of the ages after unto the industrial revolution.
With any mind toward the proliferation and preservation of your core population, you could not break the backs of your fighting men which ranged around a measly couple hundred thousand during the Exodus (and this was with nations all around you trying to kill or fuck you over), nevertheless you had to have a workforce which was comprised of the lowest members of your society; and like any nation, a sort of caste system follows which might be an entire point unto itself. Those Hebrews who did become slaves were often in debt (which could be paid) or were petty criminals; and went free on the 7th year and you would furnish his departure. Non-Hebrew slaves were either captives or traded, but even they had certain rights and could escape their captivity under various circumstances and had protections thereunder.
It was a farcry from the types of slavery that manifested within adjacent cultures and what still manifests around the world today.
If you were to take my word for it, Jesus was the completion of the old testament; which is to say, forbearing my own interpretations, that much of what we read of the old testament is the vein of context throughwhich he is brought into the world - like the stages a flower goes through before it comes into the totality of its blossom. None of these stages are savory to the palatte save for the appreciation of the flower and the harvest of its fruit; and by its fruit the good vine is known.
A culture of slavery is obselete, I liken it to the bitter bud, but there is still a lot you can learn by observing its development. There are others who still live as if it had not come to season however and conduct slavery in other ways (they're not Christians mind you).
I am not talking about the Christians.