Slavery in the Bible: A Deep Dive from a Christian Perspective
Slavery in the Bible is a complex issue that raises difficult questions for modern Christians. While the Bible doesn't explicitly condemn slavery, it does contain regulations that prohibit the mistreatment of slaves and protect their rights. This suggests that abolishing slavery entirely was not feasible in the social context of the time, while also demonstrating the effort to apply God's principles of love and justice to reality. Slavery in the Old Testament: Slavery in the Old Testament consisted mainly of prisoners of war, debt slaves, and foreign slaves. The Israelites had experienced slavery in Egypt, so they were required to understand and empathize with the suffering of slaves. The Law strictly prohibited the abuse of slaves and provided opportunities for slave liberation through the Sabbath year and Jubilee year systems. In particular, the Jubilee year was a system to forgive all debts and return land to its original owners, an attempt to resolve socioeconomic ine...