Biblical Facts

And if the number of slaves was 100-500, the limit of freed men was one-fifth.²¹⁵ The purpose of such laws was to prevent mass emancipation of alien slaves who might swamp Roman citizens in numbers and in the words of Professors Fritz Heichelheim, Cedric Yeo and Alexander Ward, these slaves may defile or pollute the racial purity of Italian stock through marriage if unchecked.²¹⁶

2.7 Religion: Forerunner of Commercialised Slavery and Comparison

Genesis chapter 14 verse 14 recorded that 318 men born in Abraham’s house accompanied him in his mission to rescue Lot at the Battle of Slime Pits. All of the men, who were part of the household, were commended to be circumcised, an imperative only applicable to slaves (see Genesis chap. 17 v. 12). The slave/servant Eliezer of Damascus is promised inheritance if Abraham remains barren (see Genesis chap. 15 v. 2). When Eliezer accomplished the task of finding a bride for Isaac in the city of Nahor (see Genesis chap. 24 vers. 1-56), Isaac blessed his faithful servant. In Genesis chapter 26 verse 29, there has been a lot of controversy of whether the Decalogue implicitly approves of slavery.

In Exodus chapter 20 verse10 and Deuteronomy chapter 5 verse 14, we find the injunction that the Sabbath is sanctified and therefore, no freeman or his family, nor his man servant or maid servant, bondsman or (bond maid) were expected to work on Sabbath. Biblical scholars were however quick to point out that the system of slavery which prevailed in the Torah, was fundamentally different from the cruel systems of the ancient world and even of Western Countries.²¹⁸

Hebrews could only become slaves in one of two fashions: by being sold by a Bet Din (rabbinical court) in payment of a debt, (see Exodus chap. 21) or by selling oneself into slavery on basis of poverty (see Leviticus chap. 25 v. 39). According to this regulation, no person irrespective of religious background or race could be abducted away from his homeland and sold into slavery for “he that stealth a man and select him-he shall surely be put to death” (Exodus chap. 21 v. 16). There were slaves captured during the biblical days, like the crammed retainers of Abraham. They were not treated as sub-human beings, but as brethren and were entitled to all rights of the households, for example, residence, food, clothing, duties and inheritance. Eve dim was a noble word for hired servant or work.²¹⁹ They could neither be assigned a menial or degrading job, nor might they be abused (see Leviticus chap. 25 vers. 40, 43). The mishpatim (Legal codes) reminded one of how bitter the experience of bondage in Egypt was (see Exodus chap. 1 vers. 11-16) and warned that if a heathen slave suffered damage to any of the twenty-four organs or limbs, he is to be set free (see Exodus chap. 21 vers. 26-27). No concubine should be degraded, nor could any female slave be sold to any foreign person (see Exodus chap. 21 v. 7).

218 The commentary of Dr. J. H. Hertz, Chief Rabbi of the British Empire, Pentateuch and Haftorahs, London: Soncino Press, 1987, p. 537.

219 Davies, David Brion, The Problem of Slavery in the Age of Revolution, Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press; 1975 p.

523.

Though, no clearly defined punishments were laid down for the violation of these rules, however, the judges agreed that the killing of a slave deserved a capital punishment.

The spiritual revolution conjured by the Christian faith during this time could not ameliorate Rome’s brutality and domination over men. They even found solace for their human trade of slavery in the Holy Bible. In his Epistle to the Colossians, St. Paul instructs,

“Slaves, obey in all things your master according to the flesh” (Colossians chap. 3 v. 22). In his first Epistle to Timothy, the same Paul advices, “Let slaves who are under the yoke account their masters deserving of all honour” (I Timothy chap. 6 v. 1). In his letter to St.

Titus, Paul distinguishes among the classes of men and says, “Exhort slaves to obey their masters, pleasing them in all things and not opposing them” (Titus chap. 2 vers. 9-10).

Masters were advised to be just and fair to their slaves. Very few church elders entertained an embryonic vision of a society without slaves.²²⁰ The notable Christian Heavy-weights of the Middle Ages and the progenitor of Catholicism, St. Augustine but also Ambrose, Thomas Aquinas and Martin Luther merely attributed the existence of the institution to the fall of man in the Garden of Eden.²²¹ This is a known pattern of argument by mankind, particularly, when justifying their greed for slaves.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the church became entangled in slaves in such a magnitude that she became a proprietor of slaves-import to Europe from Scandinavia, North Africa and Slavonic lands of the East. Slaves were so common among Christians that one Visigothic council decreed that parish churches had to own at least 100 slaves to merit assignment of a priest. Pope Gregory the Great suggested that slaves purchased in Marseilles be trained as missionaries. The abolitionist Henry Ward Beecher subscribed to the same insensitivity, admonishing church audiences during American labour violence in 1877-1878, that people were poor because they were sinners. Charlemagne even taxed his subjects for the maintenance of slaves. In Saxony, church councils delineated rights of slaves, ostensibly prohibiting the enslavement of fellow Christians, at the same time, offering the sacraments to Christian slaves and sanctuary to runaway slaves. However, Pius II (1462), Paul III (1537) Urban VIII (1639), Benedict XIV (1741), Pius VII (1814) and Leo XIII (1888) did issue formal denunciations of slavery.²²² James Fox noted, while writing in the catholic Encyclopaedia more than eighty years ago, that Christianity found slavery in possession through the Roman Empire and when Christianity was in power, it could not

220 Allard, Paul “Slavery”, Catholic Encyclopedia, XIV, New York 1913, pp. 36-39. See also Id. “Slavery”, New Catholic Encyclopedia, New York: Mcgraw-Hill, 1967-1979, XIII, pp. 281-283.

221 See Kretzmann, Norman and Stump, Eleonore (eds.), The Cambridge Companion to Aquinass, Cambridge:

Cambridge University press, 1993, pp. 222-229.

222 Friedman, Saul S., Jews and the American Slave Trade, 1998, p. 31.

and did not attempt to abolish the institution of slavery ²²³ and neither did the Muslims who rivalled Christianity in world power and in the trade of Africa. Unlike other obnoxious practices and rules of European Christians, the biblical slave system provided that all Hebrew bondservant should be released and set free after seven years. (compare Exodus chap. 21 v. 2, Leviticus chap. 25 vers. 1-4 and 10, Deuteronomy chap. 15 vers. 12-18).

However, this privilege did not include non-Hebrews. They shall be an inheritance to Hebrews forever (see Leviticus chap. 25 v. 46). Slaves who absconded and later were found were not expected to be returned or handed over to their master (see Deuteronomy chap. 23 vers. 15-16).²²⁴

The Jewish Canon contains a catalogue admonishment for any violation of these laws. Micah chapter 2 verses 1-7 denounces those who covet and seize fields and houses, oppressing and casting out their fellowmen. Amongst Israel transgressions were the selling of the righteous for silver and the needy for a pair of shoes (see Amos chap. 2 v. 6). Isaiah instructed all to seek justice and relieve the oppressed (see Isaiah chap. 1 v. 17) and asked, “What mean ye that ye crush my people and grind the face of the poor?” (Isaiah chap. 3 v. 17) and continued in chapter 58 v. 6, “Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens and to let the oppressed free, and that ye break every yoke”.²²⁵ Before the fall of Jerusalem to the Romans in 70 A.D, it was not allowed to expose oneself or children to bondage through indebtedness. In the Talmud, rabbis admonished, “he who acquires a slave to himself acquires a master to himself” (Kidd.Zoa) as well as “he who multiples female slaves, increases licentiousness”.

Slaveholder had to manumit slaves who were converted following, either ablation or circumcision (Yebamoth 4b-48a). Such proselytes were also human beings (Yebamoth 37a).²⁶⁶ One would have expected that a tribe who suffered the deracinated homesickness of people uprooted from their lands when they toiled for Pharaoh in the fourteenth century and when Nebuchadnezzar forced the Babylonian captivity upon them 800 years later would turn vengeance against humanity and enslave the enslaveables. They witness the pillaging of their shrines by Philistines, Moabites and the Ethiopian Sheshonk.

Unaccountable numbers were killed by the Assyrian Kings, Tigleth Pilesser III and Sargon, who succeeded in exterminating the ten northern tribes of Israel in the eighth century.²²⁷

223 Olmstead, A. T., History of the Persian Empire, Chicago: University of Chicago, 1948, 1959, pp. 36-39.

224 Friedman, Saul S., Jews and the American Slave Trade, 1998, p.35.

225 ibid.

226 Baron, Salo, A social and Religious History of the Jews, New York Columbia University Press and Jewish Publication Society, 1937-1952, p. 267; Compare also Friedman, S., p. 35.

227 ibid. n.²²⁴ p. 36; Krefzmann, Norman & Stump, Elenore, eds., The Cambridge Companion to Aquinas (Cambridge Uni.

Press, 1993), pp. 222-229.

Inspired by a similar racial hatred, the Syrian Greek Monarch Antiochus IV killed thousands of Hebrews between 168 and 164 BC. Over the course of two centuries; the Romans massacred an estimated two million Hebrews and enslaved tens of thousands more when they tried to obliterate the Hebrewish state and Religion. ²²⁸

2.7.3 The Essence of Islam and the Role of Muslims in Slavery and Slave