The Biblical texts outline sources of slaves, legal status of slaves, economic roles of slavery, types of slavery, and debt slavery, which thoroughly explain the institution of slavery in Israel in antiquity.[1] Each section-Exodus 21, Deuteronomy 15, and Leviticus 25- provides an outlook into the understanding of recent slave relations and gives guidance to the Israelites on how to further life their life in a proper manual.[2] Philo, one of the philosophers of the time, wrote texts on how to properly treat slaves, indicating that slavery was an important part of Jewish life, but also emphasizes the humanitarian perspective offered up by many Ancient Near East scholars.[3] As shown by the number of rabbis at this time writing about the treatment of slaves, there were standards on how they should be treated. However, the Israelite text is not unique, but many of the legal cultures of the Ancient Near East (ANE) have very similar slave laws.

  1. ^ Tsai, Daisy Yulin (2014). "Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft : Human Rights in Deuteronomy : With Special Focus on Slave Laws". De Gruyter.
  2. ^ Tsai, Daisy Yulin (2014). "Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft : Human Rights in Deuteronomy : With Special Focus on Slave Laws". De Gruyter.
  3. ^ Hezser, Catherine (2005). Jewish Slavery In Antiquity. Oxford.