The Utopia is Now

A moment

Nature Doors

Wind Utopia-Fall 2015

Overview: The history of Slaves

A tool to explorer question of Morality, Ethics, and his objectify, as to look into his development, not only affected—slaves is personal, not only because his economics, but they live with the masters, but also the development of the Universities especially in US is intertwine.

The definitions of Slave in Antiquity were originated from war prisoners and debt. In Herodotus in the Histories (Book VI, Book VII), Themistocles persuaded the Athenians to devote the anticipated revenue derived from a major silver vein strike in the mines of Laurion (50 Silver Talent) circa 483 BC to expanding the Athenian fleet to 200 triremes (the Greek float consisted of 378 Ships in the battle of Salamis). The mine was exploited using slaves (even today inside the mine walls, Athens left testament what though of slaves, calling dogs and Animals). The origins in antiquity of the slaves were war prisoners and their own citizens because economic debt or criminal ended as slaves.

The five book of Moses take on slave: A hebrew can be slave by court order, what they consider criminal behavior (Ex. 22:2), voluntary bondage (Ex. 21:2–6), creditors bondage (Lev. 25:39; Prov. 22:7; II Kings 4:1; Isa. 50:1; Amos 2:6, 8:6; Neh. 5:5), prisoners of wars (Numb 31:26–27 and Deuter 20:10–11), Female (fathers could sold the daughters, but with understanding will lead to marriages--Ex. 21:7; Ex. 21:7–11) and children (Ex. 23:12; Gen. 17:12, 13; Lev. 22:11).

The Torah described termination of the bondage allots also to do with master wiliness, but behavior was expected:

Hebrew slaves serve six years only and must be freed in the seventh (Ex. 21:2; Deut. 15:12), if a Hebrew slave has been sold to an alien, he must be redeemed at once; he then enters into the redeemer's service, which terminates with the jubilee year (Lev. 25:47–54). If the slave refuses to go free and wishes to stay on in his master's service, then the master pierces his ear with an awl and in this way the slave is bonded to him forever (Ex. 21:5–6; Deut. 15:16–17).

Alien slaves serve in perpetuity (Lev. 25:46) and the same rule would appear to apply to prisoners of war. Debtors he must be freed on the first ensuing jubilee year (Lev. 25:40). The same is true of a pauper. In that year he regains his lands and holdings (Lev. 25:10, 13). Female slaves sold into bondage by their fathers go free if their master's sons deny them their matrimonial rights (Ex. 21:11). Slaves must be released for grievous bodily injury caused to them (Ex. 21:26–27). The status is described: Slaves are members of the master's household, and as such enjoy the benefit and are liable to the duty of keeping the Sabbath (Ex. 20:10, 23:12; Deut. 5:14–15) and holidays (Deut. 16:11–14, 12:18). They must be circumcised (Gen. 17:12–13); partake of Passover sacrifices when circumcised (Ex. 12:44), as distinguished from resident hirelings (Ex. 12:45); and may inherit the master's estate where there is no direct issue (Gen. 15:3) or perhaps even where there is (Prov. 17:2). Although slaves are the master's property (Lev. 22:11,), they may acquire and hold property of their own; a slave who prospers, i.e., can afford it, may redeem himself (Lev. 25:29; instances of property held by slaves are to be found in II Sam. 9:10; 16:4; 19:18, 30; cf. I Sam. 9:8). The killing of a slave is punishable in the same way as that of any freeman, even if the act is committed by the master (Ex. 21:20).

In the case of a pauper who sells himself into slavery or a man who is redeemed from bondage to a stranger, no distinction may be made between a slave and a hired laborer (Lev. 25:40, 53). A master may not rule ruthlessly over these slaves (Lev. 25:43, 46, 53) nor ill-treat them (Deut. 23:17);

A master may chastise his slave to a reasonable extent (Ecclus. 33:26) but not wound him (Ex. 21:26–27). The workload of a slave should never exceed his physical strength (Ecclus. 33:28–29). A fugitive slave must not be turned over to his master but given refuge (Deut. 23:16). There was no similar rule prevailing in neighboring countries (cf. I Kings 2:39–40). The abduction of a person for sale into bondage is a capital offense (Ex. 21:16; Deut. 24:7). In general, thou shalt remember that thou was to bondman in the land of Egypt (Deut. 15:15), and that you are now the slaves of God Who redeemed you from Egypt (Lev. 25:55).

In the Talmud:

The term eved Ivri (Hebrew Slave) is reserved for, and identified with, a thief unable to make restitution who is sold for his theft or a pauper who sold himself into bondage (Kid. 14b; Yad, Avadim 1:1). This implies that a Hebrew slave may not be resold. The earlier Mishnah provides that a Hebrew slave may be acquired by the payment of money or the delivery of a deed of sale (Kid. 1:2). Many provisions applying to slaves in general do not apply to female slaves. Thus, a woman may not sell herself into slavery (Mekh. Nezikin 3; Yad, Avadim 1:2), nor is a woman thief sold into slavery, even though she cannot make restitution (Sot. 3:8; Yad, Genevah 3:12). Contrary to an express scriptural provision (Deut. 15:17), a female slave's ear may not be pierced (Sif. Deut. 122; Kid. 17b; Yad, Avadim 3:13). The female Hebrew slave can only be a minor below the age of 12 years whom her father (not her mother: Sot. 3:8; Sot. 23b) has sold into bondage (Ex. 21:7; Ket. 3:8; Yad, Avadim 4:1); he may do so only when he has no other means of subsistence left (Tosef. Ar. 5:7; Mekh. Sb-Y 21:7; Yad, Avadim 4:2) and must redeem her as soon as he has the means (Kid. 18a; Yad, loc. cit.). The non-Hebrew slave relationship has consequences eventually with Christianity

Non-Hebrew slaves (eved Kena'ani) may be acquired by the payment of money, the delivery of a deed of sale, or three years' undisturbed possession (Kid. 1:3; BB 3:1) – to which were later added barter or exchange, and the physical taking into possession (Kid. 22b; Yad, Avadim 5:1; Sh. Ar., YD 267:25).

For non-Hebrew the bondage is terminated in various fashions. Release may be by payment of money, the price demanded by the master being paid to him by a third party, either directly or through the slave (Kid. 1:3; Yad, Avadim 5:2). A deed of release may be delivered by the master (Kid. 1:3; Yad, Avadim 5:3). A verbal release, or a promise of release, is not sufficient in itself, but the court may enforce it by compelling the master to deliver a deed (Sh. Ar., YD 267:73–74). The slave is freed if the master causes him grievous bodily injury: the two biblical instances of gouging out the eye and knocking out the tooth are multiplied, and a long list of eligible injuries has been laid down (Kid. 24b–25a; Yad, Avadim 5:4–14; Sh. Ar., YD 267:27–39). While the list in the codes was intended to be exhaustive, the better rule seems to be that all injuries leaving any permanent disfigurement are included (Kid. 24a). The rule is confined to non-Hebrew slaves only (Mekh. Nezikin 9); injuries inflicted on Hebrew slaves, male or female, are dealt with as injuries to freemen (BK 8:3; Yad, Ḥovel 4:13 and Avadim 4:6). A slave may also be released if his master bequeaths him all his property (Pe'ah 3:8; Git. 8b–9a; Yad, Avadim 7:9; YD 267:57). By marriage to a free-woman, or by his de facto recognition, in the presence of his master, as a free Jew (e.g., using phylacteries and reading the Torah in public; (Git. 39b–40a; Yad, Avadim 8:17; YD 267:70) a slave obtained his freedom. Marriage to the master's daughter seems to have been a not infrequent means to emancipation (Pes. 113a).

The Talmud (Kid. 15a) states that this merely gives the master the right to give the slave a bondwoman in order to beget children. There is some early authority to the effect that a slave has no right to maintenance which can be enforced in law, notwithstanding his obligation to work (Git. 1:6; Git. 12a).

 Maimonides: It is permissible to work the slave hard; but while this is the law, the ways of ethics and prudence are that the master should be just and merciful, not make the yoke too heavy on his slave, and not press him too hard; and that he should give him of all food and drink. And thus the early sages used to do – they gave their slaves of everything they ate and drank themselves, and had food served to their slaves even before partaking of it themselves. 

Slaves may not be maltreated or offended – the law destined them for service, not for humiliation. Do not shout at them or be angry with them, but hear them out, as it is written (Job 31:13–14): If I did despise the cause of my man-servant or maid-servant when they contended with me, what then shall I do when God rise up? and when He remembered what shall I answer? (Yad, Avadim 9:8; and cf. YD 267:17).

In another context, Maimonides says of the laws relating to slavery that they are all: mercy, compassion, and forbearance; You are in duty bound to see that your slave makes progress; you must benefit him and must not hurt him with words. He ought to rise and advance with you, be with you in the place you chose for yourself, and when fortune is good to you, do not grudge him his portion (Guide 3:39).

The non-Hebrew Slave when acquired his freedom consider is Hebrew, here the roots of the religious conflict between Christianity and Judaism.  Jews who work the land could not compete with a society, where labour was free, marginalizing the Jews to commerce and cities.

Rome economy was based on slaves, St Paul favor the slave owners Ephesians 6:5-9; Colossians 4:1; 1; Timothy 6:1-3.

The first Council of Nicaea 325 set the base of the relationship between Judaism and Christianity (set Christian Anti-Semitism and delegitimize the Jews), the two rules: Christians not need to be circumcises and Jews were not allot to own slaves, because if the slave was Christian will be converted to Judaism (Eusebius Pamphilius: Church History, Life of Constantine, Oration in Praise of Constantine).

On the other hand Islam and Slave Only children of slaves or non-Muslim prisoners of war could become slaves, never a freeborn Muslim (Du Pasquier, Roger, Unveiling Islam, p.67). Slaves were widely employed in irrigation, mining, pastoralism, and the army (Efrain Karsh:  Islamic Imperialism; Andrew Wheatcroft: Infidels: A History of the conflict Between Christendom and Islam). Some rulers even relied on military and administrative slaves to such a degree that they seized power. In some cases, the treatment of slaves was so harsh that it led to uprisings, such as the Zanj Rebellion (Clarence-Smith (2006), pp.2-5), as the vast majority of labor in the medieval Islamic world consisted of free, paid labor (William D. Phillips (1985). Slavery from Roman times to the early transatlantic trade).

For a variety of reasons, internal growth of the slave population was not enough to fulfill the demand in Muslim society. This resulted in massive importation, which involved enormous suffering and loss of life from the capture and transportation of slaves from non-Muslim lands (Lewis 1990, page 10). In theory, slavery in Islamic law does not have a racial or color component, although this has not always been the case in practice (Bernard Lewis: Race and Color in Islam, Harper and Row, 1970, PP: 38).

Slaves are mentioned in at least twenty-nine verses of the Qur'an, most of these are Medinan and refer to the legal status of slaves. The legal material on slavery in the Qur'an is largely restricted to manumission and sexual relations (Encyclopedia of the Qur'an: Slaves and Slavery).

While the Portuguese, Spaniards import closed to 13 Million slaves and where for British colony only (US) was only 500,000 (Henry Louis Gates Jr: Black in Latin America), but the innovation of the British system was used of Color as a legal instrument to create the perpetuated (Hugh Thomas: The slave Trade, 1997); Charles Johnson and Patricia Smith: Africans in America: America Journey through Slavery (In 1656 Virginia, Elizabeth Key Grinstead, a mixed-race woman, successfully gained her freedom and that of her son by making her case as the daughter of the free Englishman Thomas Key. She was also a baptized Christian. Her attorney was an English subject, which may have helped her case. (He was also the father of her mixed-race son, and the couple married after Key was freed). Shortly after the Elizabeth Key trial and similar challenges, in 1662 the royal colony of Virginia approved a law adopting the principle of partus sequitur ventrum (called partus, for short), stating that any children of an enslaved mother would take her status and be considered born into slavery, regardless if the father were a freeborn Englishman or Christian (Taunya Lovell Banks: Dangerous Woman: Elizabeth Key's Freedom Suit – Subjecthood and Racialized Identity in Seventeenth Century Colonial Virginia, Digital Commons Law, University of Maryland Law School).

Lincoln emancipation proclamation of 1863 had to do to brake the south economic system, where in the north even when slaves where own, the land was small holders, where in the south the work of Tabaco, and cotton required intense manual work, because the spirit of the law was no there, segregation took place.

The story of the University in the west, while from the 6 century education was accomplish in cathedral and monastic schools, the association of groups and guilds created association, what we call universities (there is also Universities model after the Islamic Madrasas in Islamic Spain and Emirate of Sicily (Alatas, S. F., 2006: From Jami`ah to University: Multiculturalism and Christian–Muslim Dialogue Current Sociology 54 (1): 112–132), in the end University when to educate the nobility and the merchant elite.

While in British colonies education had another purpose, was to civilize the first nations (brain washed) to the white civilization, but because is so in grade in US, slaves from donations was used economic foundation of the institutions (Craig Steven Wilder Ebony & Ivy (2013)).