עגלה ערופה

Slavery was a pervasive institution in the ancient world, and Scripture addresses it within its historical context. Old Testament laws regulated slavery and provided protections (Exodus 21:1-11, Deuteronomy 15:12-18), including mandatory release in the Jubilee year (Leviticus 25:39-55). Paul's letter to Philemon appeals for the slave Onesimus to be received 'no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother' (Philemon 1:16). Galatians 3:28 declares that in Christ 'there is neither slave nor free.' The New Testament plants seeds of equality and dignity that would eventually undermine the institution of slavery itself.