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Roman slavery would have been during the NT times. The biblical examples of slavery took place during the OT times. And I fail to see how the way Romans treated slaves has any bearing at all on how Hebrews treated slaves.The Hebrew OT is full of laws on how slaves were to be treated well. Here is a link that lists many of the ways that they were treated well:http://docs.google.com/gview?a=v&q=cache:Nz0VRfX4ZbEJ:www.churchsociety.org/crossway/documents/Cway_102_Slavery1.pdf+bible+slaves+treated+well&hl=en&gl=usIncluding provisions that they were not to be abused, were to be freed at times, were not be be sold into slavery against their will, could own property, had free time, etc. As I said; it was much more like a job.The Hebrews were at war with the Midianites. All men and married women ( the unmarried women were supposed to be killed during battle too but the soldiers disobeyed by taking them captive - meaning that it was not commanded by God that they do so) were killed as a part of that war. Specifically because they were guilty individually and as a people of sin so that their deaths were deserved. The passage makes a clear distinction between spoils of war and captives so that MT's characterization of them as spoils of war would be completely opposite of what the passage said. Additionally, the assumptions that as captives they were raped is complete conjecture on the part of those who say that it happened. Given the context of the laws for treating captives if the Hebrews followed those laws then they were treated well. They would only have been raped if other laws were violated. We can only believe they were raped if we ignore other laws, laws that are given in earlier passages which make it illegal to rape and illegal for Hebrews to marry (or probably even to produce children with) Midianites.I would add that I never claim to be a biblical scholar. Just a person who actually reads what is there. And I will note that you did not at all refute my statement that the babies were not bashed in front of their mothers.
Roman slavery would have been during the NT times. The biblical examples of slavery took place during the OT times. And I fail to see how the way Romans treated slaves has any bearing at all on how Hebrews treated slaves.
The Hebrew OT is full of laws on how slaves were to be treated well. Here is a link that lists many of the ways that they were treated well:
http://docs.google.com/gview?a=v&q=cache:Nz0VRfX4ZbEJ:www.churchsociety.org/crossway/documents/Cway_102_Slavery1.pdf+bible+slaves+treated+well&hl=en&gl=us
Including provisions that they were not to be abused, were to be freed at times, were not be be sold into slavery against their will, could own property, had free time, etc. As I said; it was much more like a job.
The Hebrews were at war with the Midianites. All men and married women ( the unmarried women were supposed to be killed during battle too but the soldiers disobeyed by taking them captive - meaning that it was not commanded by God that they do so) were killed as a part of that war. Specifically because they were guilty individually and as a people of sin so that their deaths were deserved. The passage makes a clear distinction between spoils of war and captives so that MT's characterization of them as spoils of war would be completely opposite of what the passage said. Additionally, the assumptions that as captives they were raped is complete conjecture on the part of those who say that it happened. Given the context of the laws for treating captives if the Hebrews followed those laws then they were treated well. They would only have been raped if other laws were violated. We can only believe they were raped if we ignore other laws, laws that are given in earlier passages which make it illegal to rape and illegal for Hebrews to marry (or probably even to produce children with) Midianites.
I would add that I never claim to be a biblical scholar. Just a person who actually reads what is there. And I will note that you did not at all refute my statement that the babies were not bashed in front of their mothers.
