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GRATITUDE FOR THE HAMSTER WHEEL JOB
Gratitude for the Hamster Wheel Job – Besides Roman taxes and the frequent distortion of justice due to bribes, Romans also oppressed Jews by selling them as slaves. The above picture may remind you of a hamster wheel, except that there are people in it. This was one of many different typical jobs for slaves. When Jews bought Jewish slaves, it was usually different. But not always. From Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus,
Harsh reality was often grimmer than rabbinic legislation, as we know from Herod’s order to sell thieves to foreigners…. How unscrupulously the Law was occasionally flouted is shown by…Antigonus the Maccabean: in 40 BC he promised the Parthians, besides 1,000 talents, 500 women on condition that they would help him to win the throne…. To make up this number he had included “most of their own” …they were Jewesses. In general, however…Old Testament legislation…protected Jewish slaves…
Prices of slaves varied depending on whether it was a time of war or peace. During a war, Romans frequently sold slaves causing a glut on the slavery market. Roman oppression caused many riots and battles during the first centuries B.C. and A.D. The slave price likely dropped a lot. But the price was quite different when Jews bought Jewish slaves than when Jews bought Gentiles. This is because of Exodus 21:2.
…the Talmudic evidence on the price of a Jewish slave was based on actual circumstances…. from 1-2 minas…according to another statement, from 5-10 minas…while a Gentile slave fetched up to 100 minas. The reason for this great discrepancy was that the period of service for a Jewish slave was only 6 years, while for a Gentile it was for life. The number of Jewish slaves in Palestine was actually not very large, and their position was regulated in accordance with the humane Old Testament prescriptions.
But when the Gentiles purchased Jewish slaves, no such regulations existed.
Herod decided to rid the country of a rabble of convicts and, vigorously opposing their rights, to sell thieves to foreigners and non-Israelites…. this is more likely to reflect circumstances outside of Palestine.
On this point, it makes sense to me that if the Gentiles sold Jews into slavery, they likely shipped them far away from Palestine. Why would Gentiles let Jewish prisoners work as slaves fairly near their homes? This would give them too much courage to run away if their homes were nearby. Also, it would cause too much Jewish sympathy from nearby on-lookers. It would bring on more riots which defeats the purpose of selling them as slaves.
This reminds me of Philemon’s runaway slave, Onesimus. Philemon lived in Colossae and was a Christian. Likely he was a good master to Onesimus (cf. Philemon 4-5 & Colossians 4:7-9). Unless Onesimus ran away before Philemon got saved. At any rate, Paul was a prisoner. Scholars believe he was either in Rome or in Caesarea, Palestine when he wrote Philemon and Colossians (cf. Acts 23:33-35, 28:16, 30-31, Philemon 1). This means Onesimus traveled further than 1486.5 km (923.67 miles, i.e. the way the crow flies) to Rome to meet Paul. Or 788.66 km (490.05 miles) to Caesarea.
So how did Onesimus meet Paul? Was Onesimus caught as a runaway slave? Were they prisoners together? This may be the most likely scenario. Runaway slaves weren’t free to start their lives over wherever they went. Not at least if they were caught.
And what made Onesimus inclined towards becoming a Christian? God often uses circumstances to bring us around, doesn’t he? Onesimus may have grown weary of the monotony of his daily routine, akin to walking in a “hamster wheel.” However, the prospect of being forcibly separated from his loved ones and sent to a distant place would have been far more distressing to him.
So often it’s our bitter life experiences that either bring us or others to God, isn’t it? Considering the length of eternity, praise God for these bitter experiences!
The above map was from a website and edited; the above picture shows one of many types of typical slave labor to lift rocks, the more pullies and ropes used could offset the amount of force needed in turning the wheel.
