Petra: trade & slavery (Part II)

Slavery brings certain images to the mind: be it the field or house hands of the Ante-Bellum South, the Hebrew slaves of Goshen, or modern applications: forced labor and prostitution. It has been with us since the development of complex culture and civilization. It remains today. One of the dictionary definitions for slavery states: “a condition of submission to or domination by bondage; servitude.” Certainly sounds as if it survives. In reading its history the 1962 Encyclopedia Britannica states that: “nowhere has productive industry developed itself in the form of voluntary effort; in every country of which we have any knowledge it was imposed by the strong upon the weak, and wrought into the habits of the people only by the stern discipline of constraint.” I bet that wouldn’t be a popular view today, but it “might be” a historically accurate one. EB also goes onto state that slavery wasn’t practiced in hunter-gather times as the males of vanquished foes were slain and the females sometimes were carried off as “wives or as servants.” Gee, sounds like slavery to me. With the founding of agriculture came sedentary lifestyle, the city state, civilization and the desire for relatively inexpensive labor. To institution of slavery evolved as the strong and wealthy defeat or buy those of lesser means.

How did this involve Petra? Petra owed much of its development and existence to being on a caravan route. Trade goods were brought to/from distant lands through this city of the red rocks. As one reads the histories and influences of Persians, Greeks, Nabataeans, Romans and Byzantines at Petra it is interesting to note that all, except the Nabataeans, appeared to have slave populations. The Nabataeans didn’t, and this was the period (60 BCE to 200 CE) credited with the largest populations and active sculpting programs creating much of the monumental architecture of the city we see today.

During my time in Jordan earlier this year I noted that CNN International has as a theme this year: stop international slavery. As a middle class American, that seems like…well, “a no brainer.” Wasn’t that a historic issue resolved by international fiat and law some time ago? Of course, we know it wasn’t. Are the young girls of Juarez (or Germany for that matter) voluntarily plying the world’s 2^nd oldest profession (hunter-gatherer was 1^st)? How about the young boys of Thailand or the Chinese massage girls of Aqaba? For those thinking it is now in faraway isolated pockets it is time to take a look around and see what less-than-voluntary endeavors are being pushed in our own backyards. Considering the scope of the issue it seems that we have a big carcass to chew on, one bite at a time. (another case for “Think globally, Act locally.”)

http://www.newint.org/features/2001/08/05/history/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery

http://nabataea.net/petra.html

http://ancienthistory.about.com/b/2007/03/15/ancient-persian-slaves.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_in_ancient_Greece

http://www.grandview.com.jo/nabataeans.html

http://www.unrv.com/culture/roman-slavery.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_in_medieval_Europe