Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

FORCED LABOR

A type of slave labor program, commonly referred to as corvée or conscripted labor. It was by means of forced labor that rulers of the ancient Near East carried out their building enterprises, building and rebuilding cities. Also, it was through the use of forced labor that kings maintained control of minority groups in their kingdoms.

By the use of forced labor the Egyptian king, at the time of the Exodus, built the cities of Pithom and Raamses (Exod. 1:8-14) and at the same time attempted to maintain control of the Hebrews, a minority group in his kingdom. David (2 Sam. 20:23) and Solomon (1 Kgs. 9:15-21) also used forced labor programs. But while Solomon built Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer by means of forced labor, his excessive conscription of workers from among the northern tribes (1 Kgs. 5:13-14) resulted in revolt and the division of the kingdom (12:1-19).

Egyptian records refer to rulers like Thutmose III who made campaigns annually into Palestine and Syria as a means of systematically looting those areas and collecting the resources he needed back in Egypt, including the resources of slave labor. Egyptian tomb paintings, such as that of Rameses III bringing back shackled prisoners of war or slaves, provide their own unique record.

LaMoine F. DeVries

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

FORCED LABOR

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)