4.3.4 Treatment
Little is known of the treatment of slaves in New Kingdom Egypt.
Bakir has suggested that royal slaves, war captives, might be branded
with the king’s name.^307 Female slaves in Deir el-Medina may receive
considerably fewer rations than ordinary workmen.^308 Slaves might
be expected on occasion to pay substantial monetary penalties in
case of conviction of theft, which suggests that they had financial
means.^309 Slaves apparently own fields.^310 Slaves can give evidence
in court.^311 No document attests to a marriage between slaves.^312 On
the basis of the obscure Eighteenth Dynasty letter, P. Louvre 3230,
Helck believes that slave children were not to be drafted for work.^313
Texts mention the pursuit and capture of fugitive slaves.^3144.3.5 Termination
Already P. Berlin 10470 (Second Intermediate period) may deal with
the “granting of citizenship to a slave who had previously been shared
between public and private ownership.”^315 Apparently, a simple dec-
laration of the master before a local court was enough to free a
slave. Eyre cites cases whereby the slave is brought later into the
family.^316 Under Tuthmosis III, a royal barber received a slave, whom
he officially freed and then married off to his niece, making him
joint heir with his wife and sister.^317woman) were still slaves (84). On the problem of the status of the children of freed
slaves, see Théodoridès, “Le papyrus des adoptions,” 634; Eyre, “Adoption...,”
217; Eyre, “Work.. .,” 210.(^307) See Bakir, Slavery.. ., 98. See also Cruz-Uribe, “Slavery.. .,” 48–49; Eyre,
“Work.. .,” 210.
(^308) ’ernÿ, Community.. ., 175–81, discusses female slaves in Deir el-Medina and
notes that their work may have consisted of grinding grain into flour. They seem
to receive less than ordinary workmen.
(^309) Bakir, Slavery.. ., 86. See also Théodoridès, “La procédure...”
(^310) See Bakir, Slavery.. ., 86. The evidence is not very strong. On slaves as land-
holders and acting as traders, Eyre, “Work.. .,” 210; Helck, “Sklaven,” col. 985.
(^311) Bakir, Slavery.. ., 88–89.
(^312) Ibid., 82.
(^313) “Sklaven,” col. 985; text is published in Peet, “Two Eighteenth Dynasty...”
(^314) Bakir, Slavery.. ., 79.
(^315) So Loprieno, The Egyptians.. ., 201.
(^316) I.e., as Bakir points out, instances of slaves marrying free individuals (Slavery...,
82–84).
(^317) Following Eyre, “Adoption.. .,” 215. Bakir provides a translation in Slavery...,
- See also Eyre, “Work.. .,” 210; Rabinowitz, “Semitic Elements.. .”; Cruz-
Uribe, “Slavery.. .”; Helck, Akten.. ., 114; Lurje, Studien.. ., 69–70; Spalinger, “Will
of Senimose.. .,” 649.
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