The Jewish manumission inscriptions of the Bosporus kingdom

E. Leigh Gibson examines a lesser-known collection of Greek inscriptions documenting the manumission of slaves in synagogues along the Hellenized north shore of the Black Sea during the first three centuries CE. By comparing this corpus with manumission inscriptions from other parts of the Greco-Roman world and analyzing the relationship between Greco-Roman Judaism and slavery, she evaluates how much the Black Sea Jewish community embraced classical manumission traditions. This analysis challenges the common belief that Jewish communities developed unique slave practices influenced by biblical laws on Israelite ownership of slaves. In the context of Greek manumission inscriptions, the Jewish manumissions from the Bosporan Kingdom appear conventional, adhering to established Greek formulae. A review of Greco-Roman Jewish texts indicates that biblical teachings on slavery were not actively practiced, despite being respected. One intriguing aspect of the manumissions is the ongoing obligation of the freed slaves, which may suggest distinctive practices within the Bosporan Jewish community. These obligations are often seen as requiring the slave's participation in community religious life, possibly linked to conversion. However, a closer examination reveals this obligation resembles a paramone clause, typical in Greek manumission. Ultimately, Gibson illustrates that the Jews in this area integrated Greek manumission customs into t