It’s a question that echoes through history, and sometimes, the answer comes in the form of a royal decree.
I think it's worthwhile to share a copy of this ancient decree with you, because it really highlights the king's, shall we say, magnanimity. He was, as the text says, "empowered by God" to do something truly remarkable: to liberate vast numbers of people.
So, what did this decree actually say? Well, it went something like this:
“All who served in the army of our father in the campaign against Syria and Phoenicia, and in the attack upon the country of the Jews, and became possessed of Jewish captives and brought them back to the city of Alexandria and the land of Egypt, or sold them to others – and in the same way any captives who were in our land before that time or were brought hither afterwards – all who possess such captives are required to set them at liberty at once, receiving twenty drachmae per head as ransom money."
Can you imagine? After generations of conflict, a king declared that Jewish captives should be freed! But it gets even better. The decree continues:
"The soldiers will receive this money as a gift added to their wages, the others from the king's treasury."
So, not only were the captives to be released, but those who held them were to be compensated. The soldiers would get the money as a bonus, and everyone else would get it straight from the king's own funds.
Think about the implications. This wasn't just a simple act of freeing slaves. It was a statement. A recognition of the value and dignity of these people. It speaks to the power of leadership, and the responsibility that comes with it. It reminds us that even in the midst of conflict, compassion and justice can prevail.
And maybe, just maybe, that's a lesson that still resonates today.