An Ancient Israelite Legal Complaint on an Ostracon
This complaint of mistreatment by a superior is written in Hebrew on an ostracon (a piece of broken pottery used to write on) from Metsad Hashaviahu (between Tel Aviv and Ashdod), from the last quarter of the seventh century BCE. In the text, a worker states that a superior took his garment despite the laborer having fulfilled his work requirements. This letter may not be simply an appeal for help, but rather a legal complaint, since it is reminiscent of the laws and practices in Exodus 22:25, Deuteronomy 24:10–13, and Amos 2:8, though the circumstances seem different. This is the only extrabiblical legal document found in Israel from before the Babylonian exile.
Related Guide
The Ancient Near Eastern Background of Biblical Law
Biblical law was influenced by the legal collections of its powerful neighbors, especially the Babylonians and Assyrians.
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