Understanding Ethnic Identity and Slavery in the Ancient Mediterranean World

In the ancient Mediterranean world, ethnic identity was diverse with no color problem. Slavery was common but unrelated to ethnicity or color, being determined by losing battles or wealth. The main social divides were between male and female, slave and free, and rich and poor, as seen in the New Testament. Ethnic challenges were seen between Jews and Gentiles, where Greeks viewed themselves superior to 'barbarians' based on language.