Urban Labour in Rome:

The Agricultural Background of the Harvest Logion in Matthew 9.37–8 and Luke (Q) 10.2

“…69 Generally speaking, nonservile workers could hire themselves out for different durations of service, from the daylabourer who typically worked for one day and had to find new work each morning, to the wage earners who signed contracts with their employers for lengthy periods, to the political administrators who earned annual salaries. 70 Many ancient examples of lengthy contracts exist, like the one between non-servile labourer, Memmius Asclepi, and his temporary employer, Aurelius Adiutor, to work in the goldmines of Transylvania for six months in exchange for 70 denarii plus accommodation. 71 Bazzana rightly notes that when it comes to Egyptian documentary papyri, 'we possess several contracts, in which laborers […] set down the amount of work they are going to perform and the payment they are going to receive in exchange'.…”

“…70 Many ancient examples of lengthy contracts exist, like the one between non-servile labourer, Memmius Asclepi, and his temporary employer, Aurelius Adiutor, to work in the goldmines of Transylvania for six months in exchange for 70 denarii plus accommodation. 71 Bazzana rightly notes that when it comes to Egyptian documentary papyri, 'we possess several contracts, in which laborers […] set down the amount of work they are going to perform and the payment they are going to receive in exchange'. 72 Here is a fragment of one such contract dating from the first-to-second century CE: The pay of two-thirds of an artaba [… the reaping?…”

“…168 The day-labourer would customarily not get any payment if the work for that day was cancelled. 169 In fact, there is evidence that hired workers would at times simply get paid less than the agreed wage or not get paid at all after completing their work. 170 Such practices made regulations like the one in Deuteronomy 24.14-15 necessary: 'Do not take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether that worker is a fellow Israelite or a foreigner residing in one of your towns.…”