How Were Shepherds Paid in Bible Times?

The patriarch Jacob shepherded the flocks of his uncle Laban for 20 years. Jacob worked the first 14 years for the hand of Laban's two daughters, and for the remaining six years, he was paid in livestock.  (Genesis 30:25-33) "Shepherding agreements such as those between Laban and Jacob," says the magazine Biblical Archaeology Review,  "Would have been very familiar to the ancient writers and readers of the Biblical text."

Ancient contracts unearthed at Nuzi, Larsa, and other states in modern Iraq illustrate such agreements.  A typical contract ran from one annual shearing to the next. Shepherds accepted the responsibility of caring for a specified number of animals listed according to their age and sex.  A year later, the owner received a stipulated minimum of wool, dairy products, young stock, an so on. Anything produced in excess went to the shepherd.

Increase in flock size depended on the number of ewes entrusted to a shepherd.  One hundred ewes generally expected to produce 80 live lambs.  The shepherd had to make good any shortfall, or loss.  Thus he had great incentive to take good care of the animals entrusted to him.

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From the Watchtower magazine, 2015