Does Judaism Allow Slavery?

The Torah has various rules and laws for owning slaves. Throughout the early part of Jewish history, Jews owned slaves. Does Judaism allow for slavery? Is it ever okay for one human to own another?

Since the Era of Enlightenment and particularly since the end of the Civil War in the United States, slavery has been viewed as a horrible institution and contrary to human rights and human dignity. How can we reconcile Judaism's approach to slavery with our modern understanding of the evil of slavery?

A fascinating discussion about Judaism and slavery.