Final answer:
The critical difference between traditional forms of slavery and New World slavery was the transformation into a race-based system of lifelong, hereditary chattel slavery, which regarded enslaved individuals as property without rights. This was unprecedented in comparison to older systems where slaves could have certain rights, were not always property, and their children could be born free.
Step-by-step explanation:
The critical difference between the slavery of the Old Testament and that of the New Testament, particularly in reference to African slavery in the New World and past instances of slavery, lies in the nature and perception of slaves.
In the Old World, including the ancient Near East and Africa, slavery often allowed for certain rights for the enslaved individuals. Slaves in Africa were not considered property in the total sense; they could claim some personal rights and their condition of slavery was not necessarily lifelong or hereditary. Children of slaves were often born free, and slaves could sometimes work towards or earn their emancipation.
In stark contrast, the slavery system that developed in the New World, especially with the transatlantic slave trade, was a form of chattel slavery. This meant that slaves were viewed as personal property and had virtually no rights. Enslavement was based on race, and the condition was lifelong and hereditary. African slaves and their descendants could not easily access freedom, and the societal and legal norms reinforced the idea that they were fundamentally distinct and inferior to their white counterparts due to race.
Additionally, the economic drive behind the transatlantic slave trade led to a mass scale of human trafficking that was unprecedented. In the New World, theories such as the 'Curse of Ham' were used to provide a religious justification for slavery, arguably warping Christian values to support the institution.
These differences in the essence and treatment of slaves, combined with the economic scale and racial underpinnings, set the New World slavery apart from earlier forms of servitude.