Abbreviations; Part I: LAYING THE FOUNDATION; Chapter 1 THE USE OF THE SOCIOLOGY OF KNOWLEDGE IN EXAMINING THE JUBILEE; Chapter 2 THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE JUBILEE; Part II: A SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE JUBILEE IN THE LATE EXILIC PERIOD; Chapter 3 THE EXILE; Chapter 4 THE PRIESTS AND THEIR LITERATURE; Chapter 5 EZEKIEL; Part III: THE MORAL WORLD-VIEW OF THE JUBILEE; Chapter 6 THE OBJECTIVE MEANING; Chapter 7 THE EXPRESSIVE MEANING; Chapter 8 THE DOCUMENTARY MEANING; CONCLUSION; Appendix: The Literary Strata of Leviticus 25; Selected Bibliography; Index of References
Summary
The biblical jubilee represents one of the most radical programmes for land reform from the ancient Near East, yet it was never practised in ancient Israel. What then is the meaning of this sacred law that was never enforced? This cogently argued book attempts to answer that question by using the tools of sociological analysis. Fager examines three levels of meaning within the jubilee legislation, which was produced by the priestly intellectuals during the period of exile. The actual words of the text carry one meaning and the priests intended a slightly different meaning, but underlying both
Analysis
Judaism Ethics
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 126-131) and indexes
