Bible Dictionaries
Ownership

Holman Bible Dictionary

Possession of property. Two general principles guided Israelite laws of ownership: (1) All things ultimately belong to God, and (2) land possession is purely a business matter. After the division of the land among the twelve tribes, individual plots were given to family groups or clans. If the occasion demanded it, the land could be redivided at a later time. Land sales and transfers were recorded by scribes on leather or papyrus scrolls, on clay tablets, or in the presence of witnesses with the symbolic removal of a sandal (Ruth 4:7 ) or the stepping onto the land by the new owner. Land passed from father to son but could be given to a daughter. Private lands ultimately reverted to the king if not used for several years (2 Kings 8:1 ). The law of the kinsman-redeemer (Leviticus 25:25 ) was developed to assure that land belonging to a particular clan did not pass out of its hands despite the death of an heirless husband. The next-of-kin was required to purchase the land and provide an heir to the name of the deceased. The impoverished widow would not be forced to sell her land to outsiders, thus diminishing the tribal area of the clan.

While it is true that the king did purchase lands from his subjects, private lands were subject to seizure by the ruler. Royal land was given as revenue-producing gifts by the ruler to members of his family or men who gained his favor. Often the land was tenant farmed for the king who continued to hold the ultimate right of its disposal. When economic times were difficult, kings exchanged their lands for other services, such as Solomon's gift of land to Hiram of Tyre for gold and laborers in the building of the Temple (1 Kings 9:11 ). Priestly families and local shrines also owned land, especially that surrounding the levitical cities, where the priests farmed their own fields (Joshua 21:1 ). With the consolidation of worship in the Jerusalem Temple, many of the priestly lands were sold.

Private ownership continued in much the same fashion during the New Testament era. Bills of sale and land deeds written on papyrus scrolls from this period have been discovered, attesting to the exchange of private lands. Often the sale of private land was subject to royal approval. The Romans oversaw the control of lands in Palestine, requiring heavy taxes from owners. The early Christian community existed through the generosity of those members who sold many of their possessions to help poorer believers.

David Maltzberger