The jubilee from Leviticus to Qumran: Its origin, development, and interpretation in the Hebrew scriptures, Second Temple literature, and Qumran texts.

摘要

The dissertation traces the development and interpretation of the Israelite institution of the jubilee year from its ancient Near Eastern analogues and antecedents to the Jewish religious writings of the last centuries before Christ.; The jubilee legislation of Leviticus 25 is compared to analogous ancient Near Eastern laws, and its life-setting is posited as pre-monarchic, tribal Israel. Exodus 21:1--11 and 23:10--11 are possible sources for the legislation. References to the jubilee in Leviticus 27:14--24 and Numbers 36:4 arise from a similar life-setting as Leviticus 25. The year of release in Deuteronomy 15:1--6 is distinct from the jubilee year, addresses a different social/legal situation, and post-dates it.; The account of Naboth's vineyard (1 Kings 21:1--18) and the redemption of Hanamel's field (Jeremiah 32:1--15) attest to the antiquity of the concepts underlying the jubilee. Isaiah urges Hezekiah to observe the sabbatical and jubilee years in 2 Kings 19:29. The release of slaves under Zedekiah (Jeremiah 34:8--22) is described in language partly borrowed from Leviticus 25.; The prophet Ezekiel makes several references to the jubilee year (esp. Ezekiel 46:16--18), and the jubilee number fifty may be important for the interpretation of his vision of the restored temple (Ezekiel 40--48). The second part of Isaiah (Isaiah 40--66) contains several allusions to jubilee themes. The jubilee year is reinterpreted ethically (Isaiah 58) and messianically (Isaiah 61:1--3).; Several texts from the Second Temple period (Daniel 9, Jubilees, 1 Enoch 91:11--17 and 93:1--10, Testament of Levi 15--18) and Qumran (4Q383-391, 11QMelchizedek) attest the use of chronologies based on periods of weeks of years and jubilees. Except for Jubilees, these chronologies are used to chart the period preceding the inauguration of an eschatological jubilee year in which the kingdom of Israel will be purified and restored. The chronologies of the documents differ from one another, however. At Qumran, moreover, there is evidence that the jubilee periods were counted in the liturgical rhythm of the community (e.g. 4QOtot).; The dissertation concludes by suggesting categories for the various interpretations of the jubilee in Israelite/Jewish history: legal, ethical, eschatological, messianic, chronological, and cultic-calendrical.