Is Financial DEBT Forgiveness in the Bible?

The Bible contains two passages outlining debt forgiveness: Leviticus 25 (the year of Jubilee) and Deuteronomy 15 (the Sabbath year). The question is, did the ancient Israelites ever practice debt forgiveness? In this video I find out...
Leviticus 25 | The Year of Jubilee | Bible Study, What is the Year of Jubilee and Why is it Important to Me? What Does the Bible Say About Debt?
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This channel is now known as Tablets and Temples, unpacking ancient history and religion. Formerly known as Bible Unboxed.
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SOURCES:
Just a quick note before the sources. I noticed a lot of the academic material on debt forgiveness in the ancient world is written for the purpose of promoting discussions around modern debt forgiveness. This isn't necessarily to say anything bad about the quality of the academic study, it's just good to be aware of these biases going in.
- Michael Hudson, Trade, Development and Foreign Debt (1993)
- Michael Hudson et al, Debt and Economic Renewal in the Ancient Near East (2002)
- David Graeber, Debt: The First 5000 Year (2014)
- RH Lowery: Sabbath and jubilee (2012)
- CA Evans, Jesus, Satan, and Holy War in the Light of the Dead Sea Scrolls (2016)
- A Feldman, New Light on the Ten Jubilees of 11QMelchizedek (11Q13)
IS JUBILEE DEBT FORGIVENESS?
I've seen it argued that the year of Jubilee was the cyclical expiration of an ancient equivalent of a long-term lease and was, therefore, not debt forgiveness. However, Leviticus 25 covers much more than just land leases. Jacob Milgrom, perhaps the most respected authority on Leviticus points out the following in his Anchor Yale Bible Commentary:
1. Verses 22-55 form a single unit of successive stages of impoverishment
2. A person in such a circumstance is given multiple ways to pay back their debt (having a relative take over as creditor through redemption, or through a zero-interest scheme)
3. However, in the event that such a person cannot pay back their debt, "Only if neither he nor his family can supply the means for his redemption, as we shall see, will the jubilee free him, cancel his debt, and give him back his land. Thus he (or his inheritor) will be able to start out afresh as
a debt-free landowner who will be independent of his family." (p.2216)
This is essentially, debt forgiveness. That is, an Israelite, even if they became impoverished was given multiple ways to pay back their debt through labor-hire. However, if the worst situation occured - their debt was cancelled via the Jubilee year.
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[@InquisitiveBible]

That's the tricky thing with the Mosaic code, isn't it? It's easy to assume that these were actual laws that applied at some time and place in ancient Israel, and yet even within the canonical story, the law of Moses seems to be lost until its discovery during the reign of Josiah. And later in Nehemiah 8, it seems like the people are hearing the law from Ezra for the first time - like in 8:14ff, where they discover the rules for holding the Festival of Booths.

[@TabletsAndTemples]

Indeed. One thing I find particularly interesting is, as far as I'm aware - no one in a Hebrew Bible narrative ever appeals to the mosaic law to settle a dispute (i.e., Kings relied on their wisdom). In fact, apart from Ezra/Nehemiah, I wonder if there is any part of a narrative where a particular action is explained by the narrator as a result of a particular Mosaic law.

[@rosdavis8792]

Can you do one on the passage in the new testament about not being anxious?

[@mustachemac5229]

You were talking about how the money would be given to the court, as a type of loophole. When these laws were given to Moses...who was the court? (For some reason, I didn't get a notification for this video.🤷‍♂️)

[@TabletsAndTemples]

Yeah KZbin does that sometimes. I'll probably have to start notifying people about videos via my community posts too. We don't know much about the early origins of the Israelites in the Bronze Age (around 1500-1200 BCE). This is when those who believe in a historical Moses suggest he lived. The laws of Moses reflect a much later period in Israel's history, probably at least the 800s into the 500s. In these later periods there probably were courts with local judges etc. The law of Prosbul was introduced in 100BCE, in this case it there were definitely local courts, probably referring to local Jewish courts. So a local Jewish court would take on the responsibility of collecting debt on behalf of the lender, basically a middleman.

[@mustachemac5229]

@@TabletsAndTemples Ty for the response and the hard work you put into your videos. 👍

[@poopadoncic4023]

Hudson?

[@TabletsAndTemples]

?

[@GuessWhoAsks]

Debt forgiveness is only offered to Hebrews. The followers of the bible were forbidden from treating Hebrews as slaves but were instead allowed to purchase foreigners and consider them inheritable property that could be passed on to their children...Do you consider that to be morally acceptable?

[@TabletsAndTemples]

In regards to debt forgiveness, that was fairly typical in the Ancient Near East. For example, the Akkadian laws only applied to Akkadians as well. I'm not saying that's good or bad, it's just how it was in the Ancient world. As far as foreign slaves in the ancient world, I'm not suggesting it was morally good. Israelite practices were similar to what we find among neighbouring Mesopotamian cultures. I recommend watching the Digital Hammurabi series on slavery in the Bible. It's an objective scholarly look into that very question in its ancient context. The first episode is called "The TRUTH about Biblical SLAVERY" Link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d6Wti6Zoi9uZpNk

[@GuessWhoAsks]

@@peterchen16888 "Jubilee is not about debt forgiveness."....Are you suggesting that followers of the bible are NOT to offer debt forgiveness to fellow Hebrews in celebration of Jubilee? You may have missed my first question as well....Do you think it is morally acceptable to be allowed to purchase a foreign person and consider them inheritable property?

[@GuessWhoAsks]

@@TabletsAndTemples "In regards to debt forgiveness, that was fairly typical in the Ancient Near East. For example, the Akkadian laws only applied to Akkadians as well. I'm not saying that's good or bad, it's just how it was in the Ancient world."...I do not disagree that the practice was typical of the time and place, though I do not see how that is relevant to my question...Does it increase, decrease or not affect the morality of an action if everyone around you also takes the same or similar action? See, I do have a problem with being allowed to purchase a fellow human who is not released, as they are considered inheritable property. That specifically is what I am asking you about and not how prevalent the practice was "As far as foreign slaves in the ancient world, I'm not suggesting it was morally good. Israelite practices were similar to what we find among neighbouring Mesopotamian cultures."...I can appreciate that you are not claiming it is morally good and everyone did it, that is why I asked if you personally think it was morally acceptable? "I recommend watching the Digital Hammurabi series on slavery in the Bible. It's an objective scholarly look into that very question in its ancient context. The first episode is called "The TRUTH about Biblical SLAVERY" Link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d6Wti6Zoi9uZpNk"....Very informative....thank you, and I think we may agree more than disagree, but to be fair, I still do not know the answer to my question, as I was asking about your personal beliefs.

[@wannabe_scholar82]

@@GuessWhoAsks I don't see how his personal beliefs are relevant to the discussion of isrealite slavery in general?

[@GuessWhoAsks]

@@wannabe_scholar82 " I don't see how his personal beliefs are relevant to the discussion of isrealite slavery in general?"....I am confused...Is this a statement or question? Are you suggesting that asking someone to classify an action(considering another human as property) as moral or immoral, is not relevant? For clarity, my question asks the reader for their personal belief about whether they consider the act mentioned to be moral or immoral. I am specifically asking for their personal belief...Do you Wannabe Scolar personally believe that it is ever morally acceptable to be allowed to purchase another human and consider them your inheritable property?

[@JosephDaoud-tv6cu]

You said the story might have been written in the Bible to serve the narrative. (BIG RED FLAG) That is very concerning. If you don't believe in the inerrancy of the Bible, why even bother. The Bible is then a book like any other, and we have no absolute truth to hold on.

[@wannabe_scholar82]

@@TabletsAndTemples Lmaooo u got me 😂