Complex sentence: In contrast, no direct statements that a certain year was a Sabbatical year have survived from First Temple times and earlier, so that for this period, whether a certain year was a Sabbatical year must be inferred from statements about activities normally associated with a Shmita.
Split into simpler sentences: In contrast, no direct statements that a certain year was a Sabbatical year have survived from First Temple times and earlier. For this period, whether a certain year was a Sabbatical year must be inferred from statements about activities normally associated with a Shmita.