Evening star., 1950-01-02
Letters to The Star
s;4$-SiTS TS~e
Quotes Leviticus
On Jubilee Year.
To the Editor of The ST.

To the Editor Of The Star:
Well, SO we have Holy Year and mid
century complexity When does time start.
and when does it end? Theoretically. there
is no beginning of time and no end-divinely
speaking, of course. Because man is short Of
years, with life span OF an average three
score and ten G0) years. he has had to
devise some method Of marking off time.
His yardstick is astronomical, obviously ruled
by the sun and the stars, as we'll as planets.
So January l. 1850, was merely another
day for those who have become astronomers.
Mans physical age dates him from his
first breath to his last The age Of nations
is measured by historical events-their inde-
pendence, revolutionary movements. great
conqueSts: and other catastrophe conditions,
such as floods, fires, earthquakes, drouthS.
famines, and whatnot. But even so mans
memory fails him, so memorials are erected,
and records are left for posterity.
1t is quite thing to be living and to be
alive in this era. Had the atomic bomb
gone off in 1850, there would have been no
question in anybody's mind as to what con-
stituted the mid-century year.
Anciently, when one was either believer
or unbeliever in God, the law of the land was
this: And We shall hallow the fiftieth year.
and proclaim liberty throughout all the land
unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be
jubile Jubilee) unto you; and ye shall
return every man unto his possession. and ye
shall return every man unto his family.
For it is the JUBILEE it shall be holy unto
you: ye shall eat the increase thereof out
of the field.
"And if thou sell ought unto thy neighbor
or buyest ought of thy neighbor's hand, ye
shall not Cypress one another
According to the multitude of years thou
shalt increase the price thereof. and accord
ing to the fewness of years thou shalt
diminish the price of it,
And ye shall dwell in the land of safety
And the land shall yield her fruit, and We
shall eat your fill. :" Oeviticus. chap
ter 25)
Here were the most elemental and prac-
tical forms Of economics Gncluding other
agricultural rules mentioned in the same
chapter OF the Scriptures ever devised for
rapidly expanding people and their national
economy. The Israelites, and so they were
named anciently (as now, once again), be-
came the richest and wisest people on EARTH
The wealth Of the world flowed toward them,
Their temple was the finest ever built by the
hand OF man. David and Solomon were kings
OF golden era. Wisdom and words of sage
advice. flowed from their lips. Praise and
Thanksgiving also poured from their lips.
How did they do it? They practiced crop
rotation, and crop cessation. Six years they
planted, and it was the blessing of the sixth
years crop which produced enough for three
more years at once. The seventh years crop
was not to be planted. Their sowing was to
be done only in the eighth year, and they
were TO eat OF the former produce or grain
until the next or ninth year
Ihen IN the year of the jubilee Cor fiftieth
Year, all things reverted to the original
status economically. Land sales for special
reasons or leases, expired in the fiftieth year.
and all land reverted to the rightful owners.
rich or poor. So no one became richer or
poorer. Prices were not controlled as thev
are now. The reverse was the practice. When
there was plenty. the price of products was
nlgh; when there was scarcity, the prices
were lowered.
Could we moderns learn something from,
the ancients? 1t might be worth trying.
CHARLES ALLEN RENTFRO.