their return from the captivity. They laboured, however, under some inconveniences, from the insecurity of property, and the heavy tribute they were forced to pay to their oppressors. It was, therefore, accounted a singular favour done to the state, when the high priest obtained from Alexander the Great an exemption from taxes in the sabbatical years," and afterwards from Caius Cæsar, in two decrees preserved by Josephus."

SECT. V.

The Year of Jubilee.

On what year and day of the month it was observed; the divine blessing promised on the preceding harvest. The six things for which it was remarkable. Inquiry whether the year of Christ's birth or death was in the year of jubilee. Some recent information concerning some of the jubilee trumpets.

AFTER the Sabbatical Year, naturally comes the Year of Jubilee, which was another remarkable epocha in the Jewish history. It was held every 50th year, and was ushered in, with trumpets, throughout all the land of Israel, on the 10th day of the 7th month, or the day of annual expiation."

The first thing remarkable in it was, that they were to do in it, as they had done in the sabbatical year; that is, they were neither to sow nor reap; and its spontaneous productions were to be accounted common property. Thus there were two years at every jubilee, when the Jews neither sowed nor reaped; namely, the jubilee and the year before, which was always a sabbatical year; and hence we see the reason why the promise of support, given in Levit. xxv. 20-22, was from the 6th till the harvest of the ninth year. We have only

Joseph. Antiq. xi. 8. d Levit, xxv. 9.

b Antiq. xiv. 10.

Levit. xxv. 11, 12.

Levit. xxv. 10.

two passages of Scripture where this promise is alluded to, viz. 2 Kings xix. 29, and Is. xxxvii. 30.

The second thing remarkable in the year of jubilee was, that all the lands which had been sold by one Hebrew to another, had a reference to this, being valued according to its proximity or remoteness, in order to their being restored in that year;a or might be redeemed sooner by giving to the owner a proper compensation."

d

Thirdly, All sales of houses in the country, returned likewise at that time, or could have been redeemed sooner; but all dwelling-houses in walled cities, unless redeemed within a year, remained for ever with the possessor, except in the case of houses belonging to the Levites, which might have been redeemed at any time, although in walled cities; and if not redeemed, returned to them again as a matter of course in the year of jubilee.e

Fourthly, All Israelites who on account of poverty had sold themselves, that is to say their services, to Israelites, were not to be reckoned as bond, but as hired servants, and were to return unto their families and fathers' possessions in the year of jubilee.'

Fifthly, All poor Israelites who on account of poverty had sold themselves to proselytes were to be accounted hired servants, and might be redeemed at any time by their relatives or themselves; but, if not redeemed, were to obtain their liberty at the jubilee.

Lastly, As the Jewish kings had commonly much in their power, they were expressly forbidden, on the one hand, to seize the possession of any Israelite as a provision for their family, or on the other to squander the royal domains on favourites, as that would have lessened

a Levit. xxv. 14-17. 23, 24.

d Ib. xxv. 29, 30.

b Ib. xxv. 25-28.

e Ib. xxv. 32, 33.

Ib. xxv. 31. f Ib. xxv. 39-43.

Ib. xxv. 47-55.

the patrimony of the crown; and if any such grants were at any time made, they reverted, of course, to the original proprietors in the year of jubilee."

Such was the nature of the Jewish jubilee, but I do not find that any particular sacrifices were appointed, nor even that reading of the law which was enjoined in the sabbatical year; neither do I know at what hour of the day of annual expiation the silver trumpets sounded to announce its commencement. It is probable, however, that it was in the evening, after the high priest had entered the most holy place, the scape goat had been sent into the wilderness; and the people, in full concert in the temple, had been praising the Lord for his goodness, and because his mercy endureth for ever. Imagination may conceive, but it is beyond the power of language to describe, the general burst of joy that would pervade the land, when the poor Israelites tasted again the sweets of liberty, and returned to their possessions, their families, and friends. In vain would sleep invite them to repose, their hearts would be too full to feel the lassitude of nature; and the night would be spent in gratitude aud praise. What a lively emblem of the gospel of Christ! which is peculiarly addressed to the poor, which is fitted to heal the broken hearted, to give deliverance to the captives, the opening of the prison doors to them that are bound, and to preach unto all the acceptable year of the Lord."

Throughout the writings of Josephus, we have only one passage where, in the later times of the Mosaic economy, the jubilee is alluded to, and that is in Antiq. xv. 9, when he is describing the dearth which happened in the 13th year of the reign of Herod. His words are, "When the fruits of that year were spoiled, and what

a Ezek. xlvi. 16-18. b Levit. xxv. 9.

Is. lxi. 1, 2. Luke iv. 18, 19.

soever they had previously laid up was spent, there was no foundation of hope for relief remaining; but the misery, contrary to what they expected, still increased upon them, and this not only on that year, while they had nothing for themselves left at the end of it, but what seed they had sown perished also, by reason of the ground not yielding its fruits on the second year."

It only remains to add, that as several divines have asserted that the last jubilee which the Jews ever had, corresponded with the year of our Saviour's death, it may be proper to inquire into its truth. And we may notice, that none of the suppositions that were made, when treating of the sabbatical year, agree with that important event; for let us, in the first place, suppose that the first sabbatical year was, according to Usher, in the seventh year after the Israelites crossed Jordan, or A. M. 2261, and that the first jubilee was observed fifty years after, or A. M. 2311; from thence, till the death of Christ, was an interval of 1718 or 1722 years, according as we suppose Christ to have been born, either A. M. 4000, as he really was, or A. M. 4004, as is commonly supposed, and to have lived 33 years; neither of which sums of 1718 or 17221, when divided by 50, coincide with any jubilee.—Or, let us suppose, secondly, with Dr. Jennings, that the 1st sabbatical year began on the 14th year after they crossed Jordan, or A. M. 2268, and that the 1st jubilee was on the 50th year after, or A. M. 2318, this will give 1715 or 17191 years till Christ's death, which corresponds with no jubilee. In no case, then, have we been able to make the year of Christ's death to correspond with a year of jubilee; but if the sabbatical years had begun, as some other divines have thought, in the year that the Israelites crossed Jordan, and the jubilees 30 years after, they would make the year of Christ's birth a jubilee; for, ac

cording to Lightfooot, that event happened A. M. 2254, and before Christ 1750: if we divide, then, this 1750 by 50, we have exactly the 35th jubilee as the year in which our Saviour was born, supposing them to have been observed till that time. How applicable to this are the words of Rabbi Simeon ben Jochai, as quoted by Lightfoot in his Harmony of the Four Evangelists," "The divine Majesty will be to Israel in a jubilee, freedom, redemption, and a finisher of sabbaths ;" and how appropriate to the character and office of Christ! For those who had lost every right to their father's inheritance, he came to restore; those who had sold themselves to sin and Satan, he came to release: and those who by their apostacy had become spiritually poor, he came to enrich.

In Dr. Buchanan's Christian Researches in Asia, we have some account of the disposal of some of the jubilee trumpets after the destruction of Jerusalem, which was communicated to him by the Jerusalem or White Jews on the coast of Malabar. "After the second temple was destroyed," said they, (which may God speedily rebuild) "our fathers, dreading the conqueror's wrath, departed from Jerusalem, a numerous body of men, women, priests, and Levites, and came into this land. There were among them men of repute for learning and wisdom, and God gave the people favour in the sight of the king who at that time reigned there, and he granted them a place to dwell in called Cranganor. He allowed them a patriarchal jurisdiction within the district, with certain privileges of nobility; and the royal grant was engraved, according to the custom of those days, on a plate of brass. This was done from the year of the creation 4250, (A. D. 490,) and this plate of brass we

a Part 3. Luke iv. 18, 19.