Contents -- Abbreviations -- Part I: LAYING THE FOUNDATION -- Chapter 1 THE USE OF THE SOCIOLOGY OF KNOWLEDGE IN EXAMINING THE JUBILEE -- Mannheim's Three Levels of Meaning -- Chapter 2 THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE JUBILEE -- In the Ancient Near East -- In Early Israel -- Excursus: Was it Ever Observed? -- Part II: A SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE JUBILEE IN THE LATE EXILIC PERIOD -- Chapter 3 THE EXILE -- Sixth-Century Ferment -- The Historical Picture -- Response -- Looking toward Restoration -- Chapter 4 THE PRIESTS AND THEIR LITERATURE -- The Intelligentsia -- Bearers of the Tradition -- Explainers of the Cosmos -- Projectors of the Future -- Summary -- Chapter 5 EZEKIEL -- Introduction -- The Text of Chapters 40-48 -- Social Location of 'Ezekiel' -- The Distribution of Land -- Implications -- Conclusion -- Part III: THE MORAL WORLD-VIEW OF THE JUBILEE -- Chapter 6 THE OBJECTIVE MEANING -- Clashing Systems -- Land Tenure -- Land Reform -- Chapter 7 THE EXPRESSIVE MEANING -- Clues from the Social Location of the Priests -- Clues from the Other Jubilee Laws -- Clues from the Form -- Clues from the Concept of Divine Ownership -- An Expression of Literal Law? -- Chapter 8 THE DOCUMENTARY MEANING -- Clues from the Selected Tradition -- Clues from the Priestly Intent -- Clues from a Comparison with Ezekiel -- Implications of Divine Ownership of the Land -- CONCLUSION -- Appendix: The Literary Strata of Leviticus 25 -- Selected Bibliography -- Index of References -- Index of Authors -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- R -- S -- T -- V -- W -- Z.