Leviticus 24 – 25
We always focus on the barbarity of the “eye for an eye” mentality but we fail to recognize the progressiveness of the command that they should deal exactly the same legally for a stranger as they should for one of their own country. I believe the common practice was to deal more harshly with strangers than with citizens.
In return for allowing the land to take a sabbath on the seventh year the Lord promises that the people will be blessed in the sixth year (in advance of keeping the commandment) that they will be blessed with abundance not enough for two years but enough for three years. In jubile years land which has been sold is to be returned to the person who sold it but houses in walled cities are not returned in jubile years. They may be redeemed within one year but if they are not redeemed within a year the sale is final. (This does not apply to houses in unwalled villages.) this is an interesting law, land apparently cannot be sold, only rented but city dwellings are only posessions, not inheritances, except to the Levites who were not given lands for inheritance.
The people could not take Israelites as bonded servants who were the posession of their master for the term of their bondage, only as hired servants who were free to depart employment with their families.
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