Private Ownership

In Leviticus there is no capitalism, no private ownership of land. Why? Well, all land belongs to God and not to any one individual. Also, there is a strong sense of community that guards against any one person have way to much in relation to another person. Jubilee year was the way to keep things in balance.

Every 50 years the land was redistributed. Tribes went back to the land that was originally in their possession. You had to let go or return land that was not originally yours or your tribes, that you had purchased over the last 50 years. The poor became a little richer and the rich became a little poorer. The rich were supposed to take care of the poor and the Jubilee year countered any selfishness that might have developed over the previous 50 years.

As our politicians debate the debt crisis, taxation, and the state of the economy, I wonder if Leviticus is at all thought about? Or has the Age of Enlightenment and Capitalism, completely buried this notion.