The Land of Israel: Terumah, Ma'aser, Shmittah and Yovel, Kilayim: The Yovel:
When was the Yovel in effect?
Based on the verse "you shall proclaim freedom in the land to all its
inhabitants" (Lev. 25:10), the Jubilee year was in effect only during the period when all the tribes of Israel were living in their allotted territories (Talmud, Arachin 32b) -- i.e. from the time of Joshua until the time that the transJordanian tribes were exiled by the Assyrians (around 750-700 BCE).
The Jubilee cycle began with Joshua's conquest of the
Holy Land in 2503 (counting from the creation). It
ended with the exile of the Ten Tribes in 3205. Thus
the first Jubilee was in 2552 (2503+49), and the last
one was in 3202 (558 B.C.E.); it was celebrated only
14 times.
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