What is the Year of Jubilee?

The Year of Jubilee was a time of rest and renewal of the land for the Jewish people in biblical times. Occurring every 50 years, families were required to return to their homeland, forgive debts and leave the land fallow.

The command for the Year of Jubilee can be found in Leviticus 25. During the Year of Jubilee, slaves were freed, and land was returned to its original owners. The price of property was determined by how close the next Year of Jubilee was; the fewer the years until the next Year of Jubilee, the cheaper the price of land and crops.