Sabbatical years are “known to have been observed in Palestine from the post-exilic period to the fifth or sixth Christian century.” (Ben Zion Wacholder, “Chronomessianism The Timing of Messianic Movements and the Calendar of Sabbatical Cycles” Hebrew Union College Annual Vol 46 1975)

...and he came out of the city, because they had no food there to endure the siege, because it was a sabbath to the land. (1 Macc. 6:49) See also 1 Macc. 6:53; 163/162 BCE

what fruits of the ground they had laid up were spend, and the land being not ploughed that year, continued unsowed, because it was the seventh year, on which, by our laws, we are obliged to let it lie uncultivated. (Antiquities 12:378=12.11.5) 163/162 BCE

.. that year on which the Jews use to rest came on; for the Jews observe this rest every seventh year, as they do every seventh day... (Antiquities 13:235=13:8:1) 135/134 BCE

 

Caius Caesar, imperator the second time, hath ordained, that all the country of the Jews, excepting Joppa, do pay a tribute yearly for the city of Jerusalem, excepting the seventh, which they call the Sabbatical Year, because thereon they neither receive the fruits of their trees, nor do they sow their land......

.... that Hyrcanus, the son of Alexander, and his sons, have as tribute of that city, from those that occupy the land, for the country, and for what they export every year to Sidon, twenty thousand six hundred and seventy-five modii every year, the seventh year, which they call thy Sabbatic Year, excepted; whereon they neither plough, nor receive the product of their trees.  (Antiquities 14:10:6)

 

... and while they were distressed by famine and the want of necessaries, for this happened to be a Sabbatic year. (Antiquities 14:475=14:16:2) 37/36 BCE

 

... nor was there any end of the miseries he brought upon them ; and this distress was in part occasioned by the covetousness of the prince regent, who was still in want of more, and in part by the Sabbatic Year, which was still going on, and forced the country to lie still uncultivated since we are forbidden to sow the land in that year. (Antiquities 15:7-8=15:1:2) 37/36 BCE

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