To Whom Belongs the Land?

The main question of this book, which focuses on the role of the Old Testament in the South African context, is: If reread from an African liberationist perspective in the context of land redistribution and socio-economic justice in South Africa, could the Israelite Jubilee legislation in Leviticus 25:855 offer liberating and empowering possibilities for the poor in South Africa? The exegesis of Leviticus 25:855 in which the historical-critical method is employed lays the foundation for the contextualisation of the issues arising from the exegesis. Furthermore, within the African liberationist framework, the South African context serves as a lens to interpret Leviticus 25:855. The striking parallels between the contexts from which the text of Leviticus 25:855 emerged and the context of the modern reader of the Bible in South Africa are shown. In the end, it is argued that when re-read from an African liberationist perspective and in the context of the land redistribution and socio-economic justice discourse, Leviticus 25:855 can contribute positively to the redress of inequality and consequently to poverty alleviation in South Africa.