Topical Bible: Property in Real Estate by Absence

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Topical Encyclopedia

In biblical times, the concept of property and land ownership was deeply rooted in the cultural and legal systems of ancient Israel. The Bible provides numerous references to land, inheritance, and the responsibilities of property ownership, reflecting the agrarian society in which these texts were written. The idea of "property in real estate by absence" can be explored through various biblical principles and narratives.

Inheritance and Land Ownership

The division and inheritance of land were central to the Israelites' understanding of property. The Promised Land was divided among the tribes of Israel, and within each tribe, land was allocated to families. This allocation was intended to be permanent, as seen in the laws of inheritance. Numbers 27:8-11 outlines the rules for inheritance, ensuring that property remained within the family lineage: "If a man dies and has no son, you are to transfer his inheritance to his daughter."

The Jubilee Year, described in Leviticus 25, further emphasizes the importance of land remaining within the original family. Every fiftieth year, land that had been sold was to be returned to the original family, preventing permanent loss of property due to economic hardship. Leviticus 25:23 states, "The land must not be sold permanently, because it is Mine, and you are but foreigners and sojourners with Me."

Absentee Ownership and Stewardship

While the Bible does not explicitly address absentee ownership in the modern sense, it does provide principles regarding stewardship and the responsible management of property. The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) illustrates the expectation that individuals manage resources wisely, even in the absence of the owner. The servants are entrusted with their master's property and are expected to invest and increase it, demonstrating accountability and stewardship.

In the context of absentee ownership, the biblical principle of stewardship implies that property should be managed in a way that honors God and benefits the community. Proverbs 27:23-24 advises, "Be sure to know the state of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds; for riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure to every generation." This suggests that even when not physically present, an owner has a responsibility to ensure their property is well-managed.

Legal and Ethical Considerations

The Bible also addresses the ethical treatment of others in relation to property. Deuteronomy 19:14 warns against moving boundary stones, a practice that would effectively steal land from a neighbor: "You must not move your neighbor’s boundary marker, which was set up by your ancestors in the inheritance you will receive in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess."

This principle underscores the importance of respecting property rights and maintaining integrity in real estate dealings. The ethical treatment of tenants and workers is also emphasized, as seen in James 5:4, which condemns withholding wages from laborers: "Look, the wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you."

Conclusion

The biblical perspective on property in real estate by absence is informed by principles of inheritance, stewardship, and ethical conduct. While the Bible does not directly address modern concepts of absentee ownership, its teachings on responsible management and respect for property rights provide a framework for understanding and applying these principles in contemporary contexts.

Nave's Topical Index

2 Kings 8:1-6
Then spoke Elisha to the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go you and your household, and sojourn wherever you can sojourn: for the LORD has called for a famine; and it shall also come on the land seven years.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

The First victory for Dissent
... in private houses, fined them for absence from public ... how well the colonial division
of property had worked ... the English division, where all real estate went to ...
/.../chapter viii the first victory.htm

The Neighbor Colonies to virginia-Maryland and the Carolinas.
... they affected to hold as the property of their ... on speculation by the great real-estate
"operators" who ... need not, however, infer from the absence of organized ...
/.../bacon/a history of american christianity/chapter vi the neighbor colonies.htm

An Account of the General Conference of 1796
... rents, interest, and income of the estate, real and personal ... The property belongs
to the members of the church ... of Bishop Asbury, and the long absence of Dr ...
/.../chapter 2 an account of.htm

Disestablishment
... were ceasing, and their homes and property were laid ... fine of fifty cents for absence
from church on ... its extension from householders haying real estate rated at ...
/.../chapter xv disestablishment.htm

Twenty-Seven Articles Respecting the Reformation of the Christian ...
... but the Pope is to blame for this absence of all ... a very different rule and order
for property; the whole ... its canon and civil law, for no estate lives according ...
/.../iii twenty-seven articles respecting the.htm

The Eleventh Book Shows that the Title of "Good" is Due, not to ...
... publishes abroad, by thus disclosing his real meaning, the ... a state of equipoise,
is the property of creatures ... but yet condescended to the low estate of human ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/section 1 the eleventh book.htm

After the War.
... in the general waste and destruction, of property. ... of military occupation and the
protracted absence or the ... and holding buildings and other real estate to the ...
/.../bacon/a history of american christianity/chapter xx after the war.htm

A Period of Transition
... was invested in them as the real church of ... The ratable estate in the colony averaged
sixty pounds ... the original requirements a large property qualification, and ...
/.../the development of religious liberty in connecticut/chapter v a period of.htm

The Lost Sheep.
... according to circumstances, are his own property, and their ... inhabitants angels who
kept their first estate, he will ... A secondary relation is as real in its own ...
//christianbookshelf.org/arnot/the parables of our lord/xxii the lost sheep.htm

The Valleys --Experiences of Suffering and Sacrifice
... the sacrifice may be of the very real, cutting, hurting ... response to the clear inner
leading the estate was sold ... bottom of legal papers put some property at His ...
/.../quiet talks on following the christ/3 the valleysexperiences of suffering.htm