Property rights and institutions in biblical society: The purchase of the Cave of the Patriarchs

Jacob Rosenberg; Avi Weiss

doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2012.01.002

Property rights and institutions in biblical society: The purchase of the Cave of the Patriarchs

Jacob Rosenberg, Avi Weiss

Bar-Ilan University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

A market economy and civil society require specification and certification of property rights. Where property rights are recognized, allowable transactions are also institutionally specified. In this paper we describe and analyze the earliest documented transfer of property rights to land, in Hebron in the 17th century BCE when Abraham purchased the Cave of the Patriarchs from Ephron the Hittite. We show how a property right perspective with institutional constraint on permissible transactions resolves the puzzles that have been previously noted in the bargaining between the buyer and seller.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	279-285
Number of pages	7
Journal	European Journal of Political Economy
Volume	28
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2012.01.002
State	Published - Sep 2012

Keywords

Cave of the Patriarchs
Property rights

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Economics and Econometrics
Political Science and International Relations

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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2012.01.002

Cite this

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title = "Property rights and institutions in biblical society: The purchase of the Cave of the Patriarchs",

abstract = "A market economy and civil society require specification and certification of property rights. Where property rights are recognized, allowable transactions are also institutionally specified. In this paper we describe and analyze the earliest documented transfer of property rights to land, in Hebron in the 17th century BCE when Abraham purchased the Cave of the Patriarchs from Ephron the Hittite. We show how a property right perspective with institutional constraint on permissible transactions resolves the puzzles that have been previously noted in the bargaining between the buyer and seller.",

keywords = "Cave of the Patriarchs, Property rights",

author = "Jacob Rosenberg and Avi Weiss",

note = "Funding Information: We thank the editor and two anonymous referees for comments and ideas. Financial assistance from the Adar Foundation is gratefully acknowledged.",

year = "2012",

month = sep,

doi = "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2012.01.002",

language = "الإنجليزيّة",

volume = "28",

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journal = "European Journal of Political Economy",

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T1 - Property rights and institutions in biblical society

T2 - The purchase of the Cave of the Patriarchs

AU - Rosenberg, Jacob

AU - Weiss, Avi

N1 - Funding Information: We thank the editor and two anonymous referees for comments and ideas. Financial assistance from the Adar Foundation is gratefully acknowledged.

PY - 2012/9

Y1 - 2012/9

N2 - A market economy and civil society require specification and certification of property rights. Where property rights are recognized, allowable transactions are also institutionally specified. In this paper we describe and analyze the earliest documented transfer of property rights to land, in Hebron in the 17th century BCE when Abraham purchased the Cave of the Patriarchs from Ephron the Hittite. We show how a property right perspective with institutional constraint on permissible transactions resolves the puzzles that have been previously noted in the bargaining between the buyer and seller.

AB - A market economy and civil society require specification and certification of property rights. Where property rights are recognized, allowable transactions are also institutionally specified. In this paper we describe and analyze the earliest documented transfer of property rights to land, in Hebron in the 17th century BCE when Abraham purchased the Cave of the Patriarchs from Ephron the Hittite. We show how a property right perspective with institutional constraint on permissible transactions resolves the puzzles that have been previously noted in the bargaining between the buyer and seller.

KW - Cave of the Patriarchs

KW - Property rights

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U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2012.01.002

DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2012.01.002

M3 - مقالة

SN - 0176-2680

VL - 28

SP - 279

EP - 285

JO - European Journal of Political Economy

JF - European Journal of Political Economy

IS - 3

ER -

Property rights and institutions in biblical society: The purchase of the Cave of the Patriarchs

Abstract

Keywords

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Access to Document

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