SPECIAL TOPIC: BOUNDARY MARKERS

In the ancient world villages farmed the land together (i.e., plowing, sowing, reaping). From a passerby's observation it looked like one big field. However, each family had its own field, which was marked by white stones. That family, though working the entire field with the village, received the produce of their land. If someone moved the stones, thereby giving themselves more land (i.e., produce), it was a crime against the whole community and YHWH, because He gave the land as an inheritance for each tribe and family (cf. Deut. 27:17; Prov. 22:28; 23:10; Hosea 5:10).

An example of this community farming concept is seen in "the parable of the soils" in Matt. 13:1-23; Mark 4:1-20.

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