ABSTRACT
Our knowledge of the landowning system of the Hellenistic period is clouded because of the scattered and sparse evidence that has come down to us. Additionally, the changing political conditions, varied ethnic and religious communities, and different types of topography make an accurate description of the landownership system throughout all Palestine very difficult. To illustrate this point by example, consider that ethnically, parts of Palestine were Jewish, others belonged to other Semitic peoples such as the Idumeans and the Itureans. Did all these peoples have the same methods of land distribution? How did the Phoenician coastal cities organize their lands? Was it in the same manner as the inland cities such as Beth-Shean or Samaria? Did the change from Persian to Hellenistic political forms also change the landholding forms in these places? In order not to over-extend our limits we will attempt to deal principally with the landownership system of the Jewish-controlled areas. We will of course examine evidence from the gentile-controlled regions of Palestine when that evidence seems to be useful. Furthermore, as our discussion progresses chronologically through the Hellenistic period we will see that the geographical extent of the Jewish-controlled area increases with the expansion of the Hasmonean state.
