ABSTRACT
A key to survival in the Hebrew Bible is the rejection of the idea of permanent ownership. Territory is needed for self-defence, but the earth belongs to the Creator: there is no freehold property, and ideally no basis for conflict and bloodshed over territory; and in a sense there can be no exile. All living things are of value through their divine origin, to be revered, nurtured, and protected. As the natural world exists for all and cannot be owned by individuals, so also with Scripture itself: the original Hebrew has no copyright, only translations do. The story of Adam and Eve in Eden teaches the limits of possession and mortality, for they were from the start temporary tenants, not owners.
