among the Jews, denotes every fiftieth year; being that following the revolution of seven weeks of years; at which time all the slaves were made free, and all lands reverted to their ancient owners. The jubilees were not regarded after the Babylonish captivity. —The word, according to some authors, comes from the Hebrew, jobel, which signifies fifty: but this must be a mistake, for the Hebrew יובל, jobel, does not signify fifty; neither do its letters, taken as cyphers, or according to their numerical powers, make that number; being 10, 6, 2, and 30, that is, 48. —Others say, that jobel signifies a ram, and that the jubilee was thus called, because proclaimed with a ram's horn, in memory of the ram that appeared to Abraham in the thicket. Maius chooses to derive the word from Jubal, the first inventor of musical instruments, which for that reason, were called by his name; whence the words jobel and jubilee came to signify the year of deliverance and remission, because proclaimed with the sound of one of those instruments which at first was not more than the horn of a ram. Others derive jobel from יובל, jabol in hiphil יובל, hobil, which signifies to recall or return; because this year restored all slaves to their liberty, &c. The institution of this festival is in Lev. xxv, 8, 17.

The learned are divided about the year of jubilee; some maintaining that it was every forty-ninth, and others that it was every fiftieth, year. The ground of the former opinion is chiefly this, that the forty-ninth year being of course a sabbatical year, if the jubilee had been kept on the fiftieth, the land must have had two sabbaths, or have lain fallow two years, which, without a miracle, would have produced a dearth. On the other hand, it is alleged, that the Scripture expressly declares for the fiftieth year, Lev. xxv, 10, 11. And besides, if the jubilee and sabbatical year had been the same, there would have been no need of a prohibition to sow, reap, &c. because this kind of labour was prohibited by the law of the sabbatical year, Lev. xxv, 4, 5. The authors of the Universal History, book i. chap. 7. note R, endeavour to reconcile these opinions, by observing, that as the jubilee began in the first month of the civil year, which was the seventh of the ecclesiastical, it might be said to be either the forty-ninth or fiftieth, according as one or other of these computations was followed. The political design of the law of the jubilee was to prevent the too great oppressions of the poor, as well as their being liable to perpetual slavery. By this means a kind of equality was preserved through all the families of Israel, and the distinction of tribes was also preserved, that they might be able, when there was occasion, on the jubilee-year, to prove their right to the inheritance of their ancestors. It served also, like the Olympiads of the Greeks, and the Lustra of the Romans, for the readier computation of time. The jubilee has also been supposed to be typical of the gospel state and dispensation, described by Isaiah, lxi. ver. 1, 2. in reference to this period, as the "acceptable year of the Lord."

a more modern sense, denotes a grand church solemnity or ceremony, celebrated at Rome, wherein the pope grants a plenary indulgence to all sinners; at least to as many as visit the churches of St Peter and St Paul at Rome.

The jubilee was first established by Boniface VII, in 1300, in favour of those who should go ad limina apostolorum; and it was only to return every hundred years. But the first celebration brought in such store of wealth to Rome, that the Germans called this the golden year; which occasioned Clement VI, in 1343, to reduce the period of the jubilee to fifty years. Urban VI, in 1389, appointed it to be held every thirty-five years, that being the age of our Saviour; and Paul II. and Sixtus IV, in 1475, brought it down to every twenty-five, that every person might have the benefit of it once in his life. Boniface IX. granted the privilege of holding jubilees to several princes and monasteries: for instance, to the monks of Canterbury, who had a jubilee every fifty years; when people flocked from all parts to visit the tomb of Thomas à Becket. Jubilees are now become more frequent, and the pope grants them as often as the church or himself have occasion for them. There is usually one at the inauguration of a new pope. To be entitled to the privileges of the jubilee, the bull enjoins fastings, alms, and prayers. It gives the priests a full power to absolve in all cases, even those otherwise referred to the pope; to make commutations of vows, &c., in which it differs from a plenary indulgence. During the time of jubilee, all other indulgences are suspended.

One of our kings, viz. Edward III. caused his birth day to be observed in manner of a jubilee, when he became: became fifty years of age, in 1362, but never before or after. This he did by releasing prisoners, pardoning all offences except treason, making good laws, and granting many privileges to the people.

There are particular jubilees in certain cities, when several of their feasts fall on the same day; at Puy en Velay, for instance, when the feast of the Annunciation happens on Good-Friday; and at Lyons when the feast of St John Baptist concurs with the feast of Corpus Christi.

In 1649, the Jesuits celebrated a solemn jubilee at Rome; that being the centenary or hundredth year from their institution; and the same ceremony was observed in all their houses throughout the world.