JUAN Fernandez, an island in the great South sea, in S. Lat. 33° 40' and W. Long. 78° 30' from London. It was formerly a place of resort for the buccaneers who annoyed the western coast of the Spanish continent. They were led to resort hither from the multitude of goats which it nourished; to deprive their enemies of which advantage, the Spaniards transported a considerable number of dogs, which increasing greatly, have almost extirpated the goats, who now only find security among the steep mountains in the northern parts, which are inaccessible to their pursuers. There are instances of two men living, at different times, alone on this island for many years; the one a Musquito Indian; the other Alexander Selkirk, a Scotchman, who was, after five years, taken on board an English ship, which touched here in 1710, and brought back to Europe. From the history of this recluse, Daniel Defoe is said to have conceived the idea of writing the Adventures of Robinson Crusoe. This island was very propitious to the remains of Commodore Anson's squadron in 1741, after having been buffeted with tempests, and debilitated by an inveterate scurvy, during a three months passage round Cape Horn: they continued here three months; during which time the dying crews, who on their arrival could scarcely with one united effort heave the anchor, were restored to perfect health. Captain Carteret, in the Swallow, in 1767, having met with many difficulties and impediments in his passage into the South sea, by the straits of Magellanes, attempted to make this island in order to recruit the health of his men; but he found it fortified by the Spaniards, and therefore chose rather to proceed to the island of Masafuero. But M. de Bougainville that same year is said to have touched here for refreshments, although in the narrative of the voyage the fact is cautiously suppressed. This island is not quite 15 miles long and about six broad; its only safe harbour is on the north side. It is said to have plenty of excellent water, and to abound with a great variety of excellent vegetables highly antiscorbutic; besides which, Commodore Anson sowed a variety of garden-seeds, and planted the stones of plums, apricots, and peaches, which he was many years afterwards informed had thriven greatly; and now doubtless furnish a very valuable addition to the natural productions of this spot. Vast shoals of fish of various various kinds frequent this coast, particularly cod of a prodigious size. There are but few birds here, and those few are of species well known and common.

Juan Blanco, or White Jack, a Spanish name for platinum. See Platina, Chemistry Index.

Juba, a king of Numidia and Mauritania. He had succeeded his father Hiempsal, and he favoured the cause of Pompey against Julius Caesar. He defeated Curio whom Caesar had sent to Africa, and after the battle of Pharsalia he joined his forces to those of Scipio. He was conquered in a battle at Thapsus, and totally abandoned by his subjects. He killed himself with Petreius, who had shared his good fortune and his adversity, in the year of Rome 727. His kingdom became a Roman province, of which Sallust was the first governor.

Juba II, son of the former, was led among the captives to Rome to adorn the triumph of Cæsar. His captivity was the source of the greatest honours, and his application to study procured him more glory than he would have obtained from the inheritance of a kingdom. He gained the hearts of the Romans by the courteousness of his manners, and Augustus rewarded his fidelity by giving him in marriage Cleopatra the daughter of Antony, and conferring upon him the title of king, and making him master of all the territories which his father once possessed, in the year of Rome 723. His popularity was so great, that the Mauritanians rewarded his benevolence by making him one of their gods. The Athenians raised him a statue, and the Ethiopians worshipped him as a deity. Juba wrote an history of Rome in Greek, which is often quoted and commended by the ancients. Of it only few fragments remain. He also wrote on the history of Arabia, and the antiquities of Assyria, chiefly collected from Berosus. Besides these, he composed some treatises upon the drama, Roman antiquities, the nature of animals, painting, grammar, &c., now lost.

Jubilee, 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 Babylonian 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. Masius 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, jobel in hiphil יובל, jobel, 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."

Jubilee, in 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 1302, 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 reserved 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 1640, 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.