6. The atonement day.  On the tenth of the seventh month Lev. xxiii. 27.

These two feasts would consume not less than sixty-five days not reckoned above.

Thus it appears that those who continued servants during the period between the jubilees, were by law released from their labor, TWENTY-THREE YEARS AND SIXTY-FOUR DAYS, OUT OF FIFTY YEARS, and those who remained a less time, in nearly the same proportion.  In this calculation, besides making a donation of all the fractions to the objector, we have left out those numerous local festivals to which frequent allusion is made, Judg. xxi. 19; 1 Sam. ix. 12. 22. etc., and the various family festivals, such as at the weaning of children; at marriages; at sheep shearings; at circumcisions; at the making of covenants, &c., to which reference is often made, as in 1 Sam, xx. 6. 28, 29.  Neither have we included the festivals instituted at a later period of the Jewish history—­the feast of Purim, Esth. ix. 28, 29; and of the Dedication, which lasted eight days.  John x. 22; 1 Mac. iv. 59.

Finally, the Mosaic system secured to servants, an amount of time which, if distributed, would be almost ONE HALF OF THE DAYS IN EACH YEAR.  Meanwhile, they were supported, and furnished with opportunities of instruction.  If this time were distributed over every day, the servants would have to themselves nearly one half of each day.

The service of those Strangers who were national servants or tributaries, was regulated upon the same benevolent principle, and secured to them TWO-THIRDS of the whole year.  “A month they were in Lebanon, and two months they were at home.” 1 Kings, v. 13-15.  Compared with 2 Chron. 11. 17-19, viii. 7-9; 1 Kings, ix 20. 22.  The regulations under which the inhabitants of Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth and Kirjath-jearim, (afterwards called Nethinims) performed service for the Israelites, must have secured to them nearly the whole of their time.  If, as is probable, they served in courses corresponding to those of their priests whom they assisted, they were in actual service less than one month annually.

IX.  THE SERVANT WAS PROTECTED BY LAW EQUALLY WITH THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY

Proof.—­“Judge righteously between every man and his brother and THE STRANGER THAT IS WITH HIM.”  “Ye shall not RESPECT PERSONS in judgment, but ye shall hear the SMALL as well as the great.”  Deut. i. 16, 19.  Also Lev. xix. 15. xxiv. 22.  “Ye shall have one manner of law as well for the STRANGER, as for one of your own country.”  So Num. xv. 29.  “Ye shall have ONE LAW for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel and for the STRANGER that sojourneth among them.”  Deut. xxvii. 19.  “Cursed be he that PERVERTETH THE JUDGMENT OF THE STRANGER."[A] Deut. xxvii. 19.

[Footnote A:  In a work entitled, “Instruction in the Mosaic Religion” by Professor Jholson, of the Jewish seminary at Frankfort-on-the-Main, translated into English by Rabbi Leeser, we find the following.—­Sec. 165.  “Question.  Does holy writ any where make a difference between the Israelite and the other who is no Israelite, in those laws and prohibitions which forbid us the committal of any thing against our fellow men?”