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Sources like Exodus 12:48,49 lead me to believe, that righteous converts/ proselytes(ger tzedek) became full-fledged citizens and members of the nation of Israel.

On the other hand, I know that the land of ancient Israel was divided according to the ancestral affiliation. Moreover, land could not be sold indefinitely (Lev. 25:23) and jubilee years often reverted the purchases to the original owners.

My question is - how do proselytes fit into this land-allocation system if they did not have any ancestors from any of the tribes? Did they formally join one of the tribes after the conversion and thus were assigned a share of land? Was it possible for a proselyte to obtain land that would be inherited by his family during the following generations - that means obtaining the land not in a way that would revert the ownership to the original owner, native Israelite during jubilee year?

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    Your assumption is unfortunately wrong. The Gerim didn't get a part of the land and the Midrash says that was the reason that Yitro went back to Midyan, after realizing he won't get a piece of the promised land (his descendants got land in Jericho though).
    – Al Berko
    Apr 4, 2019 at 20:35
  • That brings us to the question I asked (need to search) whether the whole land was divided with no "white areas" or everyone got a square mile but there was plenty of land available without the need of inheriting.
    – Al Berko
    Apr 4, 2019 at 20:37
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    @Al He didn't assume anything about where converts lived. That's exactly what he's asking.
    – DonielF
    Apr 4, 2019 at 20:39
  • @DonielF Do you mean - could they rent it? Sure why not. Own - no. So what's the question?
    – Al Berko
    Apr 4, 2019 at 20:41
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    @filox Welcome aboard. See this link for the answer to your questions. judaism.stackexchange.com/a/66975/7303
    – Yaacov Deane
    Apr 4, 2019 at 20:52

1 Answer 1

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Ma'aser Sheini 5:14 says clearly that converts do not get a portion in the land.

מִכָּאן אָמְרוּ, יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמַמְזֵרִים מִתְוַדִּים, אֲבָל לֹא גֵרִים וְלֹא עֲבָדִים מְשֻׁחְרָרִים, שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם חֵלֶק בָּאָרֶץ.

From here they said, Jews and Mamzers admit, but not converts, nor freed slaves, for they do not have a portion in the land.

(Admission in this context refers to saying a passage from Deuteronomy 26 which refers to various gifts which one must take from his property. "From here" refers to the verse "and bless Your nation Israel and the land which you have given to us," which is said as a part of this procedure.)

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  • See bikkurim 1.4
    – kouty
    Apr 4, 2019 at 22:18
  • @kouty Is a support for what I'm saying, no?
    – DonielF
    Apr 4, 2019 at 22:46

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