© Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2009 DOI: 10.1163/156852009X434373 Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient 52 (2009) 325-330 brill.nl/jesh Kloppenborg on Crop-Share Leases in Jewish Palestine Morris Silver* Keywords Palestine, agriculture, Jews, Hellenistic period Kloppenborg (K. 44, 48, 61) suggests that crop-share leases began to become popular in viticulture beginning in the third century BCE in Jew- ish Palestine in the Hellenistic period. 1 he aim of this communication is to correct a fundamental misconception in K’s discussion of the economics of crop-share leases. his misconception causes K to lose control over some rather interesting evidence. A consideration of the relevant economic the- ory is necessary and appropriate in a Journal whose central focus is eco- nomic history. After discussing the economic attractions of crop-share agreements I consider K’s argument that crop-share leases operate to max- imize the tenant’s labor input. For most/many small Palestinian farmers the uncertainties of producing for new wine export markets (K. 47, 61) would be a decisive consideration against independent farm operation. Sharecropping and wage labor were the realistic alternatives. A major feature of crop-share leases is a more even sharing of risk and reward between contracting parties. In what follows, I refer to the contracting parties as farmer (or tenant) and entrepreneur, not “landlord” because the latter contractors did not always own land. K appears to see the matter differently. He speaks of (not really) “free” smallholders being “forced” from their land (48, 60, 61) or as being “dis- possessed” (39). K presents no evidence of the use of force against small- holders. Indeed, by “force.” he has in mind standard market transactions, * ) Morris Silver, Professor Emeritus of Economics, City College of the City University of New York, msilver12@nyc.rr.com. 1) John S. Kloppenborg (2008). “he Growth and Impact of Agricultural Tenancy in Jew- ish Palestine (III BCE-I CE).” JESHO, 51, 31-66.