The economic meaning of the Sabbath and a geometric model of debt

This paper explores the role of the Sabbath as an economic institution and its relationship with the concept of debt. The Sabbath's function is explored, both as a special day of abstinence from work, as well as a wider symbol of social liberation. The paper develops a geometric model that correlates the way the Sabbath commandment interacts with a law that institutes a de facto seven-year debt cycle. This shows that it is possible to use modern mathematics and economic concepts to model biblical laws that have economic content. It thereby shows a way to frame key biblical laws inside of a rational framework where they can be seen as a harmonic economic system that co-ordinates the real and financial sides of the economy. The key technical contribution of this paper is an application of Pythagoras' theorem to the modelling of the macroeconomics of debt.