CONFISCATION. The seizure of private property for the public’s or governmental use. Confiscation is not treated in the Mosaic law but its practice in Israel began with the rise of the monarchy. Samuel predicted that with the institution of the monarchy the king had the privilege of confiscating private property for his and his subordinates’ use (1 Sam 8:14-16). Before he became king, Saul’s family property was small (9:1ff.; 11:5) but during his reign he was able to distribute land to his officers (22:7) and at his death he left much property (2 Sam 9:7-10; cf. BT: Yoma 22b). It seems that some laws were later introduced regarding a king’s right to confiscate private property as seen in the stories of Naboth (1 Kings 21:15, 16; cf. BT: Sanh 48b) and of the Shunammite (2 Kings 4:12, 25, 36). It was not until after the Exile that property could be confiscated for disobeying the laws of God and of the king (Ezra 7:26; 10:8). During the Rom. domination there was the confiscation of property by Herod (Jos. Antiq. XVII. 307) and Rom. authorities (ibid. XVII. 345; War ii. III; Antiq. xviii. 253-255). Roland de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 2nd ed. (1965), 124-126.