Study Avodah Zarah folio 53B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
In any of these cases, if the owners will return in the future, as was the case in the war of Joshua when he conquered Eretz Yisrael, then the status of the object of idol worship is not revoked.
The Talmud comments: And it is necessary for the baraita to state all of these cases. As, had the baraita taught only the case where the non-Jew borrowed money against the object of idol worship, one would say that in that case the non-Jew did not revoke its status, as he did not sell it, and he di
And had the baraita taught only the case where a rockslide fell on the idol, one would say that in that case its status is not revoked because the owner thinks to himself: The idol lies under the rocks safely; whenever I want it, I shall take it, and he feels no need to clear the rockslide immediat
And had the baraita taught only the case where robbers stole the idol, one would say that in that case its status is not revoked because the owner thinks to himself: If a non-Jew took it, he will worship it. If a Jew took it, since it is of great monetary value, he will sell it to a non-Jew and the
The baraita states: If the owners will return in the future, as was the case in the war of Joshua when he conquered Eretz Yisrael, then the status of the object of idol worship is not revoked. The Talmud asks: Is it so, that after the war of Joshua the non-Jews returned home? They were defeated and