In the dead sea scrolls, the book of Melchezidek to be exact, the remittances of sins is directly tied to the jubilee year, when all debts were forgiven.
And concerning what Scripture says, "In this year of Jubilee you shall return, everyone f you, to your property" (Lev. 25;13) And what is also written; "And this is the manner of the remission; every creditor shall remit the claim that is held against a neighbor, not exacting it of a neighbor who is a member of the community, because God's remission has been proclaimed" (Deut.15;2) the interpretation is that it applies to the Last Days and concerns the captives, just as Isaiah said: "To proclaim the Jubilee to the captives" (Isa. 61;1) (...) just as (...) and from the inheritance of Melchizedek, for (... Melchizedek) , who will return them to what is rightfully theirs. He will proclaim to them the Jubilee, thereby releasing them from the debt of all their sins. He shall proclaim this decree in the first week of the jubilee period that follows nine jubilee periods
.
Then the "Day of Atonement" shall follow after the tenth jubilee period, when he shall atone for all the Sons of Light, and the people who are predestined to Melchizedek. (...) upon them (...) For this is the time decreed for the "Year of Melchizedek`s favor", and by his might he will judge God's holy ones and so establish a righteous kingdom, as it is written about him in the Songs of David ; "A godlike being has taken his place in the council of God; in the midst of divine beings he holds judgement"
These verses are from The Book of Melchezidek and Canberra found
here.
I never understood the concept of the atonement,growing up. How could someone be punished for someone else's sins? If Tommy next door screwed up, should I get spanked? How can guilt, sin, remorse be transferred like a "solve for x" algebra problem? Moreover, why would God be fine with the wrong person being punished? If sin is a personal failing, then it shouldn't transfer. I understand the compassion and kindness in stories where someone screws up and another takes the blame for them, but this literary trope requires that the punisher not know the facts on the ground, so he punishes the wrong person. This should not come into play with God. Us mere humans should not be able to deceive him successfully, or he needs to get his omniscience meter checked.
In the book of Melchezidek, sin is explicitly treated like debt through use of the linking metaphor of the Jubilee Year, it seems to me, which then is extended just that much farther and we have atonement. I imagine the progression went like this: In the Jubilee year, you forgive everyone's physical debts against you. Sins are like debts (this is what I could never grasp) and so can be forgiven by anyone who will pay the price (the verb "forgiven" works for both sins and debts in English; there must be a similar Hebrew word). Somebody else pays those debts down, and voila! you're sin-free. I'd rather have a jubilee year.
