Tithing

[Acumen]

According to ancient Jewish practice, who were tithes paid to, and who was responsible for its distribution among the Levites?

[VLinvictus]

As best as can be reconstructed, there was originally one tithe, one tenth of the produce of the land, that was designated as "holy." In a seven-year cycle, the tithe of the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th years were eaten by the producer and his family in sacred festive meals. The tithe of the 3rd and 6th year would have been brought as a offering to the local shrine for the sustenance of the priests "attached" to it -- the "Levitical" priests.

Now, centralization of political power in the monarchy was matched by the centralization of religious power in the Jerusalem priesthood, of which the Aaronid dynasty eventually emerged as the sole "legitimate" priestly line, demoting the other Levites to acolyte status. The tithe, then, became a yearly tribute to the Levites and the people of each town and region would bring their tithes to the Levites in their area. The Levites themselves, then, were required to tithe 10% of what they received in this way to the Aaronid priests, based in Jerusalem. This is the tithe as described in the Priestly source (Lev 27; Num 18)

The Deuteronomistic source, which is some ways can be seen as a reaction against the Priestly source and thus promotes earlier traditions prior to the Priestly "reforms" has a different tithe system that follows the model I stated earlier: 10% of the produce (not livestock) in the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th years would be taken on pilgrimage to Jerusalem and eaten in festive meals there, the tithe in the 3rd and 6th years would be given to the poor in one's own towns (Deut 14).

The rabbis, as was their wont, harmonized these two versions into one system in 1/10 of the gross output was taken for the Levites (the Priestly version) then 1/10 of what was left was set aside as the "second tithe" for festive meals or the poor (the Deuteronomistic version).

Orthodox Jews in the Biblically defined borders of Israel still observe the separation of these tithed materials and then "redeem" all but the 1% that in the Priestly system would have gone to the Aaronids by the symbolic exchange of a coin with a Kohen, the coin and the irredeemable 1% are then destroyed or put beyond reuse.

[Acumen]

Vic,

Thanks for your answer.  Do you know what role the High Priest playing in the tithe distribution to the Levites?

[VLinvictus]

Vic,

Thanks for your answer.  Do you know what role the High Priest playing in the tithe distribution to the Levites?

I would say that the involvement of the High Priest in this process was minimal, limited to his general supervisory role.

In the Priestly code, 1/10 of the produce was to be tithed to the Levites and then the Levites were to tithe 1/10 to the priests at the Sanctuary. In reality, during the First Temple period, the tithe essenitally became a royal tax since the King took control of both the royal and Temple treasuries. Also, the role of the Levites in this scenario indicates a period before the centralization of worship and the ascendancy of the Aaronid priesthood: the point of tithing to the Levites was to support them and the local cultic shrines they were attached to; the Levites then would tithe to support the national Sanctuary. The Deuteronomic code reflects a period after the ascendancy of the Aaronids, the centralization of worship, and the demotion of the Levites was a fait accompli -- associated with the reform policies of King Josiah. There was then no more need to tithe to support the Levites because the Levites were no longer religious functionaries like they used to be; instead, they joined the ranks of the landless and destitute who were supported by the tithe of the 3rd and 6th years.

In the Second Temple period, the role of the Levites decreased even further. They appeared to serve as tax collectors in the provinces to whom the people would pay their tithes. The Levites were then responsible for bring them -- generally converted into cash -- to the Temple in Jerusalem. The priests were divided into 24 teams who served in the Temple for one week at a time in rotation and no doubt they picked up their share (together with all the other priestly prebends) at that time. The Levites, assuming full implementation of the law as formulated in the finalized Pentateuch post-Ezra, would receive their support from the common local storehouses which would be replenished in the 3rd and 6th years of each cycle.

[bunsinspace]

Vic,

Thanks for your answer.  Do you know what role the High Priest playing in the tithe distribution to the Levites?

BS"D

Pre-monarchical Priests did the ritual work and regular Levites handled the logistics as a rule of thumb.  The terumah tithe was the sole source of income for the pre-monarchical Priests who were not sanctioned to be engaged in non-Mishkan-ritual-related activities.  Here is a site that will briefly clarify the tithes in Torah:

http://www.plim.org/Tithing%20Pt%202.htm

Here are a couple of sites on the duties and perspective of the kohanim:

http://vesomsechel.blogspot.com/2006/08/shofetim-kohanim-in-strange-places.html
http://www.partnersintorah.org/parsha/tetzaveh.htm

And, finally, here is an illustration of the Torah concept of tithe in action in modern terms:

http://www.israelvisit.co.il/beged-ivri/shekel/ShekelUpdate10.htm

[VLinvictus]

It does not appear that there was any functional difference between "priests" and "Levites" in the period before the monarchy.

[bunsinspace]

It does not appear that there was any functional difference between "priests" and "Levites" in the period before the monarchy.

BS"D

You're right.  The person who manfactures the tent is not functionally any different than the one who buys it and sleeps in it.   

You're not serious, right?

[VLinvictus]

You're not serious, right?

Yes. I'm serious. Originally, there were mutliple sites of worship in addition to the national shrine and all Levites were priests -- they were the people "attached" to the local "high places." (bamot)

The establishment of the monarchy centralized political power and those Levites connected with the royal house gained greater influence over their fellows. With the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem and the suppression of the bamot, the Levites out in the provinces were demoted from priestly to acolyte status.

Then comes the Exile and the restoration, in which the returning kohanim significantly outnumbered the Levites -- and what did they bring with them but the brand-spanking-new Pentateuch redacted under the auspices of Ezra, a kohen.