Temples, Tithes, and Taxes: The Temple and the Economic Life of Ancient IsraelThe temple in Jerusalem was both the center of ancient Israel's religious life and also an economic center for the nation. In this groundbreaking study of the economic functions of the Jerusalem temple, Marty E. Stevens, who worked for fifteen years as a certified public accountant prior to getting a PhD in Old Testament, demonstrates that the temple acted as the central bank, internal revenue collector, source of loans, and even debt collector for ancient Israel. Applying a broad knowledge of temple-systems throughout the ancient Near East, Stevens sheds light on the roles played by various officials mentioned in Scripture and their tasks within the temple complex. Neither "Big Brother" nor "big business," the temple still served government and commerce in the course of conducting its religious functions. This fascinating book opens new avenues for understanding the Jerusalem temple and its impact on Israelite society. |
Contents
| 1 | |
TEMPLE CONSTRUCTION | 28 |
TEMPLE PERSONNEL | 64 |
TEMPLE INCOME | 82 |
TEMPLE EXPENSES | 121 |
TEMPLE AS BANK | 136 |
CONCLUDING MATTERS | 167 |
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY | 175 |
| 199 | |
| 205 | |
Other editions - View all
Temples, Tithes, and Taxes: The Temple and the Economic Life of Ancient Israel Marty E. Stevens No preview available - 2006 |
Common terms and phrases
Achaemenid Achaemenid dynasty agricultural Akkadian altar animals assets Assyrian Babylon Babylonian barley biblical texts chapter collateral collection commodities creditor crown cult cultic Cyrus Darius debt deity deposited Deut divine document Eanna temple Ebabbar Temple economic Egypt Empire exiles Exod Ezra gate gaters gold grain Greek Haggai Hebrew holy house of YHWH income interest iškaru Israel/Judah Israelite Jerusalem temple Josephus Judah king king’s kingdom land leasing lending Levites logogram Mesopotamia Mesopotamian temple millennium Moses Nabonidus narrative NBAD Nehemiah Neo-Babylonian offerings officials paid palace payments Persian Empire Persian Period person Pierre Briant prebends priests production prophet RCAE rebuilding reign rituals role royal sacred sÆpÇr Šamaš sanctuary Second Temple shekels Sheshbazzar shrine Sippar Solomon specifically taxation taxes temple administration temple archives temple economy temple in Jerusalem temple personnel temple storehouses temple’s term tion tithe trade translation treasury tribute Uruk vessels wilderness tabernacle word worship Yahwistic Zerubbabel