Social and Economic Life in Second Temple Judea by Samuel L. Adams

Author:Samuel L. Adams
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press

4

Taxation and the Role of the State

Taxation played a major role in the economy of the Second Temple period. Most persons had to participate in the system in one form or another, whether paying tithes to the temple and/or taxes to foreign rulers. Local and foreign officials demanded revenue from across the population to finance infrastructure and military needs and augment their wealth. The available evidence suggests that a succession of occupying forces developed intricate taxation measures, and they fostered local allies in the process. Taxes placed a hardship on many, including tenant farmers and those with small landholdings, since they had little collateral by which to protect themselves from difficult straits.

The present chapter will work chronologically, taking up taxation practices after the exile and the policies of different ruling entities. Our discussion will address foreign and local levies and their impact on the populace. A preliminary section on some of the common patterns in agrarian societies will assist us with exploring the tactics of various officials. Cross-cultural analysis demonstrates the frequency of onerous taxation by a foreign ruler in an agrarian economy, a tendency that is consistent across different cultural contexts in the ancient world (see below). While limited evidence precludes a comprehensive portrait of this topic, our inquiry will address key aspects of taxation and its effects. When examining the available sources, it becomes apparent that authorities at all levels relied on taxes to generate revenue and maintain order. Stratification persisted during this period, and taxation contributed to income inequality and in certain cases to social unrest. Various obstacles made it challenging for households to retain their land and freedom. The current discussion will underscore the role of taxes in fostering tenuous circumstances. We will also consider the ways in which the priestly class participated in the system. With no monarchy after the exile, priests, especially the office of high priest, played key leadership roles, and the Jerusalem temple became a locus of political and economic power.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.