Tithing, Church Tax, or Donation? interview. What is tithe? What is tithe in the Middle Ages

DESYATINA

an old Russian land measure used before the introduction of the metric system. D. is equal to 2,400 sq. soot. (usually 80 x 30 or 60 x 40 fathoms) = 12/11 (exactly 1.093) ha.

Agricultural dictionary reference. - Moscow - Leningrad: State publishing house of collective and state farm literature "Selkhozgiz". Editor-in-chief: A. I. Geister. 1934 .

See what "TIRES" is in other dictionaries:

TIRES, land measure equal to 2400 sq. fathoms (1.09 hectares, the so-called state-owned D.). In the 18th and early 19th centuries. used was also a proprietary, or economic, D., equal to 3200 sq. fathoms (1.45 ha). Church D., which made up a tenth of the harvest, or ... ... Russian history

The main Russian homeometric measure of area, equal to 2,400 square fathoms (1.09 hectares, the so-called government). In the 18th beginning. 19th century used tithe owner (economic), equal to 3200 square fathoms (1.45 hectares) ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Desyatinnik Dictionary of Russian synonyms. tithe n., number of synonyms: 3 tithe (1) measure ... Synonym dictionary

- (lat. decima) a tenth of the harvest (or other income), collected from the population in favor of the clergy and temples. In Russia it was installed in the 10th century, finally liquidated in Russia at the end of the 19th century ... Legal Dictionary

TIRES, tithes, wives. 1. The Russian unit of land area before the introduction of the metric system of measures, equal to 2,400 fathoms2, or 1,092 hectares. 2. In Catholic countries, a tax in favor of the church in the amount of one tenth of the income (history :). (initial ... ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

DESYATINA, s, wives. An old Russian measure of land area equal to 2400 sq. fathoms or 1.09 hectares. | adj. tithe, oh, oh. Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 ... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

Church tenth of the harvest and other income collected by the church during the early feudal period Raizberg BA, Lozovsky L.Sh., Starodubtseva EB .. Modern economic dictionary. 2nd ed., Rev. M .: INFRA M. 479 p. 1999 ... Economic Dictionary

DESYATINA- 1) ecclesiastical D., a tenth of the income collected by the church from the population. In Russia, the book was installed. Vladimir Svyaty soon after the Baptism of Rus and was originally intended for the Kiev Tithe Church, and then acquired character ... ... Legal encyclopedia

Tithe- (Maaser) A custom that existed even before the receipt of the Torah, to give a priest or for holy purposes a tenth of the harvest and offspring of livestock. For example, Abraham gave D. Malki to Zedek; Jacob made a vow: Of all that you give me, I will dedicate tithe to you. ... ... Encyclopedia of Judaism

Tithing: Tithing is a unit of area in Russia before 1918, equal to 1.0925 hectares. Church tithe is a tax in favor of the church (a tenth of the income given by the recipient for church needs). Tithing place in the Totem district ... ... Wikipedia

Or the tenth part (Gen. 14:20) is the kind of gift known to the Hebrews long before the time of Moses. This offering, which was a gift to God, consisted of a tenth of the produce of the land, flocks, etc. and went in favor of the Levites, who did not have land portions and therefore ... ... Bible. Old and New Testaments. Synodal translation. Bible encyclopedia of arch. Nicephorus.

Books

• Vohon tithe. sixth edition. , V. Kholmogorov. Historical materials about churches and villages XVI - XVIII centuries. Moscow district. Reproduced in the original author's spelling of the 1888 edition (publishing house "Moscow. University ...
• Mozhaisk tithe. Issue 10, V. Kholmogorov. Historical materials for the compilation of church chronicles of the Moscow diocese. About churches and villages XVI-XVIII centuries. The book is a reprinted edition of 1901 (publishing house ...

The issue of donations to the Church is very acute in society today. Many argue that this is a rule of years gone by, some argue about the inexpediency of spending in the Church, but what does the Church itself, the Holy Bible and the Lord himself say about this?

The History of Tithing in the Bible

The meaning of the word "tithe" is very simple - it means a tenth of something; in the church context, it means a donation that is given to the church in the amount of 10 of the total income, i.e. if a person made a profit of 1000 rubles per month, then he must donate 100 rubles of them in the church.

In ancient times, tithes were given to the needs of the temple and priests

This practice was first introduced in the Hebrew community after the exit of the Jewish people from Egypt, when Moses wrote down God's commands for the formation of the society. At the same time, the tithe was of three types:

• natural - it was given to the temple in the form of products that were collected from the field or in the form of offspring of livestock;
• personal - donations were given from income received from labor or craft;
• mixed - a combination of the first two types.

The ancient tithe of the Jews was the aggregate of all their income and totaled 19%, and not 10%, as everyone is used to thinking. The people had a special system of donations, since they were allocated for the maintenance of the Levites - special temple ministers who could not, by law, own any property or craft, so they could not earn their living and were supported by the whole people.

The second part was donated for the temple and holidays, and the third was given to the poor. Thus, the Jews fully covered the needs of the Levites and priests, maintained the temple, and took care of the poor (orphans, widows, and the sick).

In the 14th chapter of Deuteronomy, the Lord through Moses promises the Jews that those who will tithe will receive abundant blessings from above. The entire book of Deuteronomy describes to the Jews the laws that the Lord gives them and wants them to fulfill.

Tithing is mentioned in chapters 12, 14, 18 and 23 of this book, although Abraham was the first to give tithes - he donated part of his booty from the nations he defeated. You can also read about the offerings of the Old Testament in the books of Numbers and in the book of the prophet Malachi, when God asks the Jews why the House of God is in desolation?

Interesting! Tithing in the Old Testament was an integral part of the law that was observed by the Jews. They donated not only finances, but also food, while money could replace natural products.

Due to the strict observance of this commandment, the main temple in Jerusalem was kept, the Levites devoted themselves only to serving God (this was one full-fledged tribe of the people) and the poor and the poor were kept among the people.

What Jesus Said About Giving

Jesus Christ became a sacrifice for all people and today it is enough for a person to recognize Him as their Savior in order to be saved, i.e. people do not need to strictly follow the Hebrew law and observe all the commandments from the Tanakh (this is not the 10 commandments, but about more than 600, which are written in the law of Israel).

Jesus denounces the Pharisees and reminds of love for God and neighbor

This applies to circumcision, kosher food, the Sabbath and other important rules of the Jews. But this does not mean that He completely abolished the law: “Do not think that I came to violate the law or the prophets: I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17).

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus, referring to the Pharisees, says: "Woe to you ... that you give tithes from ... all vegetables, and neglect the judgment and love of God: this should have been done, and not forsaken." Thus, He draws the attention of the priests to the fact that they strictly obeyed the law of sacrifice, but at the same time forgot about love for God and neighbor.

His words “to do this and not to forsake that” show us the attitude of the Lord himself to tithing - it should be given, but at the same time remember about faith and love, about mercy. A person who sacrifices, but at the same time hates his neighbor, does not seek to correct his path - he is a hypocrite and no one will benefit from his money.

Tithing in the New Testament

The death and resurrection of Christ abolished the ritual commandments and leveled their value - if before the uncircumcised could not hope for salvation, now repentance of sins, recognition of the Death of Christ and the desire to live a righteous life is enough. Today, the Christian decides for himself how much to donate and to whom to send alms. But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't sacrifice.

The New Testament describes many cases when the Church accepted donations, in the 2nd chapter of Acts it is described how people “sold estates and all property, and shared it with everyone, depending on the need of each”, i.e. people not only donated 10% of the entire estate, but sold it completely and gave it to the needs of the Church.

Donations have been made in church services since apostolic times

It is worth explaining that God does not require such radicalism from a person, He only wants people to understand that everything is given to us from the Lord and that we should take care of the Church and our neighbor in the same way that the Father cares for us. People who sold their houses did it on their own, no one forced them to do it.

Important! The Apostle Luke in the book of Acts wanted to show that donations have moved to a new level - they have become voluntary and unlimited. Christians can donate both everything they have and a small part, as long as it is from a pure heart.

Is it obligatory to pay church tithes?

The Apostle Paul repeatedly writes that the church of one city donates to the needs of another (2 Corinth. 8-9 chap., 1 Tim. 6 chap.) From its generous heart. Nowhere in the New Testament is it indicated that giving is a "commitment" and that without it a person is not saved.

Christ, and later His apostles, strive to convey to a person that today it is important to sacrifice according to the heart, and not out of compulsion. But the Church will not be able to support herself and the poor if people stop giving to the church and giving alms.

A Poor Widow's Donation

The key passages in Scripture about tithing are Jesus' words in Matt. 23 chapter "Do this and do not leave that", where the Lord clearly shows that it is necessary to sacrifice, but at the same time do not forget about love and mercy to your neighbor.

Also, the words of the Apostle Paul, which complement the covenant of Christ, are also important:

“Each one give according to the disposition of his heart, not with grief or compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver ”(2 Cor. 9: 7).

Only a sacrifice from a pure heart can be beneficial for the giver and the receiver, although initially many donate more out of debt than out of love, as a person's spiritual growth, almsgiving becomes a voluntary action. The person of the New Testament, who calls Christ the Savior, sacrifices out of love for God and neighbor, voluntarily.

Tithing in the Russian Orthodox Church

Ancient documents confirm that tithes were also given in Russia for the needs of the Church. Examples for the people were given primarily by princes and nobles, so Prince Vladimir built the Tithe Church for 10 of all his income, while regularly allocating funds for its maintenance (hence the name).

A person who donates in the temple provides alms to all the people

For some time, only princes and their entourage brought donations from income to the temple, with their funds churches were built and maintained, monasteries were founded and icons were painted. The common people gave donations mainly in natural products, and the nobility donated finances.

There was even a special position in the hierarchy of the Orthodox Church - a decimal or tenth priest (after the Stoglav Cathedral), whose main task was to collect donations. In the 18th century, these positions were abolished, but donations also remained a necessity. Today, in the states that were part of the USSR, there is no such thing as a tax on the church, although in many European countries it is.

Important! All donations given to the temple are strictly voluntary, although the priests encourage donations.

Thanks to these funds, priests can support parishes - finances are given for the construction of temples, the production of candles and church utensils, caring for the poor and orphans, and helping the sick and old. The person who donates in the temple helps to carry out alms to all the people.

Opinion of the priests

Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin claims that it is the duty of every Orthodox Christian to bear financial responsibility for the church and the parish.

After all, everyone wants to come to a warm illuminated church, listen to the priest surrounded by icons and frescoes, and no one wants to count how much finances are spent on maintaining the church and the parish. Everyone pays attention to jewelry, and no one thinks about how much finance is needed so that the parish can take care of the beggars and orphans.

Protodeacon Andrei Kuraev also speaks of the need for sacrifice of parishioners, but at the same time points out the importance of restoring parish communities so that Christians know which parish they belong to, attend meetings and be able to know the affairs and needs of the community.

After all, churches carry out tremendous educational, charitable and educational work, but do Christians who attend only Sunday services know about this?

Church tithe. Priest Andrey Alekseev

The tithe was the measure of a piece of land in the form of a rectangular parallelogram with two variants of its sides:

• 80 and 30 fathoms - "thirty";
• 60 and 40 fathoms - "forty".

They gave it the name "treasury tithe" and made it the main Russian measure of the land.

Interpretation of this concept

Tithing is a Russian unit of measurement in ancient times in relation to land area, which was equated to 2,400 square fathoms (about 1.09 hectares) and was used in Russia before the introduction of a special metric system.

It is also worth giving a definition to the term "fathom" - a Russian measure of length, which is determined by the average size of the human body. So, for example, a small fathom - from the shoulder to the floor, and oblique - from the inside of the foot of the left leg to the top of the toes of the raised right hand.

Facts from history regarding this concept

It is known that at the end of the 15th century, the land area was usually measured in two quarters. The tithe of the earth was such a geometric figure as a square with sides equal to 1 / 10th of a mile (2500 sq. Fathoms). In accordance with the land-surveying instructions dated 1753, its size was equal to 2400 square fathoms (1.0925 ha).

Typology of the Old Russian land measure

During the late 18th - early 20th centuries. tithing was also used, the area of ​​which was represented by such varieties as:

1. Oblique - 80 by 40 fathoms (3200 squares).
2. Round - 60 by 60 fathoms (3600 squares).
3. Centennial - 100 by 100 fathoms (10,000 squares).
4. Melons - 80 by 10 fathoms (800 squares), etc.

Then, at the end of the October Revolution, due to the transition to the metric system, according to the decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR dated September 14, 1918, the tithe measure was limited in use, and from September 1, 1927 it was prohibited at all.

Together with it, other common units of measurement remained in the past:

• vershok (0.045 m);
• arshin (0.71 m);
• verst (1.06 km);
• fathom (2.13 m).

It is worth recalling once again that a tithe of land was equal to 1.09 hectares in our units of measurement.

Another aspect of the use of the concept in question

Tithing in Ancient Rus is also a kind of tax levied in favor of the clergy, authorities, or religious community. To collect it, there was even a special official at the bishops' cathedrals - a decimal.

In that era, tithes were also small districts in dioceses, which were administered by the above officials, and then by the priest's elders. In addition to them, in these districts after ten priests appear, carrying out some of the duties of the above official. They were chosen in Moscow at the beginning of the 18th century.

Origin of the term in question

It is not out of place to remind once again that the tithe in Ancient Russia - which the Russians paid to the horde in the era of the Tatar-Mongol yoke. The management system in those days was represented by such positions as the ten's manager, the centurion's manager, the thousand's manager, the prince. And in this form, it has existed for more than one hundred years. As it has already become clear, in this system there is a single-root word - foreman. This is not an accidental moment.

This word means an elective position, that is, one candidate is selected out of ten well-known to each other, for example, peasants. This person was busy settling various kinds of issues within this community and represented its interests within the village, hundreds, etc. He was assisted by the rest of the community members - peasants.

This support was both physical in nature - working off additional time on the farm of the foreman, and a kind of material - the transfer of part of his harvest. Thus, 1 tithe was equal to 10% of either the working time or the harvested crop. This was a so-called contribution made by each member of the community, except the foreman himself, to the common cause.

Material form of tithe

It could be fruits, and grain, and vegetables, and wine, and later animals, which were regarded as a product of the earth. The tribute in question has never played the role of money, since it is written in the law of Moses that it belongs to the Lord from all the products of the earth. The money was used exclusively to buy it in the city and never acted as a substitute equivalent.

Tithing was a tribute in the form of animals and gifts of the earth. Nowhere in the scriptures is it indicated that these might be bills or bank checks that must be placed on a church tray every week, as is the case in modern church institutions at their respective cathedrals.

Tithing: how much

It is known that according to the biblical texts Israel was commanded to give tithes for seven years. It has been subdivided into three types. According to the Old Testament, the first tithe was given to the priests and Levites in the amount of 10 - 100% of the total of the products of the earth during the first six-year cycle.

The second - was given on holidays and made up 10 - 90% of the remainder after the tithe was transferred to the Levites. She was eaten before the face of the Lord. This tithe was awarded only for the first, second, fourth, and fifth year. The third - was given to the poor in the amount of 10 - 90%. The type of tribute in question was postponed exclusively for the third and sixth years. None of its species were transferred to the seventh (Sabbath) year.

Answer the question: "Tithing is how much?" - in the modern aspect, even the clergy themselves find it difficult.

History of tithing in Christianity

For the first time they heard about this concept from the Old Testament. This mention was made in the context of the fact that all the gifts of the Earth belong to the Lord, and the retention of even the smallest part of it was regarded as an act of theft from God. Not a single believer even thought of not paying tithing.

In the era of the Old Testament, there was no temple or church, which is why Noah, Abel and other believers donated tithes directly in the open air. It was allowed, if desired, for each person to erect a personal altar, where it was possible to bring tribute to God.

However, after a while, the Lord chose the people and specific people to carry out divine services and the procedure for collecting tithes. Everyone, without exception, brought it during the period of Moses' wandering three times during the year.

Thus, tithing is a kind of help to the temple, which consists in maintaining its activities and ministry, which acted as a salary for the priests, as well as their assistants, who preach both in homes and in the temple.

Such rituals were carried out before the coming of Jesus Christ and his crucifixion at Calvary. This kind of sacrifice was followed by the destruction of the temple at Calvarius, and some Christians interpreted this as the abolition of tithing. However, you can see that no one canceled it. Even in the absence of temples, tithes still continued to be given, because it was a necessary means for the worldly existence of both clergy and religion in general. It has become not so much a means of ensuring life as a kind of symbol of faith and obedience.

Tithes were collected for priests and apostles who broadcast their sermons both in Jerusalem and around the world. To confirm the words of Jesus regarding the continued existence of the laws on its collection, contained in the texts of the Old Testament, the adherents of Christianity cite an example from his speech: "I came not to break, but to fulfill."

The meaning of the number 10 in Christianity

It expresses a kind of perfection in relation to the divine order and is the third number in the sacred chain - 3, 7, 10. The number "ten" indicates the absence of lack, that the full cycle is complete. And the tribute in question expresses exactly as much as necessary.

The following points in sacred history, marked by the number 10, can be emphasized, namely:

1. The end of the era of antiquity by Noah took place in the X century (Gen. 5).

2. Ten fundamental sacred commandments in Christianity.

3. The Lord's prayer consists of ten main points.

4. In the role of tithing, it was represented what a person should give to God.

5. The redemption of the soul was expressed in 10 ger. (0.5 shekels).

6. The cycle of God's judgment on Egypt was represented by ten plagues (Ex. 9:14).

7. The authority of the Antichrist meant 10 kingdoms, expressed by the ten horns of the fourth beast and the ten toes of the image of Nebuchadnezzar. There were ten nations that Abraham would have to possess according to the promise.

8. 10 curtains covered the tabernacle (Ex. 26: 1).

9. Fire from heaven came down exactly 10 times.

10. The ten virgins express the fullness of those who are called: the faithful and the unfaithful.

Thus, this number was not chosen by the Lord by chance, since, once again it is worth recalling, this is the third number associated with perfection.

Afterword

Summarizing all of the above, we can distinguish three main definitions of the term under consideration, in particular:

1. The church tithe was a tenth of the total income, which was collected by church institutions from the population. In Ancient Russia, it was established by Prince Vladimir Svyaty after the great and is intended for Kiev and later acquired the color of a widespread tax levied by the relevant religious organizations, except for monasteries.

2. The tithe was served by the church district in Russia, a certain part of the diocese until the beginning of the 18th century. At the head was a person holding a special position - the foreman. From the beginning of 1551, its functions were partially transferred to the tenth priests and priest's elders.

3. A tithe of land is an old Russian measure of the area of ​​a land plot. Since the end of the 15th century, it was originally calculated in two quarters and had the form of a square, the sides of which were equal to 0.1 versts (2500 sq. Fathoms). Subsequently, according to the land-surveying instruction dated 1753, the land in question was equated to 2,400 square fathoms (1.0925 ha).

As for the modern perception of this biblical law regarding tithing, each believer decides for himself whether he should pay the above tribute or not and in what amount.

The noun tithe appeared in the Russian language several centuries ago. During its existence, it has acquired several meanings, and some of them are no longer relevant today. However, this is not a reason to forget them - after all, this is part of history. Let's find out what this word once meant and how it is interpreted today.

Tithing as a unit

Before the Revolution of 1917, every inhabitant of Tsarist Russia knew that tithe was a unit for measuring land area.

This measure arose and was actively used in the days of Kievan Rus. True, in that historical period it did not yet have a precisely defined size. The most common type of tithe in Ancient Russia is a square with a side length of 50 fathoms (another obsolete unit of measurement equal to 2.16 m). Its total area was equal to one tenth of a square mile. From here, by the way, the name "tithe" arose.

It is worth noting that there were several types of them. At the same time, the most common was the so-called treasury tithe, which appeared in the official documentation. It was she who was the most frequently used land measure in the Russian Empire until its decline.

At the same time, the treasury tithe was a different figure. Not a square piece of land, but a rectangular one. It was called, depending on the length of its smaller side - "thirty" (at a size of 80 and 30 fathoms) or "forty" (60 and 40 fathoms).

The history of tithes in Russia and in Tsarist Russia

The first written mentions of this unit of measurement date back to the XIV century. But, given the number of wars throughout the territory of Russia, accompanied by fires in which documents perished, historians believe that tithe as a measure began to be actively used earlier.

As mentioned above, for several centuries this unit did not have an exact size, and therefore differed in different historical epochs. Because of this, in different periods, the amount of territory that belongs to this or that person, recorded in the documents, could change. This naturally caused numerous controversies and redistributions.

To solve this problem, the state tithe was introduced already in 1753 (this is 2400 square fathoms). It was she, along with the economic scythe, the master's round, centesimal and melons, was actively used until the introduction of the metric system. This event took place after the October Revolution in September 1918.

By the way, despite such a change, the tithe continued to play the role of a unit of measurement for another nine years, until in 1927 a categorical ban on its use was imposed.

The tithe of the earth is how much in modern units of measure

This measure has long been outdated, but mention of it can often be found in the literature. Moreover, these are not only works of classics written several centuries ago, but also some modern historical novels. In this regard, their readers are often interested in knowing the answer to the question: how much land tithe is in hundreds, hectares, or even square meters? Indeed, in this way they can better imagine the size of the territory in which the action of the work takes place.

In the works of the XVIII-XIX centuries, as a rule, we are talking about the state unit, and it is equal to 10,925 m2. If we translate this into hundreds, the tithe will be 109.25 are, or 1.0925 hectares. As for other species, in addition to the state one, the round economic one is most often mentioned. In size, it exceeds the economic slant and is equal to 3600 square fathoms. Knowing this, you can calculate: how many hundred square meters (ar) is a round household tithe? The correct answer would be 163.881.

By the way, conversion from units of the metric system can be done using almost any online calculator of measures and quantities. Usually it indicates the treasury tithe of the land. But there are also more advanced programs of this kind, in which hectares and hundred square meters can be converted into some other type of this measure. Most often - in the household round. So, if you have the time and desire, you can try.

Another way to interpret the word

In addition to the name of the unit of measurement, the described noun was used in the administrative-territorial division of the Patriarchal Region in the Russian Empire in the 17th-18th centuries. At that time, tithe was a unit of measurement for ecclesiastical administrative districts into which the diocese was divided. The head of each of them was called a "decimal". At the end of the XIX century. this name was changed to the term "deanery".

"Tithe" as a toponym

The studied word also became the name of some settlements that are part of the Russian Federation and Ukraine. In Russia, it is a small town in the Vologda region and a village in the Novgorod region. On the territory of Ukraine, this is the name of a village located in the western part of the country - in the Volyn region.

Religious Meaning of Tithing

The term under study has another way of interpretation, and in this sense it continues to be actively used to this day. This is the name of the tax in favor of the church, equal to a tenth of the income of each of the parishioners.

Most often, this file is typical for Christian denominations, as well as Judaism. It is interesting that in different periods of history, the attitude towards her was different. At one time, the collection of tithes was carried out by the state, and this tax was mandatory. In other periods, the payment of this tax became voluntary.

The History of Tithing

It is believed that the emergence of the tradition to donate to the needs of the temple a tenth of what was acquired is associated with the name of the legendary Abraham. According to legend, after the Lord gave the man victory over his numerous enemies, in gratitude he donated a tenth of all the spoils to the Jerusalem high priest Melchizedek. Later, a similar tradition became popular among the descendants of Abraham.

Tithing among the Jews

Tithing became a mandatory tax for any Jew in the time of Moses. After the liberation from Egyptian slavery, the descendants of Abraham were faced with the need not only to create a new independent state, but also a system of laws according to which its citizens would live. The Bible says that the Jews did not have to come up with laws and regulations. Indeed, during their stay in the wilderness, the Almighty himself bestowed upon them the Law, according to which they had to live and believe. It is in this that tithe first becomes a mandatory tax.

In the case of the Jewish people, the existence of such a tax was entirely justified. The fact is that one of the tribes of Israel (the Levites) took over the functions of the clergy. So that they could fully fulfill their duties related to serving God and not be distracted, the other eleven tribes took upon themselves the responsibility of maintaining them (the Levites were the only ones who did not have their own land). For this purpose, tithes were collected.

In turn, each of the priests also gave one tenth of the money, food or goods received for the needs of the chief of them - the high priest. It is worth noting that the funds received in this way were spent by the Levites not only for their own needs, but also for charity, supporting widows and orphans.

Tithing in Christianity

With the emergence of Christianity, many Jewish traditions were laid in its foundation, among them the aforementioned tax. Initially, it was optional, and you could pay at your own discretion. But there were always not very many people willing to donate. Moreover, before the formation of Christianity as the dominant religion of the Roman Empire, most of the persons professing it were not rich.

When all the citizens of Rome voluntarily and forcibly became Christians, the rich did not hurry to part with a tenth of their property. To encourage them, in 567 AD. NS. at the Cathedral of Tours, it was decided to present tithing as an optional tax. At the same time, emphasizing that paying it testifies to the true faith of the parishioner.

However, such an attempt to put pressure on conscience did not have the expected effect, since the owners of huge fortunes are often deprived of it. Therefore, most of them still continued to refuse to pay the filing or did it extremely irregularly. Thus, the new law affected only the poor parishioners who had tried to pay tithing before. After this failure in 585, at the Council of Macon, this tax was declared compulsory, and those who did not pay it were excommunicated.

A little more than two hundred years later, Charlemagne went even further and imposed criminal penalties on all non-payers, depending on their maliciousness. At the same time, the king also put forward a number of requirements for the clergy. In particular, they were allowed to spend on themselves only one third of the money received, the second part went to the construction and maintenance of church buildings, and the third was to be spent on charity.

Unfortunately, of Charlemagne's brilliant idea (to use tithing for good deeds, not just to meet the growing needs of the clergy), only the obligation to pay it soon remained. Moreover, in future years, the church began to demand not only part of the income from agriculture (as it was originally), but also from all other activities. It got to the point that even prostitutes were forced to bring tithes to the temple, not forgetting to reproach them for the unworthiness of the craft.

In the next few centuries, real battles took place over the division of the collected tithes. So, not only the Pope demanded the lion's share of all money for the maintenance of his court, but also many European monarchs. At the same time, the common people, merchants, chivalry and less noble nobility were not delighted with the growing number of parasites. Therefore, with the beginning of the Reformation era, most European countries gradually began to abolish this mandatory tax and other religious extortions. For most Christian denominations, tithe is not a mandatory tax at this time. However, many of them returned to the principle of the Council of Tours in 567.

Church tithe

With the adoption of Christianity in Kievan Rus, as well as in other states, the mentioned tax was introduced. However, unlike European countries, all its burden fell on the prince's shoulders. In other words, after the ruler collected tithes on the lands of his subjects, it was he who paid this tax. Moreover, from their own income as well.

Ottoman tithes

A similar tax was used not only among Jews and Christians, but also in some Muslim countries.

So, during the Ottoman Empire, the inhabitants of the conquered Bulgaria were forced to pay tithes. True, it did not go to the needs of the clergy, but to the Turkish feudal lords. Unlike Europeans, the Ottomans at least honestly told citizens who and where their money was going, and not hiding behind the name of God to carry out extortions.

"Tithe" today is ambiguous. Originally goes back to Hebrew; ancient Greek; Latin: decima, which in religious traditions (Judaism, Christianity, etc.) means a ten percent donation to the community.
Tithing is rooted in ancient times, before the time of Moses, dates back to the time of Abraham, and then it became a rule (canon) in the Torah, as stated in the Bible (Old Testament, Torah, Book of Deuteronomy 12:17; 14: 22-23).
The Tanach says that the Jews knew tithe for a very long time: the tithe begins from the moment when Abraham gave a tenth of his spoil, which he received from the four kings whom Melchizedek defeated, the high priest. The tithe included lands, herds, and it went to the Levites, who did not have their own land, for the benefit, was for them a source of existence.
The Levites, in turn, deducted a tenth part to the high priest. Instead of tithing in kind, it was possible to pay tithing in money (replacement with money).
In Western Europe, tithing was originally a voluntary offering: it is a tenth of the income to a church parish, but over time the church introduced a rule on compulsory tithes: in 567 the Cathedral of Tours invited believers to pay tithes, and in 585 the Macon Council was already ordered under the threat of excommunication. tithes to the church. Since 779, during the time of Charlemagne, this was turned into a duty imposed by state law on everyone under the intimidation of criminal punishment (for the Saxons - the death penalty). Charlemagne was ordered to divide the tithe into three parts: for pilgrims, the poor and strangers, for the clergy, for the construction and decoration of temples.
Over time, the clergy increased the burden of the tithe tax, which was initially demanded from agriculture; tithes began to be demanded from all profitable occupations, even immoral ones (from the 12th century, Pope Alexander III). At the same time, the church itself increasingly shied away from proper tithing assignments. Relying on the support and protection of the feudal lords, abbots and bishops often infested tithes (gave them to the fiefs) to the seigneurs-neighbors, which determined a peculiar side of feudalism in the church. The strengthening of royal power forced the clergy to share with the kings, then they began to demand part of the tithe in their favor to the pope. All this led to the situation when tithe became the subject of contradictions between certain categories of society in the Middle Ages (especially Poland).
The era deprived the Catholic Church in a significant part of the Protestant countries of income and possessions, which fell into the hands of the secular authorities and the nobility. The so-called secularization process has dealt a serious blow to the church tithe.
Tithing survived in England, despite an attempt to abolish it during the 17th century revolution. Tithing continued to exist in the Catholic states. In France, the period of the abolition of tithes began in 1789, the revolution finally destroyed it, the clergy began to be supported at the expense of the state, and due to this, the value of land property rose by one tenth. Then the tithe was abolished in Germany (and its other states), in Switzerland.
In Russia, tithe existed in the form of a tax. At first it was introduced in some principalities, and was only a tax on the income of the prince, but not on the entire population. Some time later, the districts began to be called tithes, - the diocese was divided into them (now - deaneries).
In such districts, the officials who were appointed for the leadership by the bishops were called decals - collecting tribute from monasteries and parishes in favor of the bishop's house was part of their duties. After the Stoglavy Cathedral, in addition to the decimal, there appeared the decimal priests, who were transferred to part of the decimal duties. In Moscow, they were elected back in the 18th century. They were called customers, protopopes, deans.