In Egypt one-fifth was paid to the king, which was more than the first fruits and first and sec ond tithes put together. This quitrent God ap pointed to be paid to the Levites for their sub sistence, since their festive share in the second tithes can hardly be accounted part of their in come. They had, as a tribe of Israel, an original right to one-twelfth of the land, for which they received no other compensation than the tithes, subject to the sacerdotal decimation, their houses, and glebes. In return for these, they consecrated their time and talents to the service of the public.
(See LEV1TES.) The payment of tithes, etc., was re-established at the restoration of religion by Hezekiah (2 Chron. xxxi:5, 6, 12), and upon the return from the captivity by Nehemiah (x:37 ; xii :44; xiii :5) • The prophet Malachi reproves the people for their detention of the tithes, etc., for which they had brought a divine chastisement by famine upon themselves, and promises a restoration of plenty upon their amendment (iii :8-12; comp. Prov.
9, 10 Ecclus. xxxv :9).
In our Savior's time the Pharisees scrupulously paid their tithes, but neglected the weightier mat ters of the law. His comment on their conduct
conveys no censure on their punctiliousness on this point, but on their neglect of more impor tant duties. 'These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone' (Matt. xxiii:23; Luke xviii:12). In regard to payment of tithes to Melchizedec (Heb. vii :4, etc.), see Stuart, On the Hebrews; Professor Wilson, On the Priest hood of Christ. On the Jewish tithes, see Hot tinger, De decimis Judmorum, Lugdun. Batay. 1713; Michaelis. On the Laws of Moses, by A. Smith, Lond. 1814, vol. iii, pp. 141-146; and On the Heathen Tithes; Rose's Inscriptiones Gra.cce, Lond. 1825; p. 2t5 ; Neil, Bib. Arch.; Nordhausen, 1855. Ency. Brit. 9th edit. Speaker's Com. on Genesis, Numbers, Leviticus and Dent.
J. F. D.
TITLE (tiTI), (Gr. re.aos, tit'ios, John xix:19), Title (tiTI), (Gr. re.aos, tit'ios, John xix:19), the inscription of the crime, for which men were punished, publicly displayed, as, for example, on the cross of such as were crucified.