TRIBUTE (on mas, from masas, fo melt' or liquefy ;' Gr. 06pos), a tax which one prince or state agrees, or is compelled, to pay to another, as the purcbase of peace, or in token of dependence.
The Hebrews acknowledged no other sovereign than God ; and in Exod. xxx. 12, 15, we find they were required to pay tribute unto the Lord, to give an offering of half a shekel to make an atonement for their souls.' The native kings and judges of the Hebrews did not exact tribute. Solomon, indeed, at the beginning of his reign levied tribute from the Canaanites and others who remained in the land and were not of Israel, and compelled them to hard servitude (1 Kings ix. 21-23 ; 2 Chron. viii. 9) ; but the children of Israel were ex.
empted from that impost, and employed in the more honourable departments and offices of his kingdom. Towards the end of his reign, however, he appears to have imposed tribute upon the Jews also, and to have compelled them to work upon the public buildings (r Kings v. 13, 14 ; ix. 15 ; xi. 27). This had the effect of gradually alienating their minds, and of producing that discontent which afterwards resulted in open revolt under Jeroboam, son of Nebat. Thy father made our yoke grievous,' said the Israelites tozRehoboam ; now, therefore, make thou the grievous service of thy father and his heavy yoke which he put upon us lighter, and vve will serve thee' (1 Kings xii. 4).
The Israelites were at various times subjected to heavy taxes and tributes by their foreign conquerors. After Juda was reduced to a Roman province, a new poll of the people and an estimate of their substance were taken by command of Augustus, in order that he might more correctly regulate the tribute to be exacted (Joseph. "Mag. xvii. 1).
This was a capitation-tax levied at so much a-head, and imposed upon all males from 14, and all females from 12 up to 65 years of age (Ulpian, Digest. de Censib. lib. iii. ; Fischer, De Numistn. Census).
To oppose the levying of this tribute Judas the Gaulonite raised an insurrection of the Jews, as serting that it was not lawful to pay tribute to a foreigner, that it was a token of servitude, and that the Jews were not allowed to acknowledge any for their master who did not worship the Lord. They boasted of being a free nation, and of never having been in bondage to any man (John viii. 33). These sentiments were extensively promulgated, but all their efforts were of no avail in restraining or mitigating the exactions of their conquerors.
The Pharisees who sought to entangle Jesus in his talk, sent unto him demanding whether it was lawful to give tribute unto Cxsar or not ; but knowing their wicked designs he replied, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites ? Render unto Cxsar the things which are Cmsar's, and unto God the things that are God's.' The apostles Peter and Paul severally recom mended submission to the ruling powers, and in culcated the duty of paying tribute, tribute to whom tribute is due ' (Rom. xiii. 1-8 ; I Peter ii. 13).—G. M. B.