(b) In the Priestly Code (P). — In the legislation of Ezekiel, which forms the transition to P, thera is no law as to tithes. P exhibits a great advance on the earlier regulations. According to Nu 18" 'all the tithe in Israel' is given to the tribe of Levi ' for an inheritance.' The Levites are in their turn to give a tenth of this (' a tithe of tlie Mthe ')
TITLE ON CROSS
TITTLE
781
to the priests ('a heave-oU'ering to Aaron the priest,' >iu IS*"**). The origin of this is prohalily lo be souglit in an extension of the chanty titlie enjoined in Deuteronomy, which is now devoted to the Levites exchisively, and used for this purjiose, not once in three years, but every year. Lv 27*'- ^' ordains tliat, if the titho is redeemed, oneliftli of the value sliall be added. It is generally agreed that a titlie of cattle is not conteniplateil, but only of a'Ticultural produce. It is true that in Lv 27^-'' " cattle are included, and rules are given as to the selection, and to prevent any exchange. But this law stands by itself, it is not referred to in Neh liyn.is io« 135.13^ a,ui ig lirst mentioned 2 Ch 31»-». It is probably a later addition inserted between the time of Neheniiah and that of the Chronicler. Attempts have been made to reconcile the regula- tions of the Priestly Code with those of Deuter- onomy. It has been supposed that Deuteronomy refers to a second tithe distinct from that in P and to be levied on the nine-tenths remaining after the tithe to the Levites had been deducted. Against this the following considerations are decisive. No hint is given in Deuteronomy that such a second tithe is spoken of, nor can such an interpretation be fairly put on the passage, for a reference to the assumed lirst titlie would ha\e been neces-sary. Nor is it probable that a tax of nearlj' one-lifth of the whole produce should be iinpos^ed on the fanners. Nor is it credible that the Levites should participate in the secoml tithe because, like the poor and defenceless, they were dependent on charity, if they were in possession of a tithe already made over to them. And, lastly, the language of Nu IS-' ' unto the children of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance,' utterly excludes any tithe which was devoted, as the Dcuteronomic tithe, to otlur purposes. Here, a£ elsewhere, the explanation is that the regulations belong to ditlerent stages of legislation.
(c) In later Judaism. — Two tithes were levied — one for the Levites in accordance w ilh the law of P, the other to be consumed by the oH'ercr in accordance with that of D. The tithe was the most valuable part of the income of the Levites. The .Mislina laid down this rule: ' Everythin'' which may be used as food, and is cultivated and grows out of the earth, is liable to tithe ' {Mafiseroth I. 1). The Pharisees evinced their scrupulous adherence to the Law by oliering tithes of ' mint, anise, and cummin ' (Mt 23-^). The second tithe was of course consumed by the ofl'erer, and with it the tithe of cattle was usually reckoned, though Philo apparently includes it in the peniuisites of the priests. If the second tithe was converted into money, one-fifth of the value had to be added ; and the money could be spent only on food, drink, and ointment necessary for the sacrificial feast. The charity tithe ( or ' third tithe ') was levied for the poor every third year.
LiTKRATORB.— Nowack, Ueb. Arehdol. 11. 267-259 ; Wellhauscn, Pruhyoin. _pp. 15(i-l.'>8 ; Driver, DetU. pp. lUO-173 ; W. tt. Smith, VtSS^pp. 245-253 ; Schiirer, UJP 11. i. 231.
A. S. Peakk. TITLE ON CROSS.— It was customary in the Reman empire, when a criminal was going to execution, for a board (ciilled ffoWs), on which the ground of condemnation (airla, causa) was written, to be carried before him or hung round his neck — the inscription being known as titutus (Gr, tItXos). Instances of this custom will be found in Suet. Caluj. 32 — ' pncrcdcnCe litulo qui causam picnm indiiaret,' Domit. 10; Eusebius, HE v. 1 (see Swete, St. Mark, p. 359). All four evangelists mention that the custom was observed at the cruci- fixion of Jesus Christ, though they describe the title as attixed to the cross, without referring to its being carried on the way to Golgotha. They have
various styles of indicating it. As usual, St Mark's description is the fullest. He calls it ' the superscription of his accusation ' (^ {itiypaif>^ TTit airias airov, Mk 15-'') ; in the First Gospel it i.i ' his accusation ' (aiViai' avroO, Mt 27") ; and in the Third it is simi)ly ' a superscription ' {i-nypa'p^, Lk 23^). The Fourth Gospel calls it by the technical name (titXos), and states that it was wTitten in three languages — Hebrew {i.e. Aramaic, the lanOTiage of the Jews of Palestine), Latin (the official language), and Greek (the language cur- rent throughout the East), Jn 19'»- ^o. The four Gospels also vary in their statements of the words of the title, viz.: — Mk = 'Tlie king of the Jews' (4 /Soo-iXfis ruy