Tithe

A tithe (from Old English teogoþa, 'tenth') is a tenth part of something paid as a contribution to a religious organisation or as a compulsory tax to government; historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural produce, while modern tithes are normally voluntary. Tithing was a widespread practice in the ancient Near East, and the Torah commands several agricultural tithes, among them the first tithe given to the Levites. The Third Council of Mâcon in 585 prescribed excommunication for those who did not pay. In Ireland the collection of tithes for the Anglican Church of Ireland was resisted in the Tithe War of 1831–36, and Spain abolished the tithe in 1841.