History · 5 · Ahab and Jezebel

Standing armies created social hierarchy

Chariots, armor, and composite bows required professional soldiers who trained regularly. Paying them meant taxing everyone else.

Armies reshape whole societies.

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Taxes were paid in grain, wine, and oil, documented on receipts from Samaria. Building projects required conscripted labor and literate bureaucrats.

Source: Why the Bible Began, pp. 74–75

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