Notes on Priests, Temples, and Ancient Economies

Priests are generally expected to exhibit restraint, particularly in sexual and marital behavior.
The common expectation is that priests should abstain from sexual activity and marriage, leading to the expectation of having no children.
This expectation contrasts with some denominations, like Episcopalians, where priests can marry and have children.
Historically, clerical celibacy wasn't always the norm, with priests and priestesses often having families.

Priestly roles were often hereditary, with knowledge and practices passed down through families.
Priests needed support, which often came from tithes.
Tithes, especially the non-sacrificed portions, sustained the priests.
Priests were not typically builders; temple repairs were often managed by exchanging tithes for the services of builders.

Temples often housed a significant amount of goods due to tithes.
Temples functioned as currency exchanges.
Currency exchange is the process of exchanging one nation's currency for another due to differing monetary systems.
The best way to perform a currency exchange is typically through a bank, as they offer the most direct equivalent without aiming for profit.
Currency exchange shops, especially in airports or foreign countries, often charge high commissions (e.g., 25%).
In temples, people could exchange goods, like eggs for wheat, with priests facilitating the exchange, especially if the temple staff could use the offered goods.
Priests had to keep track of the goods' worth, which changed daily.

Many ancient professions demanded strong memory skills.
Merchants needed to know the worth of their goods, trade routes, and contract terms, especially when traveling abroad.
Priests had to remember the value and quantity of goods stored in the temple.
Tax collectors and government officials also relied heavily on memory.
Kings needed to remember alliances, enemies, reasons for conflict, and how to judge cases consistently.
Inconsistency or incompetence in governance could lead to instability.

Archaeological layers in early settlements reveal artifacts that were initially hard to interpret.
Stratigraphy, the study of archaeological layers, helps establish relative dating.
Foreign goods found in these layers, especially those from societies with writing, aid in dating.
Around 3800 BCE, archaeologists unearthed crudely made, small clay figurines, including miniature bowls, spears, wheat, cows, fish, and sheep.
The purpose of these figurines was initially unknown.

One theory was that they were currency, but this was unsupported by their distribution.
Another explanation was that they were toys, but several factors argue against this:
- They weren't found in every house, even those likely to have children.
- They were poorly made, suggesting they weren't valuable toys.
- Most importantly, they were made of unfired clay.
- Unfired clay is not safe for children, who often put toys in their mouths, as the clay would dissolve and could be a choking hazard.
The figurines are unlikely to be votive offerings.