And being *forced* to give someone 10 percent of your income IS a horror. This first royally enslaved generation of Israelis did so by choice, but not their descendants. The same could almost be said concerning Americans adopting their Constitution; the "founding" generation chose to be subjected to it but their children never did.

Three kings later, the Israelites in northern Israel seceded from their kingdom over King Solomon's oppressive taxation, but made the mistake of setting up their own kings instead of restoring the ancient liberties they had....