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:When you have finished tithing all the tithes of your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give them to the Levite, the stranger, the orphan, and the widow, so that they can eat to satiety in your cities. ({{Bibleverse|Deuteronomy|26:12|JP}})
The early rabbis, the [[Tannaim]] and [[Amoraim]], understood these texts as describing two separate tithes: the [[first tithe]] (Hebrew: {{Hebrew|מעשר ראשון}} ''ma'aser rishon'') to be given to the Levites and the [[second tithe]] (Hebrew: {{Hebrew|מעשר שני}} ''ma'aser sheni'') in [[Leviticus]] {{Bibleverse-nb|lev|27:30|JP}} to be kept by its owner and to be eaten in Jerusalem, except in the third and sixth years of the sabbatical cycle, when instead of separating the second tithe, the poor tithe (''ma'sar ani'') was separated and given to the poor.<ref>David Instone-Brewer ''Traditions of the Rabbis from the Era of the New Testament'' Page 321 2004 "The rabbis understood these texts as describing two separate tithes: the first tithe (''maaser rishon'') which was for the Levites and the second tithe (''maaser sheni'') which was for eating in Jerusalem except every third year when it became the poor tithe (''maaser ani''). The passage in Leviticus 27 is traditionally interpreted as referring to second tithe because it speaks about redeeming the tithed produce, which was necessary only for second tithe."</ref> The medieval commentator [[Rashi]] also interprets Deuteronomy 26:12 as referring to the third year, when the first tithe was given to the Levite and the poor tithe was given to "the stranger, the orphan, and the widow".<ref>{{cite wikisource/interim|author=Rashi|title=Commentary on Deuteronomy 26:12|wslink=קטע:רש"י על דברים כו יב|wslanguage=he}}</ref>
== In the Works of Flavius Josephus ==
In the writings of Jewish historian [[Flavius Josephus]], as referenced in the [[Antiquities of the Jews]], book IV chapter 8, Josephus refers to the first, second, and [[third tithe]]. The third tithe was to be brought to the [[Levites]], every third and sixth year of the seven year Sabbath cycle. The distribution of which to be given to those in need or want, especially widow women and orphan children.<ref>{{cite wikisource/interim|last=Josephus|first=Flavius|title=Antiquities of the Jews|wslink=The Antiquities of the Jews/Book IV}}</ref>
== In the Talmud ==
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