In Ancient Egypt, some people paid their taxes in honey.
Ancient Egyptians Paid Their Taxes in Honey
Imagine filing your taxes with jars of honey instead of a check. In Ancient Egypt, this wasn't just possible—it was common practice. Honey was so valuable that it served as a form of currency, accepted by tax collectors and treasured by pharaohs.
The evidence is literally carved in stone. In the tomb of Rekhmira, a high-ranking official during the 18th Dynasty, wall paintings depict him receiving taxes in various forms—including honey. These aren't just decorative scenes; they're historical records of how the Egyptian tax system actually worked.
Why Honey Was Liquid Gold
Ancient Egyptians weren't wrong to value honey so highly. Unlike today, where you can grab a bear-shaped bottle at any grocery store, honey production was labor-intensive and relatively rare. Egypt's arid climate made beekeeping challenging, which drove up honey's value considerably.
But its worth went beyond scarcity. Honey had practical applications that made it indispensable:
- Medicine: Used to treat wounds and infections (it has natural antibacterial properties)
- Food preservation: A natural preservative for meats and fruits
- Religious offerings: Given to gods in temple ceremonies
- Beauty products: An ingredient in cosmetics and skin treatments
The Pharaoh's Sweet Revenue
Tax collection in honey wasn't limited to peasants offering up their modest harvests. When Pharaoh Thutmose III conquered Syrian territories, the defeated people paid tribute in honey. Multiple pharaohs even taxed honey production specifically to supply their priests with this precious substance for religious rituals.
Workers could receive honey as wages. Tax collectors accepted it as payment. In essence, honey functioned as money—storable, valuable, divisible, and universally desired. It was one of ancient Egypt's most reliable forms of wealth.
A Sweet System
The practice reveals something fascinating about ancient economies: currency doesn't have to be coins or paper. It just needs to be something everyone agrees has value. For the Ancient Egyptians, that was honey—a commodity useful enough to eat, valuable enough to hoard, and stable enough to build a tax system around.
So the next time you drizzle honey on your toast, remember: you're enjoying something that was once considered government revenue.