The House of the Gods (Parts 1 - 5):

The core functions of a bank, including accepting deposits for safekeeping, issuing receipts (claims on wealth), and providing interest-bearing loans. 

The service of securely storing a community's wealth (like grain or silver) in a central, trusted location like the temple. 

The practice of loaning out stored assets to others (like merchants) and charging a fee (interest) for the use of those assets.

The practice of keeping careful records of assets to ensure the institution (the temple) remains solvent and can cover its obligations.

The fee charged for borrowing money or other assets, which was the logical return for the lender taking a risk.

The original amount of a loan, separate from any interest owed. 

The agreed-upon timeline and terms for paying back a loan.

The process where interest is added to the principal of a loan, so that from then on, interest is earned on the new, larger sum.

An obligation owed by one party to another.

The percentage of a loan charged as interest.

An asset (like land or even a family member) pledged by a borrower to a lender to secure a loan. 

Individuals or groups entrusted with managing the property or wealth of another. In this context, the priests acted as managers of the gods' earthly assets on behalf of the community.

A term for the temple's secure storehouses. Their safety was guaranteed not just by physical walls but also by the religious belief that they were under divine protection, making theft a grave sin.

The core belief and confidence in an institution, system, or promise that underpins all financial relationships.

A situation in which an individual or institution has competing duties or personal interests. The priests had a duty to manage the community's wealth but also had the power to use that position for their own benefit. 

An economic system where the government (the king's palace), rather than a religious institution, is the primary authority managing a nation's wealth and resources.

Storehouses for a king's wealth, kept separate from temple vaults and funded by sources like taxes and tribute.

Formal methods of collecting revenue managed by the government to fund its activities.

The management of a country's money, including how it collects revenue (taxes) and how it spends it (on public projects, defense, etc.).

The administrative body of officials and scribes who work for the government to manage state finances.

A uniform system of measurement enforced by the state to ensure fairness and efficiency in trade and tax collection. The shekel, a specific weight of silver, was a key example.

A legally binding written agreement that records the details of a transaction, making the promise enforceable.

The concept that the world's first writing system (cuneiform) was developed primarily for administrative and financial record-keeping. 

• World History Encyclopedia, article on "Sumerian Civilization."
• "Banking in Mesopotamia" by Cornelia Wunsch.
• "The Invention of the City" by Marc Van De Mieroop.
• The British Museum, "Cuneiform, an introduction."

• "Debt: The First 5,000 Years" by David Graeber.
• Michael Hudson, "The Mathematical Economics of Compound Interest." (Academic paper on the topic).
• World History Encyclopedia, article on "Mesopotamian Economy."
• "The Ancient Mesopotamian City" by Marc Van De Mieroop.

• "The Cambridge Economic History of the Greco-Roman World" edited by Walter Scheidel, Ian Morris, and Richard Saller.
• "Generosity and the Limits of Authority: The Power of Euergetism" by Arjan Zuiderhoek (for context on public trust).
• World History Encyclopedia, article on "Sumerian Religion."

• "The Ancient Mesopotamian City" by Marc Van De Mieroop.
• "A History of the Ancient Near East" by Marc Van De Mieroop.
• World History Encyclopedia, article on "Government in Mesopotamia."

• "Early Writing and Techniques of Economic Administration in the Ancient Near East" by J.N. Postgate.
• Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, "Visible Language: Inventions of Writing in the Ancient Middle East and Beyond."
• World History Encyclopedia, article on "Cuneiform."
• "A History of Interest Rates" by Sidney Homer and Richard Sylla.