If we take old testament law further we would have to make other adjustments to make a fair comparison. First, only 1 out of 12 tribes (about 8% not productive) were the priestly class and this class was forbidden to own property. Contrast that with about 15% public sector jobs and governments holding vast amounts of land, real estate, pensions and other property.
That's an excellent point. Theoretically, if one took the Biblical "Division of Labor" between Public (priestly/courtly) functions and Private (everybody else) functions as being an exemplary standard of governance -- and have no less than 11 Tax-Producing Earners for every 1 Tax-Eating Administrator -- then that's another argument for tax rates no higher than about 9.1%. (i.e., if 11 people have $100 each, and you take $9.1 from each of them, you can afford to pay an administrator $100).
Nice argument. Thanks!!