For the source text click/tap here: Bava Batra 55
To download, click/tap here: PDF
All tax and civil laws that prevail in a country have legal force in Jewish court, since the country's citizenry voluntarily accepts upon itself to abide by the government's laws. Thus, a Jew who takes possession of property according to the provisions of local law is not guilty of theft even if the Torah law would consider the property belonging to another Jew.
This applies, however, only to the laws sanctioned by the constitution of the country but not when monarchy appropriates property by force.
We explore Taxation in Palestine under roman hegemony and how it affected Jewish Christian relations through the eyes of Hyam Maccoby.