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so, what's new ? the Vatican have been at it themselves. Banco Ambrosiano anyone ?

keep to the Fen Causeway
by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Wed Jun 25th, 2008 at 03:53:07 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Are god and mammon one and the same? And isn't our Anglo disease simply 3rd millennium Mammon ?

You can't be me, I'm taken
by Sven Triloqvist on Wed Jun 25th, 2008 at 04:32:54 AM EST
[ Parent ]
The Medici made a nice living from it five hundred years ago.

It's odd that anyone would think managing Vatican finances would require priestly vestments rather than a suit, tie and mobile, but I suppose people are strange like that.

by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Wed Jun 25th, 2008 at 06:14:20 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Did I not read somewhere that the Knights Templar invented banking?

You can't be me, I'm taken
by Sven Triloqvist on Wed Jun 25th, 2008 at 06:48:09 AM EST
[ Parent ]
The Babylonians invented banking. And Ptolemaic Egypt had an advanced gyro-based banking system built around grain storage.

When the capital development of a country becomes a by-product of the activities of a casino, the job is likely to be ill-done. — John M. Keynes
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Wed Jun 25th, 2008 at 06:51:10 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Yes. All authors who speak of the Templars say that. Actually, the bill of exchange: an individual who was going to make a trip left his properties to the Templars. These gave a kind of promissory note and took care properties. The traveler could ask for money to the Templars of different places. If the traveler returned, accounts were made.

When Procrustes looks after you, you're sure to fit in.
by PerCLupi on Wed Jun 25th, 2008 at 07:07:55 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Like I said, Hellenistic Egypt had that already (source).

That the templars introduced the concept to Christendom... I can't dispute that.

When the capital development of a country becomes a by-product of the activities of a casino, the job is likely to be ill-done. — John M. Keynes

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Wed Jun 25th, 2008 at 07:16:37 AM EST
[ Parent ]
And that system was taken from the Islamic method still functioning today in which mosques operated a kind of early Western Union service.

You can't be me, I'm taken
by Sven Triloqvist on Wed Jun 25th, 2008 at 08:49:17 AM EST
[ Parent ]
And the Islamic Empire probably got the idea from taking over the Byzantine Empire's infrastructure in the Eastern Mediterranean.

When the capital development of a country becomes a by-product of the activities of a casino, the job is likely to be ill-done. — John M. Keynes
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Wed Jun 25th, 2008 at 08:55:09 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Interesting.

You can't be me, I'm taken
by Sven Triloqvist on Wed Jun 25th, 2008 at 09:16:40 AM EST
[ Parent ]
They also took over the Sassanid Persian Empire.

When the capital development of a country becomes a by-product of the activities of a casino, the job is likely to be ill-done. — John M. Keynes
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Wed Jun 25th, 2008 at 09:30:36 AM EST
[ Parent ]
An excellent read - thanks!

It also offers a rich picture of history leading up to the emergence of Islam.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Wed Jun 25th, 2008 at 10:01:25 AM EST
[ Parent ]

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