How did tithe actually work, and can it be more creative?

It is all very well to say that the Old Testament tithing system was to support the Levites, but what did they actually do? What was tithe used for, and how was it "paid"? We have many more questions than answers in this conversation! Exploring how the biblical system might map across to contemporary tithing ends up with us pondering what tithe could look like in the future.