Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - [b-hebrew] virginity

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Shoshanna Walker <rosewalk AT concentric.net>
  • To: "b-hebrew" <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] virginity
  • Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2007 19:47:57 -0400

Everything you quote below still supports what I wrote earlier - that the issue is whether she misrepresented herself or not before she got "betrothed". The issue is not whether or not she slept with another man before she got "betrothed", but whether she deceived her husband or not ("bargain made in error"), and told him she had never had sex with another man when she did, and this was relevant re: whether she was entitled to her divorce settlement or not - in this case, from a man who had taken a disliking to her after marriage and was trying to get rid of her without having to pay the settlement. If she really did deceive him, it would be a good excuse to try to say that she was raped after she was betrothed, so an investigation has to be made.

Shoshanna





Shoshanna,

I considered the possibility that someone might argue "that SHE HAD COHABITED WITH ANOTHER MAN AFTER KIDDUSHIN." That's why I looked it up in the Mishnah before commenting. Note Ketuboth 1:6,

"He who marries a woman and did not find tokens of virginity- `she says, "After you betrothed me, I was raped, and your field has been flooded," `and he says, "Not so, but it was before I betrothed you, and my purchase was a bargain made in error"- `Rabban Gamaliel and R. Eliezer say, "She is believed." `R. Joshua says, "We do not depend on her testimony. But lo, she remains in the assumption of having had sexual relations before she was betrothed and of having deceived him, `"until she brings evidence to back up her [contrary] claim."



This passage makes it evident that this law was applied to any sexual relationship prior to the consummation with her husband.



I have to wonder if we are imposing modern standards on these passages. Edwin Yamauchi wrote an article entitled Cultural Aspects of Marriage in the Ancient World for Bibliotheca Sacra in 1978. He noted, "In the Jewish Talmud marriage was recommended for girls at the age of puberty, which would be at twelve or twelve and one-half (Yeb. 62b). Males were advised to marry between fourteen and eighteen. In Talmudic law a girl before the age of twelve and one-half could not refuse a marriage decided on by her father. After that age her assent was essential (Kidd. 2b). Sepulchral inscriptions of Jewish families buried in the catacombs at Rome give the actual ages of brides in six cases; two married at twelve, two at fifteen, one between fifteen and sixteen, and one between sixteen and seventeen."



I should hope that it was considered normal for these girls to enter marriage as virgins.



Sincerely,

Michael Abernathy
_______________________________________________
b-hebrew mailing list
b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-hebrew




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page