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MARRIAGE
MARRIAGE
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2. Betrothal. — This was a binding transaction declaring the fact of prospective nianiage, and specifying the terms agreed upon by the contract- ing parties, that is, by those acting on their be- half. Altliough in both families the intention of marriage might have been decidetl ujwn hy the parents from the infancy of their children, yet the formality of betrothal was not proceeded with until marriage could be regarded as a i>ossibilitj" in the near future. On the one hand, it was un- desirable to make gifts or pay an instalment in a compact that might never be implemented by marriage, and, on the other hand, it was equally undesirable to dedicate a daughter to one who might not live to undertake her supi>ort, and thus cause her to be regarded as a widow. During a prolonged interval the man might move to another part of the land or fail to carry out the betrotlial stipul.ations, and then the intended bride would requue to get a writing of divorce or separation before she could be betrothed or married to another. Wliile tlie act of betrothal by the pre- sence of witnesses and the assemblage of friends had the importance of a ceremonial function, yet the spirit of bargaining was generally so keenl}- aioused, and the process of compromise so pro- tracted and complex, that tlie situation scarcely admitted of immediate marriage rejoicings. Be- sides, it frequently happened that an interval of time was needed in order that the bridegroom might render the stipulated service, or acquire the sum of money agreed upon as the present to be given to tlie father and brothers of the bride. Thus there Avas usually an interval of a year or two. or it miglit l)e of several years, between the betrothal and tlie celebration of marriage.
3. Ceremony of marriage. — As a welcome sequel following in due time upon the discussion and settlement of tlie marriage portion and similar matters, the wedding itself was always an occasion of joj'ful festivity and congratulation, (a) Place. — While in ancient times the marriage doubtless took place occasionally in the home of the bride, 3'et the fact that the bridegroom came to claim one who had become his by the fulfilment of assigned conditions, and further, the widespread tradition of forcible opposition to her removal from her people, jwint to tlie gieater frequency of marriage in tlie house of the bridegioom's parents. Thither the bride was conducted by a company of friends, carrying also her personal outfit and house- hold belongings. If her people were of the peasant class, and she was merely passing to a neigh- bouring village, she would be already in her bridal dress and seated upon a led horse or mule, while in front of the procession young men and maidens individually engaged in sword-play and dancing. In the larger villages, such as Bethlehem and Naza- reth, the robing of the bride was more elalwrate, and was carried out by the help of women after her arrival at the new home. On that day, the bride- groom, instead of following the primitive custom of going to claim his bride or to meet her proces- sion on the way, remained absent from the house with his relatives or friends until all preparations had been fullv made.
(li) Time. — The marriage generally took place in the evening, so that those coming from a distance might not fail to arrive, and those who were occu- pied during the day might have lil>erty to attend. During the evening, as he sat among his friends, the bridegioom, in the exercise of his prerogative as the chief i>erson concerned, signified his de.sire to move homewards. Upon this the wedding proces- sion was formed. Lanterns and torches were lit to guide him and his companions through the dark, silent streets. Those who were waiting to see the procession pa.ss raised the peculiar Oriental cry of
marriage festivity, and thus, as the crj- was taken up, the fact of his approach was known along the path in front of him up to the liou>e in which the bride and her attendants were waiting. Owing to the stillness of the air and the slow pace of the illuminated procession, the cry might Ije heard half an hour before the arrival of the bridegroom. Then those wlio had merelj' come to do honour by joining in the procession returned to their houses, and the relatives and invited guests passed in to the wedding ceremony and festivity. These rejoicings were maintaineil for several days or even a week, according totheworldlytircum.-^tancesof the family.
Many of these marriage cu>toms are alludetl to by Christ in His teaching, as tlie subject was familiar to His hearers, and any pj\rabolic lessons deduced from it would be easily understood. Thus the bridegroom could excuse himself for not attending the wedding of another, seeing that his own invited guests were retm-ning to pay visits of congratulation and got»d-will, and would feel offended if they found him absent iLk 1-4^). It was a privilege and honour to the guest to be invited to the wedding feast, and an affront to those who invited him if he faUed to attend (Mt 22^-''). It was late when the wedding guest returned to his own house (Lk 12^1. It was for the bridegroom to tarry until he was pleased to ap[X)iut the hour of his coming (Mt 24^ 25*- ''). The reference to manying and giving in marriage, with the Flood at the door, exemplified that pre- occupation of the mind with worldly interests and ambitions by which men forget the transitoriness of life and the precariousness of its possessions. One of the marks of the new Kingdom was to l>e its ixjwer of carrying disruption into the closest and strongest family relationships at the call of loyalty to its larger and higher citizenship (10^"^ P^w-^"). With such a background of tradition and custom Christ gave to marriage the supix)rt of His own presence, and spoke of its Divine origin and temiwraiy nature (Jn 2-, Mt ItV"* 22*'i. In the Epistles it is evident that the higher conception of marriage prevalent among the Jews was gi'avely endangereti by the inherited views still familiar to the mind, though condemned by the conscience, in the Gentile iiieml>ership of the Church (1 Co 7). The maniage relationship was used to typify the intimate vital affinity l>etween Christ and the Church (Eph 5-"-'^). In Rev 21- the comparison of the New Jerusalem to an Oriental bride adorned for her husband, appropriately sets forth the pro- tracted development and perfected beauty of the Kingdom of God.