MARRIAGE
MARRIAGE
2. The Iilosaic enactments introchiced no changes into these usages. The father's power over the child in matters of marriage continued paramount, and he could iiive his children to any one he pleased without asking their consent. Thus Caleb offers his daughter Achsah (Josh. XV, Iti, 17) as wife to any one who will conquer Kirjath-sepher (Judg. i, 12). Saul promises his daugh- ter to him who shall kill the Philistine, and barters his daughter jNIichal for the prepuces of a hundred slain Philistines (1 Sam. xvii, 20, 27 ; xviii, 25-27) ; and Ib- zan takes thirty wives for his thirty sons (Judg. xii, 9). The imaginary case of women soliciting husbands (Isa. iv, 1) was designed to convey to the mind a picture of the ravages of war, by which the greater part of the males had fallen. A judicial marriage-price (1(T2 n'pinan) was now introduced, which was fixed at fifty silver shekels (Exod. xii, 16, with Deut, xxii, 29), being the highest rate "of a servant (Lev. xxvii, 3), so that one had to pay as much for a wife as for a bondwoman. When the father of the maiden was rich and did not irant the marriar/e-]n-ice (^n^3 "j^'Sn ")^X), he expected some service by way of compensation for giving away his daughter (1 Sam. xviii, 25). As soon as the bar- gain was concluded, and the marriage-price paid, or the required service rendered, the maiden was regarded as betrothed to her wooer, and as sacredly belonging to liim. In fact, she was legally treated as a married woman ("tj'^X r/i'X) ; she could not be separated from her intended husband without a bill of divorce, and the same law was applicable to her as to married people. If she was persuaded to criminal conduct between the espousals and the bringing her home to her husband's house, both she and her seducer were publicly stoned to death ; and if she was violated, the culprit suffered cap- ital punishment (Deut. xxii, 23-27, with ver. 22 ; and Lev. XX, 10). With such sacredness was betrothal re- garded, that even if a bondmaid who was bought with the intention of ultimately becoming a secondary wife (Exod. xxi, 7-11), was guilty of unchastity prior to her entering into that state, both she and her seducer were scourged, while the latter was also obhged to bring a sin-offering, and the priest had to pray for the forgive- ness of hi"s sin (Lev. xix, 20-22). Every betrothed man was by the Mosaic law exempt from military ser- vice (Deut. XX, 7).
3. In the post-exilian period, as long as the children were minors — which in the case of a son was up to thir- teen, and a daughter to twelve years of age — the pa- rents could betroth them to any one they chose ; but when they became of age their consent was required (Maimonides. Ililchoth Ishuth, iii, 11, 12). Occasionally the whole business of selecting the wife was left in the hands of a friend, ami hence the case might arise which is supposed by the Talmudists {Yfbam. 2, § 6, 7), that a man might not be aware to which of two sisters he was betrothed. So in Egypt at the present day the choice of a wife is sometimes intrusted to a professional woman styled a khdfheh; and it is seldom that the bridegroom sees the features of his bride before the marriage has taken i>lace (Lane, i, 209-211). It not unfrcquently happened, however, that the selection of partners for life was made by the young people themselves. For this, the ceremonies connected with the celebration of the festivals in the Temple alforded an excellent oppor- tunity, as may be gathered from the following remark in the jMishna : " K. Simeon Ijcn-Ciamaliel says. There were never more joyous festivals in Israel than the 15th of Ab and the Day of Atonement. On these the maid- ens of Jerusalem used to come out dressed in white gar- ments, which they borrowed, in order not to shame those 'who had none of their own, and w-hieh they had immersed [for fear of being pollutedj. Thus arrayed, these maidens of Jerusalem went out and danced in the vineyards, singing. Young man, lift up thine eyes, and see whom thou art ab(nit to choose ; fix not thine eye upon beauty, but look rather to a pious family ; for