known
(Gn
29"i
34',
Jg
14',
1
S
18™);
in
these
cases
the
initiative
was
talsen
by
the
parties.
One
view
of
Canticles
is
that
it
is
a
drama
celebrating
the
victory
of
a
village
maiden's
faithfulness
to
her
shepherd
lover,
in
face
of
the
attractions
of
a
royal
rival.
It
was
a
disgrace
if
a
daughter
remained
unmarried
(Sir
42»);
this
fact
is
the
key
to
1
Co
7^-.
(2)
The
betrothal
was
of
a
more
formal
and
binding
nature
than
our
'
engage-ment
'
;
among
the
Arabs
it
is
the
only
legal
ceremony
connected
with
a
marriage.
Gn
24'*-
'"'
may
preserve
an
ancient
formula
and
blessing.
Its
central
feature
was
the
dowry
(mohar)
paid
to
the
parents
or
repre-sentatives
of
the
bride,
the
daughter
being
a
valuable
possession.
Dt
2229
(cf.
Ex
22>6)
orders
its
payment
in
a
case
of
seduction,
and
50
shekels
is
named
as
the
average.
In
Gn
34'*
Hamor
offers
'never
so
much
dowry';
cf.
the
presents
of
ch.
24.
It
might
take
the
form
of
service
(Gn
29,
Jacob;
1
S
18^,
David).
Dowry,
in
our
sense
of
provision
tor
the
wife,
arose
in
two
ways,
(a)
The
parents
provided
for
her,
perhaps
originally
giving
her
a
portion
of
the
purchase
money
(Gn
24"
29'*).
Caleb
gives
his
daughter
a
field
(Jos
15"
=
Jg
!•»)
;
Solomon's
princess
brings
a
dowry
of
a
city
(1
K
9")
;
Raguel
gives
his
daughter
half
liis
goods
(To
8^^'
10'").
Tills
dowry
was
retained
by
the
wife
if
divorced,
except
in
case
of
adultery.
(6)
The
husband
naturally
signified
his
generosity
and
affection
by
gifts
to
his
bride
(Gn
24"
34'2
[where
gift
is
distinct
from
'dowry'].
Est
2»).
According
to
the
Mishna,
the
later
ceremony
of
betrothal
consisted
in
payment
of
a
piece
of
money,
or
a
gift,
or
the
conveyance
of
a
writing,
in
presence
of
two
witnesses.
A
tliird
method
(by
cohabitation)
was
strongly
dis-countenanced.
After
betrothal
the
parties
were
legally
in
the
position
of
a
married
couple.
Unfaithfulness
was
adultery
(Dt
222»,
Mt
1").
The
bridegroom
was
exempt
from
military
service
(Dt
20').
Non-fulfilment
of
the
marriage
was
a
serious
slight
(1
S
18'»,
Jg
14"),
but
conceivable
under
certain
circumstances
(Gn
29^').
(2)
Wedding
ceremonies.
—
Great
uncertainty
attaches
to
the
proceedings
In
Biblical
times.
We
have
to
construct
our
picture
from
passing
notices,
combined
with
what
we
know
of
Arabic
and
later
Jewish
customs.
In
some
cases
there
seems
to
have
been
nothing
beyond
the
betrothal
(Gn
24«-");
or
the
wedding
festivities
followed
it
at
once;
but
in
later
times
there
was
a
distinct
interval,
not
exceeding
a
year
in
case
of
a
virgin.
Tobit
(7'*)
mentions
a
'contract'
(cf.
Mai
2'<),
wliich
became
a
universal
feature.
The
first
ceremony
was
the
wedding
procession
(Ps
45'^,
1
Mac
9"),
which
may
be
a
relic
of
'
marriage
by
capture,'
the
bridegroom's
friends
(Mt
9^^,
Jn
3^9;
cf.
'60
mighty
men'
of
Ca
3')
going,
often
by
night,
to
fetch
the
bride
and
her
attend-ants;
in
Jg
14"-
'5-
211
Samson's
comrades
are
necessarily
taken
from
the
bride's
people.
The
rejoicings
are
evidenced
by
the
proverbial
'voice
of
the
bridegroom,'
etc.
(Jer
7"
etc..
Rev
IS^").
Gn
2468,
ps
45i3-i6_
Jer
2«,
Rev
198
21^
speak
of
the
magnificence
of
the
bridal
attire;
Is
61'",
of
the
garland
of
the
bridegroom
and
jewels
of
the
bride
(cf.
49'*)
;
the
veU
is
mentioned
in
Gn
24*'
29'';
the
supposed
allusions
to
the
lustral
bath
of
the
Greeks
(Ru
3',
Ezk
23",
Eph
S^")
are
very
doubtful.
The
situation
in
Mt
25'
is
not
clear.
Are
the
'virgins'
friends
of
the
bridegroom
waiting
for
his
return
with
liis
bride,
or
friends
of
the
bride
waiting
with
her
for
him?
All
that
it
is
possible
to
say
is
that
the
general
conception
is
that
of
the
wedding
procession
by
night
in
wliich
lights
and
torches
have
always
played
a
large
part.
Another
feature
was
the
scattering
of
flowers
and
nuts;
all
who
met
the
procession
were
expected
to
join
in
it
or
to
salute
it.
The
marriage
supper
followed,
usually
in
the
home
of
the
bridegroom
(2
Es
9");
Gn
29»,
Jg
14'",
To
8'"
are
easily
explained
exceptions.
Hospitality
was
a
sacred
duty;
'
he
who
does
not
invite
me
to
his
marriage
will
not
have
me
to
his
funeral.'
To
refuse
the
invitation
was
a
grave
insult
(Mt
22).
Nothing
is
known
of
the
custom,
apparently
implied
in
this
passage,
of
providing
a
wedding
garment
for
guests.
Jn
2
gives
us
a
picture
of
the
feast
in
a
middle-class
home,
where
the
resources
are
strained
to
the
uttermost.
It
is
doubtful
whether
the
'ruler
of
the
feast'
(cf.
Sir
32'-
«)
is
'the
best
man'
(32",
Jg
142"),
the
office
being
unusual
in
the
simple
life
of
Galilee
(Edersheim,
ir
i.
356).
There
is
nowhere
any
iiint
of
a
religious
ceremony,
though
marriage
was
regarded
with
great
reverence
as
symbolizing
the
union
of
God
with
Israel
(id.
353).
The
feast
was
no
doubt
guasi-sacramental
(cf.
the
Latin
'confarreatio'),
and
the
marriage
was
consummated
by
the
entry
into
the
'chamber'
Qiuppah).
W.
R.
Smith
(op.
cit.
p.
168)
finds
in
this
a
relic
of
'beena'
marriage
(see
above,
§
1),
the
huppah
or
canopy
(Jl
2'")
being
originally
the
wife's
tent
(Gn
24"',
Jg
4");
cf.
the
tent
pitched
for
Absalom
(2
S
1622).
i^
Arab.,
Syr.,
and
Heb.
the
bride-groom
is
said
to
'go
in'
to
the
bride.
Ps
19'
speaks
of
his
exultant
'
coming
forth
'
on
the
following
morning;
'the
chamber'
can
hardly
refer
there
to
the
'canopy'
under
which
in
modern
weddings
the
pair
stand
during
the
ceremony,
though
this
has
no
doubt
been
evolved
from
the
old
tent.
The
wedding
festivities
were
not
confined
tothe'
supper'
of
the
first
night,
at
any
rate
in
OT
times.
As
now
in
Syria,
the
feast
lasted
for
7
days
(Gn
292',
xo
11"
8'"
[a
fortnight]).
The
best
picture
is
in
Jg
14,
with
its
eating
and
drinking
and
not
very
refined
merriment.
Canticles
is
generally
supposed
to
contain
songs
sung
during
these
festivities;
those
now
sung
in
Syria
show
a
remarkable
similarity.
7'-'
in
particular
would
seem
to
be
the
chorus
in
praise
of
the
bride's
beauty,
such
as
is
now
chanted,
while
she
herself
in
a
sword
dance
displays
the
charms
of
her
person
by
the
flashing
fire-light.
During
the
week
the
pair
are
'
king
and
queen,'
enthroned
on
the
threshing-board
of
the
village.
It
is
suggested
that
'Solomon'
(3')
had
become
the
nick-name
for
this
village
king.
Dt
24s
exempts
the
bride-groom
from
military
service
for
a
year
(cf.
20').
6.
Position
of
the
wife.
—
The
practically
universal
form
of
marriage
was
the
'
Baal
'
type,
where
the
wife
passed
under
the
dominion
of
her
'lord'
(Gn
3",
Tenth
Com.).
Side
by
side
with
tliis
was
the
ideal
principle,
according
to
which
she
was
a
'help
meet
for
him'
(Gn
2'"),
and
the
legal
theory
was
always
modified
in
practice
by
the
affection
of
the
husband
or
the
strong
personality
of
the
wife;
cf.
the
position
of
the
patriarchs'
wives,
of
women
in
Jg.
or
in
Pr.
(esp.
31);
cf.
1
S
25'*,
2
K
4'.
But
her
value
was
largely
that
of
a
mother
of
children,
and
the
position
of
a
childless
wife
was
un-pleasant
(Gn
161
301-1,
1
s
18,
2
Es
9").
Polygamy
led
to
favouritism;
the
fellow-wife
is
a
'rival'
(1
S
1")
—
a
technical
term.
Dt
21"^-
safeguards
the
right
of
the
flrstborn
of
a
'hated'
wife;
Ex
21"
provides
for
the
rendering
of
the
duties
of
marriage
to
a
flrst
wife,
even
if
a
purchased
concubine;
if
they
are
withheld
she
is
to
go
free
(cf.
Dt
21'*
of
a
captive).
The
difference
between
a
wife
and
a
concubine
depended
on
the
wife's
higher
position
and
birth,
usually
backed
by
relatives
ready
to
defend
her.
She
might
claim
the
inheritance
tor
her
children
(Gn
21'");
her
slave
could
not
be
taken
as
concubine
without
her
consent
(162).
as
part
of
a
man's
chattels
his
wives
were
in
certain
cases
inherited
by
his
heir,
with
the
Umitation
that
a
man
could
not
take
his
own
mother.
The
custom
lasted
in
Arabia
till
forbidden
by
the
Koran
(ch.
iv.).
In
OT
there
is
the
case
of
Reuben
and
Bilhah
(Gn
3522
49^),
perhaps
imply-ing
the
continuance
of
the
custom
in
the
tribe
of
Reuben,
after
it
had
been
proscribed
elsewhere
(Driver,
ad
loc).
It
is
presupposed
in
2
S
3',
where
Ishbosheth
reproaches
Abner
for
encroactiing
on
his
birthright,
and
in
I622,
where
Absalom
thus
pubUshes
his
claim
to
the
kingdom.
In
1
K
222
Adonijah,
in
asking
for
Abishag,
is
claiming
the
eldest
brother's
inheritance.
Ezk
22"
finds
it
still
necessary
to
condemn
the
practice;
cf.
Dt
22'",
Lv
18'.
Ru
i
shows
how
the
wife
is
regarded
as
part
ot
the
