Dr. Alice C. Linsley
None of the marriages of the Hebrew rulers can be called "biblical" and therefore cited as models for Bible believers because this pattern pertains only to Hebrew ruler-priests, the "first lords of the earth". It is not a biblical pattern for marriage. It is a pattern for royal Hebrew persons beginning long before Judaism emerged. These were regnal marriages involving a bride and a groom from related Hebrew clans or between half-siblings (endogamy). Royal marriages are prone to irregularities because of the necessity of a proper heir, and political complexities.
That these were rulers is evident in the fact that they had a distinctive marriage and ascendancy pattern that involved two wives. The firstborn sons of the two wives had different rights according to the Hebrew hierarchy of sons.
Jacob's marriage to two "sisters" is the single example in the Bible, and it is more likely that Leah was his half-sister and Rachel is cousin. A proper marriage arrangement of a Hebrew ruler-priest was with a half-sister (as was Sarah to Abraham) and with a patrilineal cousin (as was Keturah to Abraham). Leah and Rachel fit the pattern. Jacob was a sent-away son, and those sons usually went to live with their maternal uncles.
Solomon is criticized for taking many wives and concubines in order to forge political alliances. However, that was a common practice, and his father David did it also.
The payment of dowries was a widespread practice among the many diverse biblical populations. It is still the custom in Africa and among Hindu and Muslim populations. Dowries are not to "purchase" a bride. They are gifts given to the bride by her family to secure some personal wealth for her when she marries. The bride and her dowry contribute to the building up of a new household.
Levirate marriage was a custom among the Hebrew and their Jewish descendants. Levirate marriage is an extremely ancient practice in which the widow of the deceased brother marries one of his brothers. Levirate marriage is practiced by societies with strong clan and caste structures in which exogamous marriage is forbidden. Such a marriage arrangement is intended to preserve the deceased husband's lineage and inheritance.
Hebrew rulers with two wives include Lamech, Terah, Abraham, Esau, Jacob, Amram, Moses, Elkanah (Samuel's father), Ashur (1 Chronicles 4:5), Mered (1 Chronicles 4); and Joash (2 Chronicles 24:1–3). Caleb fathered children by his two wives Azubah and Jerioth.
Related reading: The Marriage and Inheritance of Hebrew Daughters; The Hebrew were a Caste; Hebrew Rulers with Two Wives; Gender Balance of the Hebrew Social Structure; Hebrew Birthrights and Blessings; Concubinage Among the Hebrew
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6 comments:
The meme reveals ignorance of the marriage practices of the ancient world, especially those of the Hebrew ruler-priest caste. Marriages among rulers has always been different than marriage among commoners. To assert that the two-wife custom of high-ranking Hebrew rulers is "biblical" and therefore acceptable to Bible-believers is absurd and misleading.
My name is Temple. Thank you Alice for most of this discoveries you have brought to our notice. I want to know if where you got all this historical document are legit and i want to know where i can also get access to them so that i can read more.
Greetings, Temple! I have been studying the Bible to understand the social structure of the Hebrew people for over 42 years. Everything I have written refers to data in the Bible. The 66 books of the Bible are full of important anthropological information and are the primary source material for the science of biblical anthropology. The more I study, the more I am convinced that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah, the Son of God whose conception by his blessed Mother, whose death and third-day resurrection fulfill the expectation of Abraham and his Hebrew ancestors. There is much to learn, and I hope you will not be discouraged by the difficulty of some of this research.
Thanks for your response. Honestly, I never thought you would be fast in responding, hence the delay in my response. My prayer is that God will continue to give you strength to unfold mysteries in His kingdom through Jesus Christ . Thanks for this statement also "There is much to learn, and I hope you will not be discouraged by the difficulty of some of this research.".
I came across your material while searching the web for reasons why some things happened in the bible. Please, I am here to learn, I am not here to try to cause an argument. So I might ask questions.
This statement from your first response "To assert that the two-wife custom of high-ranking Hebrew rulers is "biblical" and therefore acceptable to Bible-believers is absurd and misleading.". Do you mean from your findings through study, the two-wife custom should not be acceptable to Bible-believers? Please again, i am not hear to argue, I just want to learn.
This blog is not the best place to learn to read Scripture through the lens of anthropology. For that I recommend the international Meta/Facebook group The Bible and Anthropology which has over 3000 members and is celebrating 8 years today.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/970693143031228
Having more than one wife retains to kings only. This is also true for concubines. The esteemed Rabbi Maimonides maintained that concubines are strictly reserved for kings, and that a Jewish commoner may not have a concubine.
ok thanks, I just joined the group now.
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