Marital Relations In Ancient Judaism

This volume surveys the legal and literary references to gender, sexuality and marital relations found in biblical sources and Rabbinic texts until the end of the Tamudic era (c. 600 C.E.). Subject areas include Israel's familial historiography, kinship and law in biblical Israel, gender and status, judicial review of law, divine covenant and marriage covenant, conditions mandating divorce, monogamous and polygamous marriage, levirate surrogate marriage, endogamy and exogamy, marital choice, marriage and reproduction as religious imperatives, the home as a 'small temple', the marital writ for ontological security, emotional fidelity, the validation of eroticism, love's body: idealization and aesthetics, denial of sexual responsibility as Judaism's original sin, sexuality and dignity, conjugal rights and responsibilities, fertility and infertility, contraception and abortion, erotic and reproductive techniques, menstruation: The time to refrain from embracing, the suspected adulteress, children and eternity.

This volume surveys the legal and literary references to gender, sexuality and marital relations found in biblical sources and Rabbinic texts until the end of the Tamudic era (c. 600 C.E.). Subject areas include Israel's familial historiography, kinship and law in biblical Israel, gender and status, judicial review of law, divine covenant and marriage covenant, conditions mandating divorce, monogamous and polygamous marriage, levirate surrogate marriage, endogamy and exogamy, marital choice, marriage and reproduction as religious imperatives, the home as a 'small temple', the marital writ for ontological security, emotional fidelity, the validation of eroticism, love's body: idealization and aesthetics, denial of sexual responsibility as Judaism's original sin, sexuality and dignity, conjugal rights and responsibilities, fertility and infertility, contraception and abortion, erotic and reproductive techniques, menstruation: The time to refrain from embracing, the suspected adulteress, children and eternity.

Marriage today might be a highly contested topic, but certainly no more than it was in antiquity. Ancient Jews, like their non-Jewish neighbors, grappled with what have become perennial issues of marriage, from its idealistic definitions to its many practical forms to questions of who should or should not wed. In this book, Michael Satlow offers the first in-depth synthetic study of Jewish marriage in antiquity, from ca. 500 B.C.E. to 614 C.E. Placing Jewish marriage in its cultural milieu, Satlow investigates whether there was anything essentially "Jewish" about the institution as it was discussed and practiced. Moreover, he considers the social and economic aspects of marriage as both a personal relationship and a religious bond, and explores how the Jews of antiquity negotiated the gap between marital realities and their ideals. Focusing on the various experiences of Jews throughout the Mediterranean basin and in Babylonia, Satlow argues that different communities, even rabbinic ones, constructed their own "Jewish" marriage: they read their received traditions and rituals through the lens of a basic understanding of marriage that they shared with their non-Jewish neighbors. He also maintains that Jews idealized marriage in a way that responded to the ideals of their respective societies, mediating between such values as honor and the far messier realities of marital life. Employing Jewish and non-Jewish literary texts, papyri, inscriptions, and material artifacts, Satlow paints a vibrant portrait of ancient Judaism while sharpening and clarifying present discussions on modern marriage for Jews and non-Jews alike.

Marriage today might be a highly contested topic, but certainly no more than it was in antiquity. Ancient Jews, like their non-Jewish neighbors, grappled with what have become perennial issues of marriage, from its idealistic definitions to its many practical forms to questions of who should or should not wed. In this book, Michael Satlow offers the first in-depth synthetic study of Jewish marriage in antiquity, from ca. 500 B.C.E. to 614 C.E. Placing Jewish marriage in its cultural milieu, Satlow investigates whether there was anything essentially "Jewish" about the institution as it was discussed and practiced. Moreover, he considers the social and economic aspects of marriage as both a personal relationship and a religious bond, and explores how the Jews of antiquity negotiated the gap between marital realities and their ideals. Focusing on the various experiences of Jews throughout the Mediterranean basin and in Babylonia, Satlow argues that different communities, even rabbinic ones, constructed their own "Jewish" marriage: they read their received traditions and rituals through the lens of a basic understanding of marriage that they shared with their non-Jewish neighbors. He also maintains that Jews idealized marriage in a way that responded to the ideals of their respective societies, mediating between such values as honor and the far messier realities of marital life. Employing Jewish and non-Jewish literary texts, papyri, inscriptions, and material artifacts, Satlow paints a vibrant portrait of ancient Judaism while sharpening and clarifying present discussions on modern marriage for Jews and non-Jews alike.

To find more information on Rowman & Littlefield titles, please visit us at www.rowmanlittlefield.com.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1884 edition. Excerpt: ... PAGE. Aaronites or Cohanim, meaning of, - - - - - 59 Special Prohibitions concerning the Marriage of, - 59 Resolutions passed regarding the Prohibitions, - 59, 60 Abandonment, Ground of Divorce, in Modern Laws, - - 127 Abba Areka, Protesting against giving Minor Daughters in Mar- riage, ...... - 73 Absent And Not Heard Of, - - - - - 112 Adultery, treated in the Mosaic Law as a Capital Crime, - 20 The Wife's, can not be condoned, but necessitates a Divorce, 27,124 Persons guilty of, not permitted to marry the Partner of their Crime, 42 Strong Suspicion of, Cause for Divorce, - - - 122 Ground of Divorce in Modern Legislation, - - - 127 Affinity. See Consanguinity. Age, Legal, for Contracting Marriage, - - - 71 and note. Agent, Betrothal through, formerly admitted, - - - 80 Bill of Divorce delivered by, .... 128 Agreement, of Parties, sufficient for Divorce, according to Jew- ish, but not according to the Laws in the United States, 121 and note. Arusin, one of the Rabbinical Terms for Betrothment, - 76 Aub on Intermarriage, - - - '- - - 50 Aunt, Marriage of Nephew with, prohibited, - - 35, 38, 39 Authority of the Modern Rabbi in regard to Marriage and Di- vorce defined, - - - - - - 22,84,94, 130 Autonomy, Jewish, in all Matrimonial Affairs, ceased in Modern times, - - 22, 93, 130 B. FACTE. Baldachin. See Chuppa. Barrenness, Whether a Ground of Divorce, - 125 Be-ah, Term for a certain Primitive Mode of contracting Mar- riage, - - - - - - - _78, note. BenAry, De Hebrseorum Leviratu, - note, 55 Benediction of Betrothal, ..... gj Of Nuptials, 84, 85, 90, 93 Berchath Arusin, meaning Benediction of Betrothal, - 82 Berchoth Nissu-in, meaning Benedictions of Nuptials, - - 8-1 Betrothment, Its Nature in the Babbinical Law different from that! in..