Marriage by Meera LesterIn the Old Testament world, marriage was referred to as the taking of a wife. Couples weren't joined together because they had fallen in love; marriage cemented alliances between families and had less to do with love than with property and ownership. A girl was the property of her father until she was married, at which time she became the property of her husband. A mother might have some say in her daughter's marriage arrangement, but the father had final say and could decide without input from anyone, as was the case when Judah took a wife for his son Er (Genesis 38:6). Marrying within one's community tended to concentrate property and people within that community, and thus the wealth built up within a village or town remained there. That isn't to say couples never fell in love; they did. But in general, love was something that one hoped would grow out of the marriage alliance.
According to the ancient Hebrew law, marriage between a man and a woman required three things: (1) the man must pay the bride price; (2) the young woman and her father had to consent; and (3) for it to be considered legal, intercourse had to take place.
Among the ancient Hebrews, it was customary for the father of the groom to pay a mohar, or the purchase price or dowry, to the father of the bride. It could be a monetary payment or an exchange of services or property.
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