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To: wideawake
But polygamy was practiced by the Jews, though not common. In fact, the Jewish law can create a situation where polygamy is the normal required behavior. If you doubt me, read up on when a man must marry his brother's widow.
15 posted on 12/13/2006 11:51:39 AM PST by taxcontrol
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To: taxcontrol
But polygamy was practiced by the Jews, though not common.

It had ceased to exist among the Jews by the time of the Second Temple.

In fact, the Jewish law can create a situation where polygamy is the normal required behavior. If you doubt me, read up on when a man must marry his brother's widow.

His choice is either to marry his brother's childless widow or to refuse and be repudiated by her in public.

In practice, the Jews preferred to marry the brother's widow off to an as-yet-unmarried son.

Actual polygamous levirate marriages were probably quite rare, and were usually ended in divorce once they had produced an heir.

In theory, one could marry one's deceased brother's wife, impregnate her with a male heir on the wedding night and divorce her as soon as she gave birth to a son.

Other than that, the Hebrew Scriptures take a pretty negative attitude toward polygamy. It is adduced as a contributing factor to the troubles of King David's monarchy (the Bathsheba incident, the rivalry of David's sons), the cause of Solomon's apostasy and as a source of strife in the home life of the patriarchs.

It is obvious that Jacob did not want to be married to Leah, that Abraham did not want to be married to Hagar who winds up giving issue to the Ishmaelite enemies of the Jews, it is obvious that polygamy was a source of great pain for Hannah, the righteous mother of the prophet Samuel.

Everytime polygamy is discussed in the Hebrew Scriptures it is not valorized.

20 posted on 12/13/2006 12:16:57 PM PST by wideawake ("The nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten." - Calvin Coolidge)
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To: taxcontrol; wideawake
In a hostile world where invading tribes could attack at any time polygamy was a way to protect your people, preserve your culture and boost population. And because many men were killed in wars and many women died in childbirth, it was necessary if you wanted many descendent's to carry on.

Different World.
84 posted on 01/02/2007 5:45:31 AM PST by LauraleeBraswell
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