MARRIAGE. 
406 
was not rich enough to afpire to that honour. But it 
was told him the king required no dowry, but an hun¬ 
dred forefkins of the Philiftines. i Sam. xviii. 2.5. How¬ 
ever, the rabbins allure us, that the father ufed to give 
his daughters certain prefents for clothes, and other ne- 
ceflaries. This was fixed at fifty zuzim, a piece of money 
of one-fourth of a Ihekel. Selden Uxor Heb. lib. ii. cap. 20. 
The betrothing was performed either by a writing, or 
by a piece of filver given to the bride, or by cohabitation 
or confummation. This is the form of the writing: “On 
fuch a day of fuch a month, in fuch a year, A. the fon of 
B. has faid to C. the daughter of D. Be thou my fpoufe 
according to the law of Mofes and the Ifraelites; and I 
will give thee for the portion of thy virginity the fum of 
two hundred zuzims, as is ordained by law. And the 
laid C. has confented to become his fpoufe upon thefe 
conditions, which the faid A. has promifed to perform 
on the day of marriage. To this the faid A. obliges him- 
felf; and for this he engages all his goods, even as far as 
the cloak that he wears on his fhoulders. Moreover, he 
promifes to perform all that is generally intended in pro- 
mifes of marriage in favour of the Ifraelitifh women. Wit- 
iieffes, E. F. G.” The promife by a piece of filver, and 
without writing, was made before witneffes, when the 
young man faid to his miftrefs, “ Receive this piece of 
lilver as a pledge that you fliall become my fpoufe.” 
Lallly, the engagement by cohabitation, according to the 
rabbins, was allowed by the law, (Deut. xxiv. i.) as it 
now is in Scotland ; but it had been wifely forbidden by 
the ancients, becaufe of the abufes that might happen, 
and to prevent clandeftine marriages. 
After the marriage was agreed upon, the young people 
bad the liberty of feeing each other, which was not al¬ 
lowed them before, If during this time the bride fhould 
Irefpafs againft the fidelity the owed her bridegroom, the was 
treated as an adultrefs. Selden Uxor Heb. lib. ii. Thus the 
holy virgin, after file was betrothed to Jofeph, being found 
With child before they came together, (Matth. i. 18.) might 
have been punifhed as an adultrefs, if the angel of the 
Lord had not fatisfied Jofeph. The Jewifh doctors teach, 
that, if thofe that are betrothed make an ill ufe of their 
liberty of feeing each other, they are condemned to the 
punifhment of the whip. Often between the time of being 
efpoufed and married there pafl'ed a confiderable time, 
whether becaufe of the under-age of the perfons efpoufed, 
or for other reafons of necefifity or decency. This therefore 
Was a critical and dangerous interval, as indeed it is now. 
Leo of Modena fays, that the Jews marry on a Wed- 
nefday or a Friday, if the bride be a maid, on a Thurfday 
if (he be a widow. The evening before the folemnity, 
feveral women lead the bride to the bath by the found of 
mufical inftruments. There is fome difagreement be¬ 
tween Selden, Buxtorf, and Leo of Modena, on the fub- 
je£t of marriage-ceremonies ; which fhows that cuftoms 
vary according to places 3nd perfons. The bride is 
adorned with every thing fine and rich, and is led into 
the open air, either on the banks of a river, into a court, 
or a garden. Sometimes this is performed in a hall, 
adorned on purpofe. The bridegroom and bride are 
placed under a canopy, each covered with a black veil, 
having four taffels hanging at the four corners. This 
veil in the Hebrew is called taled. Then the rabbin of 
the place, or the chanter of the fynagogue, or the neareft 
relation of the hulband, takes a cup of wine, and, having 
pronounced this benediction, “ Blefled be thou, O Lord 
■who halt created man and woman, and ordained marri¬ 
age, &c.” prefents the cup to the bridegroom, and then 
to the bride, who tafte it. Afterwards the bridegroom 
puts a ring upon the finger of his bride, in prefence of 
two witnelfes, faying, “By this ring thou art my fpoufe, 
according to the cuftom of Mofes and the children of 
Ifrael.” Buxtorf fays, that the ring ought to be of plain 
gold ; and that the bridegroom takes the company to wit- 
nefs, that it is good gold, and of a due value. After this 
they read the contract of marriage, which the bridegroom 
delivers to the bride’s relations. Then they bring wine 
again; they rehearfe fix blefiings; they make the mar¬ 
ried couple drink, and they pour the reft on the ground. 
The bridegroom then takes the vefiel, and throws it with 
violence on the ground, or againft the wall, and breaks it 
in pieces, in memory, they lay, of the deltruCHon of the 
temple. The rabbins inform us, that, before the tem¬ 
ple of Jerufalem was laid in ruins, the bridegroom and 
bride wore crowns on their marriage, but not fince that 
time. In fcripture we read of the crown of the bridegroom, 
but not of the bride ; (and indeed the head-drefs of the 
woman was by no means convenient for wearing a crown.) 
Go forth, 0 ye daughters of Zion , and behold king Solomon with 
the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his 
efpoufals, and in the day of the gladnefs of his heart. Sol. Song, 
iii. 11. The modern Jews in fome places throw handfuls 
of wheat on the married couple, particularly on the bride; 
faying, “ Increafe and multiply.” In other places they 
mingle pieces of money with the wheat, which are gathered 
up by the poor. 
We fee by the Gofpel that the bridegroom had a para- 
nymphus, or brideman, called by our Saviour the friend of 
the bridegroom. John iii. 29. A number of young men 
kept him company during the days of the wedding, to do 
him honour ; as alfo young women kept company with 
the bride all this time. The companions o f the bridegroom 
are exprefsly mentioned in the hiltory of the Samfon, 
Judg. xiv. and in the Song of Sol. v. 1. viii. 13. and the 
companions of the bride, Song of Sol. ii. 7. iii. 5. viii. 4.. 
and Pfalm. xlv. 9, 14, 15. The office of the brideman 
was to do the honours of the wedding-feaft inftead of the 
bridegroom, and to obey his orders : He that hath the bride 
is the bridegroom, fays John the Baptift, fpeaking of Jefus 
Chrift ; but the friend of the bridegroom, which fandeth and 
heareth him, rejoiceth greatly becaufe of the bridegroom's voice. 
John iii. 29. Some think that the architriclinus, or gover¬ 
nor of the feaft, mentioned in the marriage of Cana, was 
the brideman, paranymphus, or friend of the bridegroom". 
John ii. 9. The friends and companions of the bride 
lang the epithalamium, or wcdding-fong, at the door of the 
bride the evening before the wedding. Pfalm xiv. is an 
epithalamium, intitled “ A Song of Loves.” 
The ceremony of the wedding was performed with 
great decency; the young people of each fex being fepa- 
rate, in diftinft apartments, and at different tables. The 
refervednefs of the eaftern people towards their women re¬ 
quired this. We fee proofs of this in the marriage ofSamp- 
fon, in that of Either, and in the Canticles. The young 
men diverted themfelves fometimes in propofing riddles, 
and the bridegroom appointed prizes to thofe that could 
explain them. The ftory of Sampfon and his riddle is 
well known. See Jud. xiv. 12. 
The wedding-ceremonies commonly held feven days 
for a maid, and three days for a widow. Thus Laban 
fays to Jacob, refpeff ing ~Lta.h,fulfl her week. Gen. xxiv. 27. 
Theceremonies of Sampfon’s wedding continued alfo feven 
whole days, Judg. xiv. 17. as alfo that of Tobias, Tob-. 
xi. 19. The rabbins acquaint us that the term of feven 
days was of indifpenfable obligation to all married men ; 
and that they were to allow feven days for the marriage 
of every wife they took, though they Ihould marry feve¬ 
ral on the fame day. Thefe feven days, of rejoicing were 
commonly fpent in the houfe of the woman’s father; after 
which they conducted the bride home, to her hulband’S 
houfe, with great folernnity. This part of the ceremony 
was generally performed with great pomp, according to 
the circumltances of the married couple; and for this 
they often chofe the night. Hence, in the parable of the 
ten virgins that went to meet the bride and bridegroom, 
(Matth. xxv.) it is faid the virgins were afleep; and at 
midnight, being awaked at the cry of the bridegroom’s 
coming, the foolilh virgins found they had no oil to fup- 
ply their lamps ; which whii^ they went to procure, the 
bridegroom and his attendants palled by. We read, 
s Mac, ix. 37. that, the children of Jambri, having made 
a mag- 
