Whig Republican. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1840-18??, 1840-12-03
MISCELLANEOUS.
Hebrew form of Marriage.

Hebrew form of Marriage.
Major Noah of the New York Evening Star
gives the following as the form of marriage
observed in the Hebrew Church. 1t is giver
at the request of a fair correspondent, who haC
examined the Old Testament without success
The Editor says:
The "orm' of marriage in the Hebrew
Church she viii find IN the Old Testament
although the institution of marriage is there
noted as an affirmative precept. In ancient
days it is Pre- bable that the mere consent OF
parents and parties were alone necessary.
something after our Quaker fashion, I'm take
thee 10 be my welded wife, and there ended
the ceremony: but after laws and governments
were Instituted, it was deemed proper to have
some legal document to certify the marriage.
Accordingly we find, in the Babylcnian Tai
mud the following copy of dowry or mar
riage contract-which is used to :his day:
Upon the sixth day of the week in the
fourth of the month Swan. in the year FIVE
thousand two hundred ard fifty -four of the cre-
ation Of the world, according to the computa-
tion which ne use here at Massilia, city sit
uatad near the shore. the bridesroo"I ------,
son of -, said unto the bridewife -,
daughter of --, be unto me wife accor-
ding to the laws of Moses and Israel, and
accord ng to the word of Cop, viii worship,
honor, maintain and govern thee, according to
the manner of the husband among the Jews,
which do worship, honor, maintain and govern
their wives faithfully. | also bestow upon
thee the dowry Of thy virgnity two hundred
deniers Of silver, which belong unto thee by
law; and moreover, thy food, thy apparel, and
sufficient necessaries: thus rested and
became the bride of -, the bridegroom
Our fair correspondent will perceive. that
this form had UGH more gallantry than the.
Christian Cannons-there the lady swears to
love, honor and obey, but in the Jewish Church
the bridegroom pledges himself to worship,
honor, maintain and govern'-he does all the
protesting and the lady signs nothing, but the
contract is conlided to her, she keeps the eyI-
dence in her own possession. In very old
Gimes the bride and bridegroom were crowned
prior to the ceremony. He wore crown COM
posed Of crystal salt and sulphur, to remind
aim How tie SINS oil #IHC CfSy VI e'oUNsit -
punished, and to teach him to cleave unto his
the bride wore a golden crown in the form
or = Tower, We read of this in the Scriptures
SO forth o ye daughters Of Zion! and behold
King Solomon with the crown, wherewith his
mother crowned him on the day of his espou-
sails sHe has put a mitre on my head as on
bridegroom. We cannot conclude without
informing our fair correspondent Of one fact
related in the Talmud. cetibacy.was in such
bad reoute among the Hebrews, that it was
net deemed immodest in. the Jewish malders.
when dancing in the vineyards on the days Of
the expiration. to declare publicly, y young
men lift up your eyes and see which OF US you
like best. Look not upon beauty for that Is
deceitf,,l nor upon riches, for they make them
selves wings and fly away: but approve of ssell
among us as fear God. Oar Indies could not
be brought to follow this ipyocation--but there
were few old maids in Israel.