The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1840-12-31
HEBREW FORM OF MARRIAGE.

Major Noah, the n. Y. Evening Star, gives
the following as the form Of marriage, observed
in the Hebrew Church. 1t is given at the re-
quest Of fair correspondent, who had examin-
cd the Old Testament, but without success
The editor says:
The form Of marriage in the Hebrew Church
she will find IN the Old Testament, although
the institution of marriage is there noted as an
affirmative precept. In ancient days 1t is pro-
bable that the mere consent of parents and par
ties were alone necessary, something after our
Quaker fashion, FI'll take thee 10 be my we'd
ded wife, and there ended the ceremony; but
after laws and government were instituted, 1t
was deemed proper to have some legal document
to certify the marriage. Accordingly we find,
in the BabylonIan Talmud the following copy OF
dowry or contract-which is used to this day:
sUpon the sixth day of the week in the fourth
OF the month Swan, in the year five thousand
two hundred and fifty-four ofthe creation OF the
world, according to the computation which we
use here at Massilia, city situated near the
shore, the bridegroom, son d, said
unto the bTidewife-, daughter of--be
unto me wife according to the laws Uf Moses
and Israel, and according to the word of God,
will worship, honoi maintain and govern thee,
according to the manner of the husband among
the Jews, which do worship, honor, maintain
and govern their wives faithfully. l also bestow
uPOH ISC hONiJ VI my NIRlHiLy Two HuhhCu
deniers Of silver, which belong unto thee by
law; and moreover, thy food, thy apparel, and
sufficient necessaries- thus--resteds and be-
came the bride of -, the bridegroom
Our fair correspondent will perceive, that this
form has much more gallantry than the Christ
ian Canons; there the lady swears to love, hon
or 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
confded to her, she keeps the evidence in her
own possession. In very old times the bride and
bridegroom were crowned prior to the ceremony.
He wore crown composed Of crystal, salt and
sulphur, to remind him how the sins OF the city
of Sodom were punished, and to teach him the
lesson to cleave unto his; the bride wore gold
en- crown in the form of Tower We read of
this in the Scripture, Go forth we daughters of
Zion! and behold King Solomon with the crown,
wherewith his mother crowned him in the day
of his espousals. EHe has put mitre on my head
as on bridegroom
We cannot conclude without informing our
fair correspondent of one fact related in the Tai
mud. Celibacy was in such bad repute among
the Hebrews, tina it was not deemed immodest
in the Jewish maidens, when dancing in the
vineyards ON the days Of the expiration, to de-
clare publicly, 30 young men lift up year eyes
and see which of us YOU like best Look not
upon beauty for that is deceitful nor upon rich
es, for they make themselves wings and fly
away; but approve of such among us as fear
God' Our ladies could net be brought to fol-
low this invocation; but there were few old
maids in Israel.