Marriage in the time of Jesus

In keeping with our visit to Cana, our guide told us some interesting things about marriage in the time of Jesus. Greeks evidently had a low opinion of women. They had to stay at home, cook, clean, and take care of the children. They were not allowed to show their face or talk to men in public. However, men had concubines and could get a divorce easily (but not the women). Prostitution was common, and young, educated women were often the mistresses of important men, often writing their public speeches.


Roman men were heads of the entire family. Their daughters could make no decisions. They killed infant girls if they didn't want them. The custom was to hold thumbs either up or down when they were born. When the Romans conquered the Greeks, they levied taxes on the unmarried.


With Jews, it was shameful if a grown man didn't marry (another mark against Jesus!). Divorces were common since the priests had relaxed the observance of the Twelve Commandments. In one conservative school, a man could divorce his wife if she had no child or had sexual relations with another. In the liberal school, men could divorce wives for ANY reason -- her looks, her clothing, her cooking, her voice. This is one of the reasons why Jesus came down so strict on the institution of marriage.