Page:A Jewish Interpretation of the Book of Genesis (Morgenstern, 1919, jewishinterpreta00morg).pdf/206

 The Book of Genesis

188

A

Veiled

Woman

in

the

Orient

Occasionally, however, when there was more than Judges IV, 18. one wife, and particularly when the relations between them were

not altogether amicable,

XXXI,

a

separate tent

was assigned

to

each



cf.

?>2,.

Bringing the bride into the tent or house of the groom has alconstituted the essential marriage ceremony in the Orient. Religious rites, such as we observe today, were unknown in ancient Israel. The removal of the bride's veil by the groom, when they were left alone together for the first time, was the culminating rite

ways

marriage ceremony. be remarked, also, that in ancient Israel, as in fact throughout the entire Semitic world, marriage between cousins was Occasionally a man was regarded as the highest type of union. thought to have an inalienal)lc riglit to his cousin's hand, and she could marry no one else until he had publicly waived his right. We shall have another instance of marriage of cousins in the story of Readers of The .Irahiaii X'ujhts will Jacob and Leah and Rachel. remember numerous instances of this same custom in that work, so illuminative of oriental customs and manners. An interesting discussion of the subject. "Weddings and Betrothals in the East", which throws considerable light upon the details of this story, will be found in Trumbull. Studies in Oriental Social of

the

It

should

Life, 1-72.