Page:Palestine Exploration Fund - Quarterly Statement for 1894.djvu/165

Rh often very soon after birth. A woman in Artas had a child on the way to Bethlehem, when going there with a basket of vegetables on her head. She simply wrapped up the child in her long sleeve, went on to Bethlehem, sold her vegetables, and came home. Although this woman and her husband were well made and strong, and had many children, perhaps 10, I never remember to have seen more than one live to five or six years. Usually it was a boy with amulets on head and neck who soon afterwards suddenly died.

Question 8. At what age do men and women marry?

Answer. There is no fixed age. Wealthy people marry their boys at six years of age and upwards, whilst the poor marry in early manhood. Some men remain for a considerable time without marriage, owing to want of means to pay the dowry. But it is rare for girls to remain unmarried beyond the age of 20, whilst they may marry at the age of four and upwards. Much depends (1) on beauty, (2) on wealth, and (3) on rank. The girl of seven mentioned above was married on account of her beauty, and her parents would have liked to slip in her eldest but ugly sister (like Leah). Then again, marriages being very costly, partly for economy's sake, interchanges of girls are sometimes made; a man gives his sister or daughter, for another man's sister or daughter. Age makes no difference. One girl may be 15 or 20, whilst the other is only five or so, nevertheless the marriages are concluded on one day and with the same feast.

In Jaffa I knew a fellah girl of about 17, whose father refused to give her in marriage, simply because he wanted her to carry the milk to the customers. He told me that he was putting off her marriage until a later period, his first daughter having been ill-treated by her husband.

Question 9. Does the man have more than one wife?

Answer. There is no rule. He may have one, two, three, or four wives. He may go beyond the fourth, but, in that case, must get rid of one either by divorce, or by simply separating from her. But he may not live with her in concubinage. She lives in his house, but is forbidden, Minhajara. The man must provide for her living; he must keep house even for her. Mohammedan law forbids a man to keep two wives in one house, the parents of the wife also try their utmost to have a separate house, or at least room, for their daughter, but only in very rare cases have I known this to be done. They usually live in one room. Three or four wives together is very rare, whilst two is very common. The wives call themselves, daraeer plural, and , darra singular. Naturally enough, these rivals hate each other. They are favoured by their husband according to the number of then children and whether their children are girls or boys, the mother of the boy or boys being the favourite as a rule, though there are exceptions.