Marriage was an important part of Jewish family life. It joined a man and woman, but it also created new relationships between their families. Marriage brought practical responsibilities and usually carried the expectation of children and a continuing household.
Marriage was both personal and social. The bride and groom mattered, but their families were often involved as well.
A marriage affected where people lived and how they supported themselves. Property and family responsibilities could also be involved.
For most people, marriage marked the beginning of a new stage of adult life.
Jewish marriage in the first century grew out of biblical traditions. It also existed within the wider world of Roman Palestine.
Customs were not identical in every Jewish community. Wealth and local practice could make a difference.
Later Jewish writings preserve much more detail about marriage. They are useful evidence, but they should not automatically be treated as a complete description of life in Jesus' day.
Marriage changed everyday responsibilities. A husband was expected to help provide economic security for the household.
A wife played a major role in the work and management of family life.
Together, the couple formed the center of a household that could grow with the birth of children.
Marriage itself leaves relatively little direct archaeological evidence. Houses and household objects tell us about the setting in which married life took place.
Written documents are often more useful for understanding the legal and economic side of marriage.
Biblical law and later Jewish writings provide important evidence about marriage. Ancient marriage documents also reveal practical concerns involving property and obligations.
These sources do not always describe ordinary family life in the same way. They must therefore be compared carefully.
Genesis 2:24 describes a man leaving his father and mother and being joined to his wife. The two become “one flesh.”
Marriage remains an important part of family life throughout the Old Testament.
Marriage appears repeatedly in the Gospels. Jesus attends a wedding at Cana and uses wedding celebrations in His teaching.
He also speaks directly about marriage and divorce. In doing so, He points back to God's purpose for marriage in creation.
Marriage was a recognized and important institution in Jewish society. Families could participate in arranging marriages, and economic concerns could play a part.
Marriage also created responsibilities between husband and wife.
We should not imagine one exact marriage pattern followed by every Jewish family. Our evidence comes from different places and periods.
The experience of a wealthy Jerusalem family could also differ from that of a modest village household.
Marriage stands behind many Gospel passages. Understanding its place in family life helps us appreciate why weddings and marriage questions mattered so much to Jesus' listeners.
It also gives us better background for the family relationships we encounter throughout the New Testament.