and sexuality were approached with a high sense of reality, but also that the struggle toward monogamy had only begun.
PROHIBITED MARRIAGES
Major categories of individuals who could not be married were listed in the Bible ;'® in addition were the prohibitions against marriage with neighboring nations, with which we shall not concern ourselves here. The list of consanguineous relationships as expanded by the later rabbinic literature was generally accepted, and the questions that arose in the later rabbinic literature tended to be around the edges of this legislation. This, too, should be viewed as a step toward monogamy, since such relationships within the family circle, if permitted, could easily multiply. The prohibited marriages were castigated but rarely annulled. The rabbis in every period refrained from taking this step, possibly because of potential problems with offspring, although some exceptions are found in the literature.’ This failure to annul, of course, weakened the prohibitions against these marriages, but not enough to make them a serious problem.
ADULTERY AND MARRIAGE
: The literature takes adultery very seriously; it was a break in the fundamental basis of marriage. In the biblical period the death penalty was prescribed; later, flogging.” In addition, the Promises made in the ketubah were invoked, and the guilty party paid heavily. Every effort was made to keep the individuals who had been engaged in an adulterous relationship from getting married; such marriages were prohibited.” This, of course, is part of an effort to limit adultery within the Jewish community; and,
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