On 11/12/2018 05:34, Zenaan Harkness wrote:
It is reasonable to look at the practices of ancient Judaism for cultural considerations on the proper age for marriage. According to tradition, boys were not considered “men,” and therefore not marriageable, until the age of 13. Girls were not considered “women” until age 12.
This supposedly ancient tradition seems to be nineteenth century with some rather thin justifications claiming it is twelfth century. It is clearly post biblical. It was not in effect during the fourth century, when in the event of real or reasonably suspected sexual misconduct, the offenders got "sanctified" like it or not. Women rather like serial monogamy. If women get sexual choice, if they are free to always be on the prowl to trade up, rather than stuck with the first guy they have sex with, you get women defecting on men, men respond by defecting on women first (spin plates) in the reasonable expectation that women are likely to defect on them, so you always need a few spares in the kitty. So, have to enforce on women the old testament rule that they are stuck with the first guy they have sex with. If you enforce that rule, then in an alarmingly large minority of cases, you will find that the first guy they have sex with, they have sex with him at a disturbingly young age, Disney princess age, well before puberty. Thus societies that attempt to enforce that rule tend to lock up their daughters starting one or two years before Disney princess age, but this fails surprisingly often, so if you attempt enforce virgin marriage, you really have to allow marriage long before puberty in problem cases, and indeed quite forcefully impose marriage long before puberty in a minority of problem cases.