That’s my point. If you look how this law (the commandment against adultery) was actually used, it was about having sex before marriage. It didn’t matter if it was consensual or not.
If a woman (or child) lost her virginity before marriage the father would lose the bride price (dowry but from the male family to the female’s). Therefore, being found “unpure” by the Rabbi on your wedding night (to be not a virgin) would get you stoned (break the commandment).
Even if you lost your hymen through a non-sexual act. Or even if your father had raped you.
That’s my point. If you look how this law (the commandment against adultery) was actually used, it was about having sex before marriage. It didn’t matter if it was consensual or not.
If a woman (or child) lost her virginity before marriage the father would lose the bride price (dowry but from the male family to the female’s). Therefore, being found “unpure” by the Rabbi on your wedding night (to be not a virgin) would get you stoned (break the commandment).
Even if you lost your hymen through a non-sexual act. Or even if your father had raped you.
Ah, you’re saying that it isnt as simple as the modern book definition of adultry.
I apologize for my ignorance.
No worries.
It was less about being faithful than making sure property wasn’t passed down to illegitimate children.
And the mechanism for doing that was scaring women shitless by stoning offenders to death unfortunately.