# Jewish polygamy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 22, 2005, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-polygamy/291335 "2005-02-22T13:52:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2005, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-polygamy/291335/21 "2005-02-22T22:53:45Z")
> [@zev\_steinhardt](#): > > Considering that Christians do not keep kosher, do not observe the (Jewish) Sabbath and holidays, do not don _tallis_ and _tefillin_ daily and do not observe the other Jewish commandments, why do you think that they would be influenced in any way by Jewish law? And, while I am too lazy to dig up the scriptural cite, I do remember there is a passage in the Bible that when a man and woman marry they become one flesh. This concept wouldn’t fly with polygyny. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2005, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-polygamy/291335/22 "2005-02-22T22:57:28Z")
> [@rfgdxm](#): > > And, while I am too lazy to dig up the scriptural cite, I do remember there is a passage in the Bible that when a man and woman marry they become one flesh. This concept wouldn’t fly with polygyny. Genesis 2:24. Obviously the verse does not intend it in the sense you do, simply because Abraham, Jacob, David and many others were polygynous (and the fact that Jewish law allows it). Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2005, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-polygamy/291335/23 "2005-02-22T23:35:58Z")
What about a woman with more than one husband? I’m guessing that’s not allowed? ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2005, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-polygamy/291335/24 "2005-02-22T23:50:19Z")
> [@zev\_steinhardt](#): > > Genesis 2:24. > > Obviously the verse does not intend it in the sense you do, simply because Abraham, Jacob, David and many others were polygynous (and the fact that Jewish law allows it). I was referring to the NT, as my reply was to a post of yours where you referred to Christians. Unless I fried some brain cells, I recall that there is a mention in the NT of a man and woman becoming one flesh. I had presumed that at the time that was written Judaism was monogamous, and they meant it in that context. Of course if they meant it in the context of that passage in Genesis, I am in error. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2005, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-polygamy/291335/25 "2005-02-23T02:31:42Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > What about a woman with more than one husband? I’m guessing that’s not allowed? That would be correct. Polyandry was was never permitted in Jewish law. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2005, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-polygamy/291335/26 "2005-02-23T04:19:18Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Early Christians were influenced more by the Romans and Greeks who did not practice polygyny, hence the prejudice. When they began converting pagans monogamy was a requirement (hence Clovis of the Merovingians got rid of his wives and concubines when he married Clotilda and converted and Vladimir of Kiev supposedly divorced hundreds of wives when he married Anna of Byzantium). > > Martin Luther is known to have allowed at least one childless nobleman to take a second wife in order to secure an heir, then there were odd incidents like the [Anabaptist Kingdom of Muenster](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0312267835/qid=1109109654/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/002-0145306-6985675?v=glance&s=books&n=507846), but generally the Greco-Roman prejudice held firm. He did? Who was the nobleman? An actual second “full” wife or a concubine? ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2005, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-polygamy/291335/27 "2005-02-23T05:39:37Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > He did? Who was the nobleman? An actual second “full” wife or a concubine? Full wife. The man was Philip, Landgrave of Hesse. I was mistaken about the childless part, though- Philip had several children by his first wife, he just happened to be in love with a second woman as well. (Needless to say he was fairly powerful at a time when Luther needed a powerful ally.) ---
**Author:** ![J8099](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c89c15/32.png) [@J8099](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J8099)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2005, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-polygamy/291335/28 "2005-02-23T13:44:52Z")
Thanks for answering my questions, **zev\_steinhardt**. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2005, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-polygamy/291335/29 "2005-02-23T14:00:44Z")
> [@J8099](#): > > Thanks for answering my questions, **zev\_steinhardt**. You’re welcome **J8099**. We live to serve. Zev Steinhardt [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-polygamy/291335.md?page=1)