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There is an excellent explanation here - http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/48866/what-are-the-tokens-of-virginity
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- Jun 22, 2015
- 2,454
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- 55
- Country
- United States
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- Christian
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- Politics
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Neither am I, so you are free to remain ignorant.
I am nearly 60 years old at this time and began studying middle eastern customs and languages since the age of 17 with a well known Biblical translator from Assyria. As this is a very sensitive subject, I will try to be as clear and to the point as possible without being vulgar. In many cultures around the world, marriage is much more than just a simple contract. The parents arrange the marriages and agree on the "bride price" or what we would call a dowry. Marriages are expected to be an eternal covenant and can bring not just two families together, but sometimes two tribes or countries. Therefore, it would be essential for those involved to have the absolute assurance concerning the purity of the wife. Wedding celebrations sometimes lasted a week or more and usually included the entire communities represented. Therefore, the matter of the woman's virginity was quite important. Before the new wife would be taken to her husband, at least two elderly woman in the village, who probably knew the maid and her family from the day of her birth, would bring a white linen cloth to the damsel and gently break her hymen. This would produce blood on the cloth, which was then presented to her father who would show the entire community, including her new husband, the city elders and anyone else who was interested. This issue was then settled there and then and would never need to be brought up again. However, her Father, in order to protect her honor AND the honor of her family, would keep this garment in a safe place should it ever be needed again as proof of her chastity. These custom's may seem vulgar to those from a western cultural upbringing. However, when trying to understand the near or middle eastern mindset, one must realize how important it is to see cultural issues in a more concrete form rather than the philosophical or metaphysical understanding of the western world view. I hope this answers a delicate question satisfactorily.
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