levirate marriage
Brother marries widow
Levirate marriage is the practice whereby a man marries his deceased brother's widow.
The custom appears in ancient Hebrew law and various traditional cultures, intended to provide for the widow and continue the dead man's lineage.
The firstborn son of such a union was considered the heir of the deceased brother.
His younger brother took her in levirate marriage.
- brotherMale with shared parents
- levirateWidow marries husband's brother
- sibling-in-lawSpouse's brother or sister
- DeuteronomyFifth Torah book
- inheritance rightsHeir's legal estate entitlements
ancient custom · tribal society · biblical law · familial duty · husband · wife · son · firstborn · offspring · heir · lineage · family name · male heir · duty · biblical · property · obligation · sister-in-law
- Mosaic lawMoses, Mosaic law, Ten Commandments, tablets of stone, commandment
- tribal marriagebride price, bridewealth, tribal ceremonies, wedding rituals, wedding feasts
- Biblical Sexualityadultery, fornication, virginity, lust, prostitution
- Nilotic culturecattle herding, scarification, cattle raids, cattle raiding, tribal elders
- Torah lawsTen Commandments, Sabbath observance, kosher laws, dietary laws, tefillin
- marriagebride, groom, wedding, husband, wife