Where and when did the concept of marriage start?

Question

All these marriage questions being posted made me wonder where the concept started and exactly when? Was it started in religion or because of something else?

Answer 1

"In the Christian tradition, a "one man one woman" model for the Christian marriage was advocated by Saint Augustine (354-439 AD) with his published letter The Good of Marriage."

This is the citation for the above quote and a history of marriage:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriage

With all due respect to those who claim the bible supports "one man, one woman," they are incorrect. The alleged father of Jews & Arabs, Abraham had a wife Sarai, and a concubine, Hagar.

That practice was sanctioned by the bible many times over in later stories.

And, Abraham prostituted his wife to the Egyptians. An act which completely negates the idea that the bible considers marriage to be sacred or anything other than just another relationship of convenience.

Answer 2

It seems to be more than the Bible since there is marriage in Islam, Judaism, and almost every human society. The Bible speaks about people being married in the old testament, long before the time of Jesus.

I think it is a social question not a Christian question. Religion has adopted the cause but Marriage had to start before current religious history

Answer 3

Marriage is a divine institution, authorized and established by God in Eden. Marriage brings into being the family unit, the family circle. Its basic purpose was the reproducing of the members of the human family, to bring into existence more creatures of the human kind. The Creator made male and female and ordained marriage as the proper arrangement for the multiplication of the human race. (Ge 1:27, 28) The first human wedding was performed by God, as described at Genesis 2:22-24.
Marriage was designed to form a permanent bond of union between man and woman, that they might be mutually helpful to each other. Living together in love and confidence, they could enjoy great happiness. God created woman as a mate for man by using the man’s rib as a base, thereby making woman man’s closest fleshly relative on earth, his own flesh. (Ge 2:21) As Jesus pointed out, it was not Adam but God who said, “That is why a man will leave his father and his mother and he must stick to his wife and they must become one flesh.” The wording of this text makes it evident that monogamy was the original standard for marriage in the eyes of God.—Mt 19:4-6; Ge 2:24.

Answer 4

Bible. It was ordained to be between a man and a woman, even though it was stated it was better to not be married. Kinda like a way to help people from sinning.

After that, government instuted marriage between "two people" Bill Clinton refined it by making it between a man and a woman. Funny a democrat is to blame for all of this.

Dont believe me? Look it up.

Answer 5

When Jehovah God created Eve out of Adam's rib, and she came to be as a helper for Adam, a complement. (Genesis 2:18-25) The Bible tells us in verse s 23,24 that "the man (Adam) said: This is at last bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.This one will be called woman, because from man this one was taken. That is why a man will leave his father and his mother and and he must stick to his wife and they must become one flesh." And such was the very first marriage!

Answer 6

It started just after the dawn of time. There came a point in time when men did not want to share their women. At that time they instituted marriage to make women their property that way they could claim rights to them and no one else could have them.

Answer 7

It started at the beginning of creation when God created man and then created a woman for him from his rib. God intended marriage when He put them together as life partners to be fruitful and fill the earth.

Answer 8

not the bible.
people were marrying, well, they didn't call it marriage then. but the concept of a monogamous life-long partner has been around since at least the agricultural revolution. funerals have been around longer, granted, but ever since people have settled down to live their lives, these sort of ceremonies started.

Answer 9

early religions (has nothing to do with the bible)

for subjugation of women as sexual property

Answer 10

Through the Bible.