When I read the story of Mary and how she was expecting to bear Jesus, while she was betrothed to Joseph, I am always interested in the customs of the day. Here is an overview of the betrothal and wedding customs at the time Jesus was born. Stage 1- Betrothal Betrothal was what we would consider an “engagement” today. The first stage of the betrothal was finding a suitable spouse for the bride or bridegroom. In the ancient Near Eastern culture, this was most often initiated by the families of the bride and groom. Though a young man could make … Continue reading →