Jewish Law & Early Christian Identity: Betrothal, Marriage, & Infidelity in the Writings of Ephrem the Syrian

Yifat Monnickendam. Jewish Law & Early Christian Identity: Betrothal, Marriage, & Infidelity in the Writings of Ephrem the Syrian. Cambridge University Press, 2020.

Yifat Monnickendam’s monograph, Jewish Law & Early Christian Identity: Betrothal, Marriage, & Infidelity in the Writings of Ephrem the Syrian, explores the identity of the elusive figure Ephrem the Syrian. As a Christian living on the edge of the Roman Empire, Monnickendam writes, Ephrem “stands at a crossroads between eastern traditions and the western regime in which he lived, between a commitment to a post-Nicene Christianity and Semitic – or even Jewish – heritage and practice” (p.2). Her test case for navigating Ephrem’s identity is, as the title suggests, matrimonial law. Monnickendam’s choice of Ephrem and matrimonial law allows her to exhibit her expertise not only in Syriac literature but also in the broader religious and legal landscape of the late ancient Mediterranean.

The book’s chapters take readers through a kind of “marriage story” by focusing on four different stages or aspects of the marital relationship. The first chapter, “Creating a Primary Bond,” examines Ephrem’s views on betrothal and marriage by elucidating the argumentative contexts in which the two may be the same or distinct. As Monnickendam points out in her detailed survey of Ephrem’s legal terminology, it seems that he effectively flattens the difference between betrothal and marriage in a manner similar to rabbinic halakha (p. 84). Yet she broadens her inquiry by examining three of Ephrem’s “direct statements” -- or his use of specific phrases in context -- and finds that, while his terminology may reflect that of the rabbis, Ephrem uses the language theologically rather than legally. His understanding that “betrothal is as binding as marriage” is colored by his own theological commitments as a post-Nicene Christian invested in protecting the virgin birth from polemic (pp. 58-60).

Following the chapter on betrothal, Monnickendam moves readers to the next stage of engagement – cohabitation. Chapter two, “During Betrothal,” treats Ephrem’s view of premarital cohabitation. While Ephrem follows his Christian contemporaries in the theological argument that Mary’s betrothal to Joseph could be proof of the virgin conception, Monnickendam questions whether Ephrem’s theological arguments were based on his legal reasoning or his knowledge of contemporary practices. As she puts it, “did he think a betrothed woman would be guaranteed to reach her wedding night a virgin, without any premarital sexual experience?” By looking at Ephrem’s exegesis of the story of Lot & his daughters, Monnickendam concludes that, despite Ephrem’s opposition to premarital sex, he does not consider sex between a betrothed couple fornication (p. 91). Ephrem’s understanding of premarital cohabitation and sex falls most closely in line with that of the Palestinian rabbis who also condemn cohabitational, premarital sex but conclude it cannot be considered fornication.

The most absorbing arguments of the book, however, take place in the final two chapters. Chapter three, “Creating a Marital Bond,” focuses on Ephrem's understanding of sex as the formative aspect of the marital bond and, based on that logic, whether rape can create a marital bond. In a radical departure from his Roman and Christian contemporaries, Ephrem’s writings suggest that his answer is yes. In his hymns and biblical exegesis, he suggests that the act of sex itself creates an “unbreakable bond, irrespective of intent or consent, and regardless of any legal procedure” (p. 109). As Monnickendam points out, this view contrasts with those of many contemporary Roman jurists and bishops like Basil of Caesarea and John Chrysostom who view “consent and a proper legal procedure” as prerequisites for marriage (p. 129). Particularly concerning the question of abduction marriage or rape, Ephrem’s views largely make him an outlier amongst his fourth-century contemporaries from across the religious and geographic spectrum. But, as she demonstrates through comparative readings, his views on sex, rape, and abduction marriage most closely align with the “sectarian halakhic tradition” from Qumran.

Monnickendam’s fourth chapter, “Breaking a Marital Bond,” delves into Ephrem’s views on divorce, adultery, and fornication. While Ephrem shares his Christian peers’ distaste for divorce and remarriage, his legal rejection of it differs, and this difference colors his treatment of annulment, divorce, and infidelity. Monnickendam builds her argument on sources securely attributed to Ephrem such as the Hymns on the Nativity as well as more dubiously attributed works such as the Commentary on the Diatessaron.[1] She argues that in the case of betrothal, couples need a full divorce to separate since, in Ephrem’s eyes, betrothal is essentially marriage. Somewhat in tension with this, however, is that, once married, the union is considered “an unbreakable bond” that cannot be broken by anything short of death (p. 161). Thus, it is not shocking that as punishment for straying from this “unbreakable bond,” Ephrem argues that married women who commit fornication should be beheaded, while their male counterparts should also face a trial but only be forced to divorce (p. 199). As with chapter 3, Monnickendam also finds here that Ephrem's understanding of adultery and fornication most closely resembles the rejected early Palestinian halakhic traditions (p. 200).

How then, do we best answer the question swirling at the core of each chapter: what is the primary influence on Ephrem’s matrimonial thought? While we can see Ephrem adopt Christian theological arguments in his understanding of the status of a betrothed woman and the prohibition of divorce, he is also influenced by Roman law. Yet, as Monnickendam notes, most cases she covers here reveal Ephrem’s remarkable affinity with early sectarian and Palestinian halakhic discussions (p. 203). As Monnickendam observes, the wide range of influences can be ascribed to variety in the cases she discusses. For instances related to his identity as a Christian, like the question of Mary’s status as a betrothed woman, he adopts Christian theological arguments. Yet in situations that do not have a bearing on his theological or ceremonial identity, Ephrem is far more inclined to follow an early Palestinian rabbinic or sectarian line of thinking (pp. 203-4).

Monnickendam’s study wrestles with the complexity of Ephrem’s thought as well as the centrality of marriage imagery within his writings. While each chapter pulls readers into legal minutiae from across the ancient Mediterranean, she bookends her analysis with easy-to-follow summaries of her findings. In that light, this book is accessible to a wide array of students and scholars with different backgrounds, interests, and levels of familiarity with Ephrem. Students and scholars of Syriac, Christian asceticism, Rabbinic literature, and ancient law will all find this book thought-provoking. This book will also be an important resource for those interested in late antique marriage, virginity, and sexuality. In this vein, Monnickendam’s study resonates with works like Michael Rosenberg’s Signs of Virginity, Michal Bar-Asher Siegal’s Early Christian Monastic Literature and the Babylonian Talmud, and Charlotte Fonrobert’s classic, Menstrual Purity: Rabbinic and Christian Reconstructions of Biblical Gender. It is a rare pleasure to read an academic book that, once finished, I want to pick back up and reread immediately. In Jewish Law & Early Christian Identity, Monnickendam digs through Ephrem’s writings to unearth such rich insights about language, identity, and sexuality that invite readers to revisit her work.

[1] The authorship of the Commentary, long assumed to be a work of Ephrem, has come into question. The Commentary may reflect Ephrem’s thought as well as a broader “Ephremic” school of commentary. For a discussion of this question, see Christian Lange, The Portrayal of Christ in the Syriac Commentary on the Diatessaron (Louvain: Peeters, 2005), esp. 52-55.  

Jeannie Sellick recently received her PhD from the University of Virginia’s Religious Studies Department. She specializes in early Christian gender and sexuality with a focus on masculinity and an obsession with Jerome. When not teaching, tweeting, or writing about Jerome and male virginity you can find Jeannie making buffalo wings with her geriatric dog, Missy Elliott. Follow Jeannie on Twitter.