Marriage contract in Judaism (Ketubah) and the extent of its influence on marriage contracts among the peoples of the ancient Near East (ancient Egyptian contracts model)

Abstract

The research aims to refute Jewish claims that the marriage contracts are product of Jews themselves by shedding light on to what extent have the these Jews influenced by the surrounding communities especially in Babylon and Egypt, whether in the written of the marriage contract or in the formulation of its conditions and what it contains of the rights, obligations and the financial obligations. There was a need to write the marriage contracts after the Jews had contacted with their neighbors in Babylon and Egypt. During the Babylonian captivity 586 BC, a large number of Jews were displaced to Egypt to Babylon and several of them were also displaced to Egypt too. While the Jews were allowed to return to Judah 538 BC - 462 BC, generations of Jews were reincarnated by the culture, civilization, and laws of the nations were they born and lived in. Thus, the Jews have re-drafted their laws in line with the developments of their economic, social and intellectual conditions