Expert: LEBoyd - 10/4/2007

Question
Hello,

This is a serious question, I am not a prankster,

I have never understood the viginity cloth of the Old Testament,

From what I know, it was like a bedsheet that was used during the consumation of a marriage that contained blood from the bride.

But this makes no sense, because to be a virgin did not mean that the person had never used pleasure toys while yet single.

And, anyone could stain a sheet with blood from their finger to use as proof.

I have never been able to figure this whole thing out from;

Deuteronomy 22:17
Now he has slandered her and said, 'I did not find your daughter to be a virgin.' But here is the proof of my daughter's virginity." Then her parents shall display the cloth before the elders of the town,

Could you please help me,
Thanks,
AL
www.TheBiggestBibleMistakeEver.com

Answer
Al,

Historical evidence suggests that the virginity cloth was the bed sheet from the wedding night.  By the first century, what would often happen is after the marriage was consummated, the sheet would be hung in the window of home to show that the woman was in fact a virgin.

While it was possible that the hymen could be broken prior to marriage without intercourse with a male, this was a very serious issue to the Jews, and therefore, unlikely that any kind of toy would have been used.  They would have considered this to have been a violation and that the woman was not a virgin.

The right to cancel/annul the marriage was the husband's.  Therefore, it was possible that if there was no blood, the husband and wife could decide to fake it in a number of different ways.  For example, if the husband and wife had had pre-marital sex, they may have wanted to fake it.

The whole issue stems from purity bride before marriage.  Of course there was a double-standard in that the there would be no proof of whether the man had pre-marital sex.

Thanks,