Bible unclear about concubines

To the editor:

Ron Hamman’s article about Abraham’s wife or concubine was very interesting. From the tiny amount of ancient Greek history I have read, my impression is that probably the wives at that time were not too happy about the concubines. Many wives may have tried to somehow get rid of them. I believe concubines were a common part of society throughout ancient times. If a soldier displayed exceptional bravery during a battle, often he was rewarded with a woman from the captured area. It probably was inappropriate for him to refuse the woman, even if he was married. It is difficult to tell the status of these concubines. I don’t believe they wore any distinctive dress. In Roman times, prostitutes wore distinctive toga-style dresses. Romans were also very concerned with the maintenance of public dignity and social stability, both of which were based on the conventional family unit. ApparentIy, the concubine system gradually phased out. I’m sure the early Christian church generally discouraged the use of concubines. I say generally, as I’m pretty sure even Saint Augustine (one of the great early church leaders) had a concubine. As pastor Hamman pointed out, even the Bible is confusing on this topic.

Doug Bartko

Palmer