Editing Concubinage (section)

=== Ancient Judaism ===
The term concubine did not necessarily refer to women after the first wife. A man could have many wives and concubines. Legally, any children born to a concubine were considered to be the children of the wife she was under.
The concubine may not have commanded the exact amount of respect as the wife. In the [[Levitical]] rules on sexual relations, the Hebrew word that is commonly translated as "wife" is distinct from the Hebrew word that means "concubine". However, on at least one other occasion the term is used to refer to a woman who is not a wife{{snd}} specifically, the handmaiden of Jacob's wife.<ref>{{bibleverse||Genesis|30:4|}}</ref> In the Levitical code, sexual intercourse between a man and a wife of a different man was forbidden and punishable by death for both persons involved.<ref>{{bibleverse||Leviticus|20:10|}}</ref><ref>{{bibleverse||Deuteronomy|22:22|}}</ref> Since it was regarded as the highest blessing to have many children, wives often gave their maids to their husbands if they were barren, as in the case of [[Rachel]] and [[Bilhah]]. The children of the concubine often had equal rights with those of the wife;<ref name="JewEncPil" /> for example, King [[Abimelech (Judges)|Abimelech]] was the son of [[Gideon]] and his concubine.<ref>{{bibleverse||Judges|8:31|}}</ref> Later biblical figures, such as Gideon and [[Solomon]], had concubines in addition to many childbearing wives. For example, the [[Books of Kings]] say that Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines.<ref>{{bibleverse|1|Kings|11:1–3}}</ref>

[[File:Fiddlerandtaborer.png|thumb|Illustration from the [[Morgan Bible]] of the [[Benjamite]]s taking women of [[Shiloh (biblical city)|Shiloh]] as concubines]]
The account of the unnamed Levite in Judges 19–20<ref>{{bibleverse||Judges|19|NRVS}}, {{bibleverse||Judges|20|NRSV}}</ref> shows that the taking of concubines was not the exclusive preserve of kings or patriarchs in Israel during the time of the Judges, and that the rape of a concubine was completely unacceptable to the Israelite nation and led to a [[civil war]]. In the story, the Levite appears to be an ordinary member of the tribe, whose concubine was a woman from Bethlehem in Judah. This woman was unfaithful, and eventually abandoned him to return to her paternal household. However, after four months, the Levite, referred to as her husband, decided to travel to her father's house to persuade his concubine to return. She is amenable to returning with him, and the father-in-law is very welcoming. The father-in-law convinces the Levite to remain several additional days, until the party leaves behind schedule in the late evening. The group pass up a nearby non-Israelite town to arrive very late in the city of Gibeah, which is in the land of the Benjaminites. The group sit around the town square, waiting for a local to invite them in for the evening, as was the custom for travelers. A local old man invites them to stay in his home, offering them [[guest right]] by washing their feet and offering them food. A band of wicked townsmen attack the house and demand the host send out the Levite man so they can rape him. The host offers to send out his virgin daughter as well as the Levite's concubine for them to rape, to avoid breaking guest right towards the Levite. Eventually, to ensure his own safety and that of his host, the Levite gives the men his concubine, who is raped and abused through the night, until she is left collapsed against the front door at dawn. It is important to note that the Levite man chose to save himself from rape at the expense of his wife. In the morning, the Levite finds her when he tries to leave. When she fails to respond to her husband's order to get up (possibly because she is dead, although the language is unclear) the Levite places her on his donkey and continues home. Once home, he dismembers her body and distributes the 12 parts throughout the nation of Israel. The Israelites gather to learn why they were sent such grisly gifts, and are told by the Levite of the sadistic rape of his concubine. The crime is considered outrageous by the Israelite tribesmen, who then wreak total retribution on the men of Gibeah, as well as the surrounding tribe of Benjamin when they support the Gibeans, killing them without mercy and burning all their towns. The inhabitants of (the town of) Jabesh Gilead are then slaughtered as a punishment for not joining the 11 tribes in their war against the Benjaminites, and their 400 unmarried daughters given in [[forced marriage]] to the 600 Benjamite survivors. Finally, the 200 Benjaminite survivors who still have no wives are granted a [[Raptio|mass marriage by abduction]] by the other tribes.