I'm pretty sure I learned somewhere along that line that betrothal was a bigger deal back in the day than engagement is now, so, while they weren't married, they were, well, betrothed in the sense of obligated to be married at some point in the future (instead of just, intended to marry, I guess). So. Not the point of the conversation; just a factoid.

I've always been a bit perplexed by the difference between a binding betrothal and actually being married. Is it because a betrothal is easier to break than a marriage, even if it's a big deal? Sort of a Going Once, Going Twice, I really mean it this time thing?

I remember reading somewhere that, within the way that Jewish marriages are traditionally done, if you're already engaged, then it's easier to get married and then divorced than it is to break the engagement, but I don't know all the details of that.

I'm mostly disturbed by the fact that we've lived together for 4 years and I didn't know if we had a Bible. I mean, I *know* the books in this house.

Heh. I can safely say we don't have a Bible. I may not know all of the books that are around in our house, but I know we don't have a Bible.

We have one (in a box, somewhere). I was raised So. Baptist and the cadences of the KJV are in my head irrelevant of context. Sort of like Shakespeare, phrases arise to fit circumstances or whim.

Song of Solomon is still a joyous thing read aloud, and I can probably recite "...shepherds biding in the fields, watching over their flocks by night. And suddenly..." in its entirety just from the magic of hearing it every Christmas season of my childhood. It seeped in through the pores, and the residue remains, even now I've, er, um. Seen the light.

I sent the last Bible we had to Liese.

I still have mine from Catholic school. Also have ones from DH#1 and DH#2. I have no clue where they a re actually located. I think Bob's family bible is at my mom's house.

I've got a King James Bible and it sits on the shelf next to my Riverside Shakespeare and the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (Not the Oxford English Dictionary because that's too big for that shelf.) Anyway, it's filed there because it's an important linguistic resource, like its shelf mates.

Not sure where JZ keeps her Catholic bible. Probably on our dresser.

I remember reading somewhere that, within the way that Jewish marriages are traditionally done, if you're already engaged, then it's easier to get married and then divorced than it is to break the engagement, but I don't know all the details of that.

Well, sure. I mean, the invitations have already gone out.

We have a ludicrous number of Bibles, in two languages. They hail from multiple sources: my time in the FAC, studying Biblical Literature at University, and Wallybee's church back in China. Finally, Wallybee's work as an interpreter often sees her in the Refugee Tribunal. A lot of those cases involve claims of religious persecution. She therefore needs Chinese-language and English-language Bibles for her job.

Lo and behold, we do have a Bible, so we looked it up, and Mary and Joseph were not yet wed when she became pregnant. I think they still weren't wed when she gave birth, but I'm not 100% on that.)

As I recall from someone's tipsy attempt to read the story, married, but knew her not until after the baby Jeebus went out the hoo-haw shoot.