AHC: Jewish polygamy reinstated in 13th century

The problem with Gentile second wives is that under Jewish law those children would NOT be considered Jewish as Jewish identity is matrilineal. Now if the women converted, or the children converted at the appropriate age that would be different. In both Christian Europe and in the Muslim world, conversion to Judaism might mean a death sentence for the convert. Certainly the rabbi and other Jews involved in such a conversion would be in a world of trouble. I suspect, given what happened historically, that most of the "non-Jewish" DNA that found its way in to the Ashkenazic population came from rape of Jewish women by non-Jewish men. Of course, some non-Jewish women may have been "brought in" to the community but given the attitudes of the surrounding societies this was very limited.

For an example of this, look at the obvious "white" DNA in the US "black" population. For all practical purposes this was from black women being raped/used by white male masters, white women with black male partners was almost zero until recently. The reaction of Christians or Muslims to Jews defiling their women would have been pretty much what happen to blacks in the USA especially the south with this.
 
Alternatively, rich Jewish men could marry poor Gentile women, servants and such, as their second and third wives. But that will really draw down a lot of opposition. (Genetic studies, however, hint that something like that happened already in the Ashkenazi ethnogenesis).

Given the sentences for heretics then, apostates would not be warmly treated by the authorities.

For an example of this, look at the obvious "white" DNA in the US "black" population. For all practical purposes this was from black women being raped/used by white male masters, white women with black male partners was almost zero until recently. The reaction of Christians or Muslims to Jews defiling their women would have been pretty much what happen to blacks in the USA especially the south with this.

I could see a few expulsions caused by this.
 
Going back to the initial question raised and based upon the information provided in the previous posts, would the POD be that the Romans did not institute the diaspora if I remember my history correctly.

Assuming not other significant POD's, if the Jewish culture remained predominately in the Levant and in turn Islam was realized as it was today, then the practive of polygamy could be a very real possibility within Jewish society.
 
The problem with Gentile second wives is that under Jewish law those children would NOT be considered Jewish as Jewish identity is matrilineal. Now if the women converted, or the children converted at the appropriate age that would be different. In both Christian Europe and in the Muslim world, conversion to Judaism might mean a death sentence for the convert. Certainly the rabbi and other Jews involved in such a conversion would be in a world of trouble. I suspect, given what happened historically, that most of the "non-Jewish" DNA that found its way in to the Ashkenazic population came from rape of Jewish women by non-Jewish men. Of course, some non-Jewish women may have been "brought in" to the community but given the attitudes of the surrounding societies this was very limited.

For an example of this, look at the obvious "white" DNA in the US "black" population.

Not an expert by any means, but from what I understand the genetic studies indicate something different than your hypothesis. What I recall is that they show a distinct male population of y chromosomes marrying women from the general population in late antiquity and the Early middle ages. So before the injunction against polygamy that we are talking about in this thread.
 
Alternatively, rich Jewish men could marry poor Gentile women, servants and such, as their second and third wives. But that will really draw down a lot of opposition. (Genetic studies, however, hint that something like that happened already in the Ashkenazi ethnogenesis).

Any children from that union would not be considered Jewish. The halakhic definition is: if you have a Jewish mother, you're Jewish. Plus Jewish men marrying non-Jewish women would make both the Christian authorities very angry (and that would mean trouble for the Jewish community as a whole - either pogroms or expulsions) and the rabbis would not be happy. While it's possible these women could convert to Judaism (and likely be encouraged to do so), conversion to Judaism was not a fairly common practice back then. It also didn't help that Christian leaders made conversion to Judaism difficult, if not outright illegal. Christianity and Islam are proselytizing faiths, Judaism is not so much.
 

Marc

Donor
In the context of the times, consider that rape was not an uncommon occurrence for Jewish women.
We feel awkward speaking of sexual violence, but the reality is that it is a major part of history for so many women regardless of background, but even more so for those who were minorities, or slaves.
 
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