HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL BACKGROUND Most religions of the world have different views regarding the moral issues that arise from people's sexuality in society and in human interactions. Each major religion has developed moral codes covering issues of sexuality, morality, ethics etc. These moral conducts seek to regulate the situations which can give rise to sexual significance and to influence people's sexual activities and practices. Sexual morality is a wider concept and varies from time to time and between cultures. Sexual norms and standard of sexual activities can be associated to religious beliefs, or social and environmental conditions. Sexuality and reproduction are basic elements in human interactions and society worldwide. Furthermore, …show more content…
In patriarchal times the sanctity of marriage was pictured as jealously guarded. The Biblical and Talmudical ideal of marriage had a strong influence in controlling those who were susceptible to purely moral influence. Idolatry, murder, and gilluy 'arayot (which comprises both incest and adultery) are three crimes never to be committed under any circumstances, and a man should give up his life rather than commit them. This was the decision of the rabbis at the meeting at Lydda, during the Hadrianic Revolt. Thus law and morality went hand in hand to prevent the commission of the crime. For those, however, who were reluctant to warnings of law and reason, the punishment of death was ordained. Both the guilty wife and her paramour were put to …show more content…
The punishment for this crime was stoning to death at the place of public execution. The punishment for Adultery according to the Mishnah was strangulation, the rabbinical theory being that wherever the death penalty was mentioned in the Bible, without any specific statement of the manner of its infliction, strangulation was meant. The priest's daughter who committed adultery was burned to death, and her paramour was strangled. When the crime is committed with a bondmaid betrothed to a man, it is not Adultery technically, because the woman is not free, and the death penalty is not inflicted, but as she has a quasi-marital status, she and her paramour are scourged. Ibn Ezra takes the view that this case refers to the Hebrew maiden who has been sold by her father and who is intended to be the bride of her master or of his son, but who is not yet betrothed, for the betrothal would have made her free ipso