30 ;  1  Sam.  i.  2  ;  2  Sam.  v.  13  ;  xii.  8 ;  xxi.  8 ;
1  Kin.  xi.  3).  The  evils  of  polygamy  are
exhibited  in  Scripture  by  the  record  of  the
jealousies  of  the  wives  of  Abraham  and
Elkanah  (Gen.  xvi.  6 ;  1  Sam.  i.  6),  and  beau
tiful  pictures  are  presented  of  the  felicity  of
marriage  between  one  man  and  one  woman
(Ps.  cxxviii.  3;  Prov.  v.  18;  xxxi.  10-29;
Ecc.  ix.  9;  cp.  Ecclus.  xxvi.  1-27).
In  the  family  to  which  Abraham  belonged
marriage  was  permitted  with  a  half-sister
arid  with  two  sisters  (Gen.  xx.  12  ;  xxix.  26).
Marriage  with  a  full  sister  was  not  rare  in
Egypt,  and  was  allowed  in  Persia  (Herod.
iii.  31).  Marriage  with  a  half-sister  by  the
same  father  was  permitted  at  Athens,  and
with  a  half-sister  by  the  same  mother  at
Sparta.  The  Mosaic  law  prohibited  alliance
with  persons  so  closely  related  by  blood  as
these  and  with  others  less  near  of  kin  (Lev.
xviii.  6-18)  ;  but  in  case  a  man  died  childless,
his  brother  took  the  widow  (Deut.  xxv.  5).
