No Kataluma in the Insula

(for better understanding please read previous post)

We are pretty much all aware that prearranged marriages were a custom in Jewish culture when Jesus walked the earth. What's interesting is the engagement period. After arrangements were made between fathers, both families got together where the groom would present his bride to be a cup of wine. She could then accept the cup (and the young man's offer) or refuse it. If she were to accept it the young man would then go back to his fathers house and begin building a room for he and his bride. Obviously if a man had many son's and this was done with each marriage a home (called an Insula*) could get quite large.

What's interesting is that the young man would not know when the room was finished. Only his father could tell him when the room (pronounced kataluma) was ready. When the father gave his approval, the groom would go and retrieve his bride and the party (reception) would begin directly after the bride and groom consummated the marriage. People would literally wait outside the "room" until the couple surfaced. Then they would party for days.

Why do I bring this up? Because it adds to the plausibility of my last post. Jewish homes could be quite large with many many (kataluma's) available. And so again Joseph and Mary show up in Bethlehem and are told that there is not (kataluma) available to them. I'm not really trying to prove my point from the previous post, so much as show that it is feasible.

Now reread this verse:

"My fathers house has plenty of room; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And i f I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back to take you to be with me that you may also be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going."

You gotta love how much meaning is added to the text when we understand the language. This is wedding language all over the place.

*The Insula pictured is a bit more "Romanesque" than that of traditional Jewish homes for sure, but it's what I had to work with.