At the conclusion of the ancient Jewish ceremony of
formal betrothal, after a ring or some other token of value had been
given to the bride, those gathered to witness and celebrate the
occasion would shout together: “Sanctified!” All that remained to seal
the marriage was a cup of wine, the blessings and the bridal chamber.
In those days the wedding ceremony came at a later date.
However, the ceremony of formal betrothal set the couple
apart to one another in such a binding contract that only a certificate
of divorce could part them. They were sanctified: set apart by consent
and by a holy contract signed by two witnesses. After betrothal,
unfaithfulness was regarded as adultery.
