Question: What were the marriage contracts of ancient Egyptians like?
Answer: Some believe that the first people in the world to make marriage laws were the ancient Egyptians. During the New Kingdom period, a contract was drawn up between the husband and the bride's father, ensuring the property rights of the wife and children. During the Third Intermediate Period, the contract was between the husband and wife. They did include clauses such as a provision for the payment of alimony if the husband later insisted on a divorce. A woman who failed to give her husband a son might be divorced. Or the husband would take a concubine and have children by her, the wife would then adopt these children as her own.
