When a Jew wrote a document such as a marriage contract, he (or his scribe) would use the formulae, language and legal concepts of whichever legal system was best suited to his situation, and when a he had a dispute, he would choose whichever court was most likely to rule in his favour. One individual wrote his own marriage contract based on the law of the Sages, and then another for his daughter based on Graeco-Roman law. Even the Sages, who felt that their legal system was divinely ordained, were willing to accept the validity of competing legal systems. This suggests that ordinary Jews were only loosely affiliated to specific religious groups and had an eclectic approach to legal matters.
"Choosing a Legal System in Early Judaism"
When a Jew wrote a document such as a marriage contract, he (or his scribe) would use the formulae, language and legal concepts of whichever legal system was best suited to his situation, and when a he had a dispute, he would choose whichever court was most likely to rule in his favour. One individual wrote his own marriage contract based on the law of the Sages, and then another for his daughter based on Graeco-Roman law. Even the Sages, who felt that their legal system was divinely ordained, were willing to accept the validity of competing legal systems. This suggests that ordinary Jews were only loosely affiliated to specific religious groups and had an eclectic approach to legal matters.
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