Yiftach-Firanko Uri. Marriage and Marital Arrangements: A History of the Greek Marriage Document in Egypt, 4th Century BCE - 4th Century CE

C.H. Beck, 2003. — 380 p.A detailed examination of complex and unfamiliar material does not always go together with a clear and accessible expression of ideas and concepts. This is happily not the case with Uri Yiftach-Firanko’s (hereinafter Y.) new book on the Greek marriage document in Egypt, which, while a significant scholarly contribution, can be read painlessly and profitably by practically anyone. Y.’s subtitle properly expresses the scope of his work: it is not a broadly inclusive social history of marriage in Egypt but a study in legal papyrology focused on the provisions included in Greek marriage documents from Egypt. Non-papyrological sources are not considered systematically, but Y. views his work as a contribution to a fuller study of the popular law of the Roman east, which would include sources from literature and Roman law. The chronological scope is determined by the available evidence, which begins in 310 B.C. and ends in C.E. 363.