▁ 2 9 : 1 5 - 2 8 ), ▁El kan ah ▁( 1 ▁Samuel ▁ 1 : 1 - 8 ), ▁David ▁( 1 ▁Samuel ▁ 2 5 : 3 9 - 4 4 ; ▁ 2 ▁Samuel ▁ 3 : 2 - 5 ; ▁ 5 : 1 3 - 1 6 ), ▁and ▁Sol omon ▁( 1 ▁Kings ▁ 1 1 : 1 - 3 ). ▁ ▁Multiple ▁marriage ▁was ▁considered ▁a ▁real istic ▁alternative ▁in ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁fam ine , ▁wid ow hood , ▁or ▁female ▁infer til ity ▁like ▁in ▁the ▁practice ▁of ▁le vir ate ▁marriage , ▁where in ▁a ▁man ▁was ▁required ▁to ▁marry ▁and ▁support ▁his ▁dece ased ▁brother ' s ▁wid ow , ▁as ▁mand ated ▁by ▁. ▁Despite ▁its ▁pre val ence ▁in ▁the ▁Heb rew ▁Bible , ▁sch ol ars ▁do ▁not ▁believe ▁that ▁pol yg yn y ▁was ▁commonly ▁pract iced ▁in ▁the ▁bib lic al ▁era ▁because ▁it ▁required ▁a ▁significant ▁amount ▁of ▁wealth . ▁Michael ▁Co og an , ▁in ▁contrast , ▁states ▁that ▁" Pol yg yn y ▁continued ▁to ▁be ▁pract iced ▁well ▁into ▁the ▁bib lic al ▁period , ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁att ested ▁among ▁Jews ▁as ▁late ▁as ▁the ▁second ▁century   CE ". ▁ ▁The ▁mon og amy ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁Empire ▁was ▁the ▁cause ▁of ▁two ▁explan atory ▁notes ▁in ▁the ▁writ ings ▁of ▁Joseph us ▁describing ▁how ▁the ▁pol yg am ous ▁mar ri ages ▁of ▁Her od ▁the ▁Great