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In this paper we will study the impact of marriage on the social status of three women from the Jewish community of the island of Elephantine during the 5th century B.C. We will see that through the marriage bond, manumission is achieved, social status is maintained, and patrimony is protected. Certainly, only in the case of our first protagonist does her marriage result in a clear social promotion. In the other two cases, marriage serves as protection against the detriment of one's own status. Although, obviously, the primary purpose of the institution of marriage is not to reinforce or maintain social status, a study of the ketuboth (marriage contracts) of our protagonists will show us the clauses that allow room for maneuver in order to achieve the objectives of promotion or protection of status alluded to above. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]