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Much detail added—more detail, likely, still needed
Polygamy, meaning literally in Greek “many marriages”, is the practice of having many wives or husbands.
Polygamy is an inclusive term encompassing [[polygyny]], the practice of having multiple wives, [[polyandry]], the practice of having multiple husbands, and [[group marriage]], the practice of having multiple husbands and wives. Any marriage of 3 or more people is polygamous.
Polygamy, historically, has been wide spread. The most common form of polygamy is polygyny. Polygynous marriages are found throughout the [[Old Testament]] – [[Abraham]] <ref>Genesis 16:3 Abraham’s wife, Sarah, gives Hagar to be his wife[http://aol.bartleby.com/108/01/16.html#3]</ref> <ref>Newton Biography[http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/biography/Newton.html]</ref>
<ref>Genesis 25:1 Abraham takes a third wife, [http://aol.bartleby.com/108/01/25.html#1]</ref>, [[Jacob]] <ref>Genesis 29:23 Jacob marries Leah[http://aol.bartleby.com/108/01/29.html#23]</ref>
<ref>Genesis 29:28 Jacob marries Rachel[http://aol.bartleby.com/108/01/29.html#28]</ref>
<ref>Genesis 30:4, Rachel gives Jacob Bilhah to marry [http://aol.bartleby.com/108/01/30.html#4]</ref>
<ref>Genesis 30:9 Leah gives Jacob Zilpah to marry [http://aol.bartleby.com/108/01/30.html#9]</ref>
, [[Moses]] <ref>Exodus 2:21 Moses marries Zippo'rah [http://aol.bartleby.com/108/02/2.html#21]</ref>
<ref>Numbers 12:1 Moses’s marriage to an Ethiopian woman[http://aol.bartleby.com/108/04/12.html#1]</ref>, [[Solomon]] <ref>1 Kings 11:3 Solomon had 700 wives [http://aol.bartleby.com/108/11/11.html#3]</ref>, and [[David]] <ref>1 Samuel 25 – 25:39 David marries Abigail, 25:43 David marries Ahinoam, and 25:44 David marries Michal [http://aol.bartleby.com/108/09/25.html#]</ref>, for example, are all described as having more than one wife. The [[Koran]] also approves of polygyny <ref>Koran 4:3-4http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/004.qmt.html#004.003]</ref>. The practice was also known among Eourpean tribes in pre-Christian Europe and in both China and Japan
<ref>Polygyny in Europe and China[http://www.trivia-library.com/b/alternative-forms-of-marriage-polygyny-part-1.htm]</ref>. In the modern world polygyny is practiced to some extent in China<ref>Lang and Smart. “Migration and the Second Wife in South China: Toward cross-border polygyny” The International migration review 2002, vol. 36, no2, pp. 546-569 [http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=13830800]</ref>, among fundamentalist Mormons<ref>News story on Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints[http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2006-05-25/news/it-practices-what-they-preach/]</ref> (the mainstream Mormon Church outlawed the practice in 1890<ref>LDS official position[http://www.mormon.org/question/faq/category/answer/0,9777,1601-1-114-1,00.html]</ref>) and in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa <ref>Brown, Judith E. “Polygyny and Family Planning in sub-Saharan Africa” Studies in Family Planning, Vol. 12, No. 8/9 (Aug. - Sep., 1981), pp. 322-326. Abstract. [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0039-3665(198108%2F09)12%3A8%2F9%3C322%3APAFPIS%3E2.0.CO%3B2-U]</ref>
Polyandry is and has been less common around the world, but it has been practiced. Polyandry is part of traditional Tibetan culture<ref>List of references [http://www.case.edu/affil/tibet/tibetanSociety/marriage.htm]</ref> and is practiced by some [[Native American]] tribes<ref>Polyandry among the Inuit[http://www.snowwowl.com/peopleinuit5.html]</ref>.
Group marriage is likely the least common form of polygamy, but it is practiced. In fact a number of Americans purport to practice just this sort of living arrangement<ref>Kurtz, Stanley, “Rick Santorum Was Right Meet the future of marriage in America.” New Republic Online 3/23/05 [http://www.nationalreview.com/kurtz/kurtz200503230746.asp]</ref>.