Coming of age in the book of Ruth

[Curt]

I know that there was no Bar Mitzvah ceremony at the time of the book of Ruth, but the age of responsibility was likely recognized (age 13 plus one day). Would there have been a ceremony of any kind for Mahlon and Chilean? Would they have gone to Jerusalem if there was one? Any info on this ritual moving into manhood at that time in history would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Contra_Mundum]

Ex.23:17, 34:23, and Dt.16:16 (fullest expression) all command the presence of the male (adult) population in Jerusalem 3X annually.

Dt.16:16, "Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before Jehovah thy God in the place which he shall choose: in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles; and they shall not appear before Jehovah empty:"

Ceremonies are a "natural" way of marking times of life-transition. I am not aware of any biblical data that elaborates on the origins of such a ceremony as bar-mitzvah. But we know that Jesus' 12yr old attendance at Passover in Jerusalem is noted in the NT, that he was gathered to the eldership (religious doctors) of the the nation.

It's certainly the Presbyterian inference that this constituted something of an examination of faith and knowledge in anticipation of the child's soon-to-be assumed manly, personally accountable religious duty. In the following year, Jesus would be a man, expected to come on his own recognizance for the rest of his life 3X annually to the feasts barring providential hindering.

What sort of habits was the nation or individual families engaged in more than eleven-hundred years before? How anyone could tell for sure, I don't know.