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Source for above: http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/hh-fam/tabMS-2.pdf

Also,

under Judaism, boys could marry or make religious vows at 14-years-old and girls at 12-years-old, both only with parental permission, which parental permission was required until both boys or girls were 21-years-old ("Adult Age," McClintock and Strong Encyclopaedia).

Still further, excerpts from my book, Biblical Companions, briefly addresses ancient, biblical marriage customs.

Ancient marriages were usually arranged between the oldest male family members within the same group or family clan (Genesis 27:46-28:2). This guaranteed the future existence of the overall group and preservation of culture and values. Girls were given in marriage when they were old enough to bear children, whereas men married when they either received their inheritance or obtained their own resources. It was also common for the groom to give a dowry, or purchase his wife from his future father-in-law. In the case of Jacob, since he evidently had no such dowry, he indentured himself to his father-in-law in exchange for his wives (Genesis 29:15-21). (Rushmore)

During the first century, however, it appears to have been the general rule that young people who were "of age" could arrange their own marriages. A girl was considered of age at twelve years and one day. The Jewish rabbis set the minimum age for marriage at twelve years for the girl, and thirteen years for the boy. A boy should certainly be wed by the time he was eighteen to twenty. Betrothal was a vital part of marriage in biblical times. Once a young man had chosen his prospective bride, and she had consented (if of age), a formal declaration of marital intent was made in the presence of two witnesses. The couple was then betrothed. The betrothal period was fixed by law. For a maiden, it was from ten months to a year; for a widow, three months. From the time of her betrothal until the marriage actually took place, a woman was treated as if she were actually married. The betrothal could not be dissolved except by divorce; breach of faithfulness was regarded as adultery. (Jackson) Sources : Jackson, Wayne. Background Bible Study. Montgomery: Apologetics Press, 1986. McGarvey, J.W. Lands of the Bible. Nashville: Gospel Advocate, 1966. Rushmore, Louis. Biblical Companions: Geography, Archaeology & Sacred History. Cameron: Louis Rushmore, 2000. http://www.gospelgazette.com/gazette/2005/may/page20.htm

The Case for Early Marriage Amid our purity pledges and attempts to make chastity hip, we forgot to teach young Christians how to tie the knot. - Christianity Today

Great article, worth reading the whole thing.

A few things I took away from it:

“Most young Americans no longer think of marriage as a formative institution, but rather as the institution they enter once they think they are fully formed.”

The evangelical culture of the time I went to college certainly promoted this idea: you had to be “a whole person” before you married. However, becoming a whole person is a lifelong process. The emphasis on self-actualization stymied a number of people from getting married.

“Unfortunately, education about marriage is now sadly perceived as self-obvious, juvenile, or feminine, the domain of disparaged home economics courses.”

Yes. Yes. Yes. We really do need to educate TEENS about the importance of marriage and setting up a household. It’s not all about me, me, me.

As an aside: I found it interesting how the author downplayed the importance of premarital chastity (even as he was apparently advocating for marriage) and cheered on the idea of the man being so much older than the woman at marriage.

I’d said earlier that you can’t talk about contraception without also talking about fornication. The men and women in that CT article must have been involved in both. Also what of venereal diseases, out-of-wedlock births, and abortion? The author does not mention these at all. I find it puzzling and a little sad.