Adultery

Adultery was a serious crime in the world of the Bible. It was punishable by death, as was also the custom in the surrounding cultures.

A woman must not sleep with someone else other than her husband. It did not matter whether the other was a married or an unmarried man. In the case of adultery, the woman received the death penalty.
For a man, not all extramarital relations counted as adultery. A man only committed adultery if he had relations with a married woman, or with a woman who was already betrothed.

Adultery was punishable by death. This was in principle carried out by stoning, but sometimes the man or woman was burned alive.
One of the best known stories about adultery is that of David, who sleeps with Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11. They, however, are not put to death.

The New Testament also warns against adultery, usually in conjunction with warnings against murder, greed and theft. All these immoral actions were strongly condemned.
Adultery was a valid reason for divorce (see Matthew 19:9).

In the Old and New Testaments, adultery is also used as a metaphor for turning your back on God. People who start to serve false gods are said to commit adultery and prostitution towards God.