Among the early Hebrews and other groups, men took concubines as well as wives. A concubine was a bondwoman or a legitimate spouse, albeit one with an inferior rank than that of a principle wife. The concubine had certain privileges, but no real authority in her mate's family, and she could quite readily be dismissed. The early Jews had laws that protected concubines. Although the Jewish patriarchs Abraham and Jacob kept concubines, the practice eventually fell out of favor and became viewed as a sin against the sacred institution of marriage.