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About 2000 years ago in Israel, was a virgin free to choose her future husband (or even to decide whether to marry or not marry at all) or she was absolutely submitted to the will of her father?

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Not true, if she was betrothed by her father she can never reject the marriage. However, if she was betrothed by her mother or brother (in lieu of her father e.g. if her father died) then she can reject the marriage when she comes of age (as long as she did not engage in relations with her husband after she came of age). – Reb Chaim HaQoton Jul 13 '12 at 11:48
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So it's not "How did..." but "Did..."? – Seth J Jul 13 '12 at 13:57
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@brilliant, why are you specifying "2000 years ago in Israel"? Does your question not apply generally? – Seth J Jul 13 '12 at 15:19
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@DoubleAA, Also, the OP is asking about a virgin, but he didn't discuss age. – Seth J Jul 13 '12 at 15:20
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@SethJ - Well, I am more interested in how the matters stood in that particular time, and I suppose things could have changed since that time. – brilliant Jul 13 '12 at 15:53
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Generally minors (i.e. girls under 12) were not married by their fathers unless the situation was desperate, the father could not support them, and instead found his daughters a husband who could support them.

Even in such a case, the marriage was not usually consummated, but rather the girl would live with her husbands family till she got older. And usually the husband was around her age.

One large difference from today is age, people got married a lot younger.

In general people chose those own spouse, not only was that the custom, it is the halacha (law) - a non-minor can not be married against their will.

You may be interested in reading about Tu B'Av - unmarried girls would all dress identically in white clothes (so no one could tell rich from poor) and dance in the vinyards while the unmarried boys watched. (They would sometimes squish grapes with their feet to make wine while dancing.)

My understanding is that if either party saw someone they were interested in they would ask their parents to arrange an introduction.

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Can you source any of this? – Double AA♦ Jul 15 '12 at 3:46
@DoubleAA I wish I could, it learned it such a long time ago. Where I wrote "My understanding" is the part I did not learn, but rather am assuming. – Ariel Jul 15 '12 at 3:51

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