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Was Mary a Virgin?
The idea of Mary, as a virgin, has an interesting linguistic and translation history.
The idea of Mary’s virginity first appears in the gospel of Matthew. This gospel was written in Greek in 80-95CE, approximately 50-60 years after Jesus had died. It’s important to keep in mind that the gospel of Matthew was written anonymously by someone who had never met Jesus. Around 200 CE, the gospel account was attributed to a man named Matthew.
In Matthew’s writings about Mary, the author quotes what he believes is a prophecy from the book of Isaiah. “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son.” But interestingly, the original Hebrew text doesn’t actually mention the word “virgin” at all. The original Hebrew text uses the word ha-almah, which is similar to the English words “young” or “maid.” The Hebrew word for “virgin” is bethulah, which is not used in the original text.
The Greek Septuagint translation of Isaiah 7:14 uses the word parthenos, which means “virgin.” However, the Greek translation is considered a mistranslation because the Hebrew word ha-almah is more accurately translated as a synonym for “young woman.”
The Gospel of Matthew was written for Jewish and Gentile Christians who were familiar with Jewish culture and religious practices. The author of the gospel of Matthew likely read the Greek translation of Isaiah, leading him to write an account that would show the birth of Jesus as the fulfillment of the Prophecy of Isaiah.
Even more interesting is that the earliest Christian writings mention nothing of a virgin birth. Even two of the gospels, Mark and John, make no claim of Mary’s virginity.
The early Christian church likely viewed Jesus’s family as quite normal. Even Jesus’s younger brother James, who is mentioned clearly in the gospels as Jesus’s brother, was himself a leader of the early Christian church.
The translation concern regarding Mary’s virginity had significant consequences for the Christian faith. By the early 4th century CE, a new doctrine emerged, claiming that Mary remained a virgin her entire life, despite the clear gospel references to Jesus and his sibling(s).
Both gospel writers, Matthew and Luke mention the virgin birth in their accounts. Matthew 1:18 explains that Mary conceived Jesus before having sex. And Luke 1:34-35 has Mary bearing a child before having sex. However, these passages make no mention of how they know this, as Mary’s virginity was not commonly understood by early followers. The passages were likely written to fulfill the mistranslated prophecy from Isaiah, thereby creating the doctrine of Mary as a lifelong virgin.
Some important questions emerge from these considerations.
- Is it necessary for Jesus to have been born from a virgin?
- Is the message of Jesus diminished if he is not the son of a god?
- What are the consequences of Mary’s virginity on the Christian and Islamic expectations of a woman’s virginity even today?
- Is it possible that Mary’s contradictory status as both mother and virgin, effectively negates the reality and beauty of sexuality, along with the essence of Mary’s own contribution to the creation of Jesus?
Consider the historical ramifications of these beliefs and the damage they have done to women throughout the millennia.
