Biblical Hebrew Forum

[jim west <jwest AT Highland.Net>]

At 09:38 AM 10/29/99 -0400, you wrote:
>This is an interesting idea in view of the modern opinions that the 
>idea of the virgin birth (clearly attested in Luke as well as Matthew) 
>came from the early Christians' reading of LXX. If this idea was not 
>in the LXX which they read, this would strengthen the argument that 
>Matthew and Luke were reporting actual events. Now I don't want to get 
>into Christian theology on this list, but here it does interact with a 
>Hebrew textual issue. Where did the idea of the virgin birth come from 
>if not from LXX?

it comes from the belief common among some citizens of the roman empire in
the several centuries BCE and CE that great men (like augustus) were born of
virgins.  i.e., its a roman mythological idea rather than a hebrew one.

it is, thus, not a "reporting of an actual event" but the adaptation of a
roman myth which was applied to christianity's own "great man"- jesus.

see any of the excellent commentaries on matthew which will discuss the
parallels.

best,

jim


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jim West, ThD
jwest AT highland.net
http://web.infoave.net/~jwest