Biblical Hebrew Forum

["winedt" <winedt AT bbits.com>]

> 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?


Dear  all,

I am new to the list  and think that this interesting discussion is moving
more and more outside of  the domain of  "hebrew studies", but may I add one
more point" :-)?

If my memory serves me right, isn't  it so that [in the intertestamental
period] there is also some evidence of  Jewish writers expecting the Mesiah
to be born by virgin birth? If so, then the concept of  virigin birth is not
so alien to Judaism as many in this discussion are assuming. Furthermore,
there was a tradition in diaspora Judaism of the virginal conception of  the
patriarchs. (See Philo; De Cherubim 13).

Regards