Blog (1) Margaret Huffman
As well as this course, I am also taking a class this semester on Judaism and its origins. It was interesting to learn about the copying of the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek and the different interpretations that have stemmed from mistranslations and human influence. The aspect of this that interested me the most was the unsure case of Mary’s representation as a young woman or a virgin. Mary’s virginity is something that has been used as an argument against Christianity’s realistic nature as well as presenting discussion within Christian churches. Her virginity would elevate the miraculous nature of Jesus’ birth considerably, as well as planting doubt among those who would say that she claimed the inception of her child to be of God for fear of a scandal. For Jesus to be the son of God, as he is represented in Christianity today, it would seem contradictory for him to have been created by two humans. The change in meaning from virgin to young woman brings about an entirely new discussion, and presents a completely revolutionary view of the Christian faith and what the core beliefs consist of. The wording is so important because of the context that it represents, and as Ehrman states, without context we cannot understand what was said or meant [1].
2 B.D. Ehrman, The New Testament. (4: New York; Oxford; 2008); 494-495
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