How did people know...?

Question

This is a serious question and I'll try and phrase as inoffensively as I can but I'm sorry if it offends anyone!
Mary was unmarried right? I know how she knew she was carrying the Son of God, but how did others know? I mean surely and un-wed pregnant woman was not really allowed in those days so did people think she was lying at first or did they 'know' she was carrying someone special?
Its something my hubby jokes about a lot and I would really like to know the answer, how did people know she really was the Virign Mother?
I mean if it happened in this day and age NOONE would believe a pregnant woman was still a virgin.

I hope that makes sense and isnt too offensive, sorry if it is.

Thanks for any serious answers

Answer 1

I am little concerned that so many people think that 'betrothed' means married.

When reference is made to them being betrothed it means Mary was promised to Joseph (in modern language they were engaged) NOT married.

Later, when they were married, they seem to have had a normal, non-virgin birth, with James brother of Jesus.

On the key point there are a few points to think about:

Only one of the gospels claims virgin birth. The use of the phrase translated as virgin in the relevant passage is everywhere else in the text translated as simply 'young woman'.

Virgin birth was a common feature of lots of religious claims for their leaders. The prototype religion for the Jewish and Christian beliefs (remember, Jesus was a Jew) was Zoroastrianism which provided the following virgin birth prophecy "Zoroastrianism also contains spiritual expectations of a Messiah, Saoshyant. The myth tells that a virgin will bear this man who shall save the world. "The seed is preserved in Lake Kasave, till at the end of the earthly cycle, the maid Erdat-fedhri, bathing in the lake will conceive by that seed and bring forth the Savior, Saoshyant" (Carter 77). Along with fifteen men and fifteen damsels, Saoshyant will fight evil and restore the world, giving the good immortality."

Finally remember that there are many translations in the past and in current use. Here's the relevant phrase in a few different versions. Note the name of the child.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%201:22-23&version=31;49;9;15;

Answer 2

Mary was promised to Joseph and the timing was set so well that no one other than only the two of them knew. That they had to flee an edict from a ruler who feared the news of a king being born also worked in their favor. We should also wonder how a prenant woman was denied any human habitation and had to give birth in a lowly stable, so perhaps few believed her even then. By the way, large families were necessary especially in the carpentry line of work, so Mary did not stay virgin for long.

Answer 3

Yes it makes sense and it is not offensive for those who are not fanatics. Fanatism makes people blind. Well I had this short of question myself and from that moment on I started reading the Bible and other scripts more carefully. I don`t really know what to say about this matter, I have no information but what I can really say is that everything that is written about religion is symbolic. And I`m sure that even if someone wanted to hurt Mother Mary, God would protect her silently.
Your question was not offensive but I find some things in religion itself that are offensive, like for example why God first created man and then came woman? Or why is the woman to blame for man`s sins? I often go walking out and hide my body because I don`t want men to crave me! They will say you are to blame even if you do nothing! See how men turn their responsibilities against us?
And why God is a man? Or why Jesus was a man? Maybe he wasn`t either a man or a woman but looked like both because Christ came here for both of us! And God is a spirit how could He have a sex?

See how things get complicated when you analyse them?
And it becomes really sure that those things have been added or something. None really knows so as to keep my mind clear, I worship God of course by praying through my religion, but I don`t necessarily agree with the whole of it. If I did agree, that whould make me blind and being blind means that you don`t have a "healthy" faith

Answer 4

Long before Christ was born, the Jews were promised a messiah. When Mary gave birth to Jesus, believers (the wise men) followed the bright star shinning on his birth place in order to honor Jesus. Later, when Christ preached, Mary was introduced as his mother. As his followers became Christians they were probably told her special circumstances (virgin birth). Since she and Joseph married, to the outside world (non-Christian) they were just a couple with a child. I imagine more details became known when the bible was written over the years. Many people don't believe she was a virgin today. Personally I believe that since God is all powerful then he was capable of making Christ's birth a virgin birth. Unfortunately, there is very little of Christ's life written in the bible before he began to preach.

Answer 5

Joseph and others did not know and his friends told him to put her away but an angel of the lord came to him and told him. other people would not have known accept in that day you were either a virgin married or a harlot and she was not considered a harlot and was betrothed to Joseph. if you are wondering if it was proven it was proven by the prophesies that Jesus fulfilled one was that he would be born of a virgin which of course he had no control over the others are many. The proof of who Jesus is was in all the things he said and did those that may have doubted the virtue of Mary would have soon found more evidence in the fact that Christ fulfilled all of the prophesies.

Answer 6

No one knew except Mary herself and she told Joseph about the pregnancy when he was going to marry her. Then Joseph was told in his dream to marry her who was virgin pregnant and raise the kid as his own. Then Joseph took Mary to Bethlehem where Jesus was born then after they move to Egypt where Jesus was raised.


Most importantly, All the Religions are believes which can not be proved. No one can ever prove whether there is a (or many) God or not.

As a Muslim we also believe Jesus is a prophet who was born without a father. But we don’t believe he is the son of God we believe he the second most holiest Prophet after Mohammed and he will resurrect again. God is the creator who can create a human without a father. As I know Jesus birth is such example to all humans.

Answer 7

Mary wasn't unmarried. She was married to Joseph.

The leap of faith is that she was bearing the "son of god" while married to an earthly man. I've always figured she wasn't giving it up and had to come up with something to tell her hubby when she showed up pregnant. In those times, she would have been stoned to death or at least, outcast, for adultery.

The bible does mention siblings of Jesus, so apparently, Mary & Joe did finally find their groove.

As for the historical accuracy of "others knowing", most religious scholars believe that the story of Jesus's birth was enhanced centuries after his death. As with most bible stories, they speak of a real event, then "make it better" for the target audience.

Real historians are working on "proving" or disproving, many historical "facts" presented in the bible. The research is interesting and thought provoking and strikes fear into the hearts of the "believers" who do not want to know the truth.

Answer 8

An angel told Joseph to marry her, that she was with child, but was a virgin. And Joseph believed the angel. An angel also told the wisemen, who followed the star. That is what I was taught in Sunday School.

It really takes a lot of faith. If someone did it today they would be called Charlie Manson or David Koresh, or whoever that Mormon pervert is.

Answer 9

Your hubby has a strange sense of humor,Joesph married Mary
So the public would assume the child was his.Why would anyone
find a virgin pregnancy strange today,artificial insemination.In that day Mary had a miracle birth, but science today I am sure a doctor could make a virgin pregnant.

Answer 10

now I am not a great believer in all that is said in the bible ..
but i know that according to the bible Joseph on finding her pregnant did want to send her away , until he recieved a message from God about it
it does say that she was betrothed to Joseph but he didnt lie with her till after the birth
i find this strange that someone who is betrothed doesnt consumate the marriage right away
i do feel in all honesty that the virgin birth was more symbolic of the purity of Jesus , than literal though
but back to the bible ...
as she was betrothed to Joseph others would have believed the baby to be his unless told otherwise ( so i guess it was only those who were trusted with this information who were told )