The question of whether God had a wife has received considerable attention in recent decades. Books, documentaries, and online discussions have all taken up the topic. Much of this popular material has moved beyond the boundaries of scholarship and into speculation. From this, a bold claim has emerged: that a goddess named Asherah was once…
A Skeptic Who Became a Pillar How did James, who did not believe during Jesus’s ministry, become one of the most important figures in earliest Christianity? James, whose Hebrew name is Ya’akov (Jacob), appears in the Gospels among Jesus’ brothers. Mark 6:3 lists him alongside Joses, Judas, and Simon. Yet the Gospel of John tells…
From time to time, we encounter claims that seem almost too neat to withstand closer scrutiny. One such claim that has gained considerable traction is the assertion that ancient Jewish law recognized six, or, in some versions, even up to eight, genders, or, more specifically, biological sexes, and that this recognition has persisted for two…
There is a story most people believe about the Reformation and the Bible, and it goes like this. The Church had one settled, complete Bible for fifteen centuries. Then Martin Luther came along, disliked what he read, and took a pair of scissors to Scripture, cutting out books that didn’t suit his theology. The Council…
Of all the topics in this series, this may be the most challenging to address, but it’s also one of the most important. In recent years, a particular argument has gained traction, one that interprets the Annunciation in deeply troubling terms. According to this perspective, God caused a teenage girl to become pregnant without her…
A common narrative suggests that Matthew invented the virgin birth in order to claim that Jesus fulfilled an Old Testament prophecy. According to this view, the story was constructed to enhance Jesus’s stature, and if we remove Matthew’s literary contributions, the tradition itself vanishes. This explanation is appealing for its simplicity and skepticism, offering a…
Among the many words found in the Bible, few have generated as much controversy as parthenos. This word sits at the center of the debate over the virgin birth. Parthenos is the Greek term translated as ‘virgin’ in both Matthew 1:23 and Luke 1:27. Depending on whom you ask, it is either a clear affirmation…
For those raised within a Christian context, the virgin birth is often presented as entirely unique. It is described as a singular event, unprecedented and unrepeated, standing alone as a miracle unlike anything found in the Hebrew Bible. Conversely, those who did not grow up within a Christian context may have encountered a very different…
There is a claim that has become quite common, especially among skeptics and, more recently, in some progressive Christian communities. The claim is that Mary was a child bride, perhaps twelve or thirteen years old, married to a much older man. If this were truly the historical reality, it would understandably raise deep moral concerns….
If you have spent any time around debates about the virgin birth, you have probably run into some version of this claim. The Hebrew word in Isaiah 7:14 is almah, which means “young woman” rather than “virgin.” If Isaiah had wanted to say virgin, he would have used bethulah. Therefore, Christianity rests on a translation…