On Apr 8, 2005, at 9:40 AM, Dan Minette wrote:
Personally, I could be persuaded either way on this question. One could
indeed argue that someone who's knowledge of Isaiah is from the Septuagint
and who is aware of the other virgin birth narratives could weave this into
the tradition relied upon by Luke and Matthew. But, it is also possible
that Christians had to defend the irregular birth of Jesus.
Or it could even be both; the early birth might have already been trouble, but the Isaiah prophecy provided them with a convenient escape that just happened to match their ideas about Iasus' divinity.
The story that Mary was visited by an angel, BTW, is thirdhand at best. Presumably only she was privy to the vision (hallucination, dream, whatever) -- so she must have told someone, who told someone else, and it got written into the account.
-- Warren Ockrassa, Publisher/Editor, nightwares Books http://books.nightwares.com/ Current work in progress "The Seven-Year Mirror" http://www.nightwares.com/books/ockrassa/Flat_Out.pdf
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