Like a Virgin? The Secret and Controversial Account of Mary, Mother of Jesus

The Virgin Mary is one of the key symbols of Christianity, and a woman whose cult changed the world. However, she may be one of the most misunderstood biblical people. According to some researchers, the famous story of a woman who had never had sexual contact with a man yet gave birth was caused by a mistake in the translation of ancient text.

The Virgin Mary is well known from the Bible, but there are not too many pieces of archaeological evidence about her life. Through the centuries, the story of the woman whose real name was Miriam, has changed the world. Her greatest claim to fame was delivering a boy named Joshua, who became known as Jesus. As the Holy Mother in Christianity, she was described as a symbol of purity and humbleness.

‘Virgin and Child with Balaam the Prophet’ (Public Domain) This fresco from the late 2nd century is the earliest known image of Mary and the Infant Jesus independent of the Magi episode.

Differing Stories About Mary

The famous story from in bible says that Miriam (Mary) was a young, perhaps single lady, who met an angel and discovered by a message from god that she would give birth to his son. However, the story from Toledot Yeshu, an ancient Jewish book, presents a very different version of this story.