Table of contents:
- Different stories about Mary, Mother of Jesus
- Translations that reveal the truth
- The Virgin Mary is a symbol for many things
- Is Mary Really Holy?
Video: The Mystery of Mary, Mother of Jesus: Holy Virgin or Victim of an Error in the Translation of an Ancient Text
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
The Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, is one of the key symbols of Christianity and the woman whose cult has changed the world. However, she is still one of the most mysterious and misunderstood biblical personalities. According to some researchers, the famous story of a woman who never had sexual contact with a man, but still gave birth to a child, was caused by a mistake in the translation of an ancient text.
The Virgin Mary is well known from the Bible, but unfortunately there is not too much archaeological evidence of her life. Over the centuries, the story of this woman, whose real name was Miriam, has changed the world. Her greatest achievement, leading her to glory, was the birth of a boy named Joshua, who became known as Jesus. As the Holy Mother in Christianity, she has been described as a symbol of purity and humility.
Different stories about Mary, Mother of Jesus
A famous biblical story says that Miriam (Mary) was a young, possibly single woman who met an angel and discovered a message from God that she would give birth to his son. However, the ancient Jewish book Toledot Yeshu presents a completely different version of the story. Unknown Jewish writers claim that Miriam was married to a man named John, but met a Roman soldier named Tiberius Panther (sometimes spelled Pandera). She fell in love and betrayed John with a Roman soldier. When John discovered the lovers, she was already pregnant, and he decided to divorce her.
Tiberius took the name Joseph Flavius and started a family with Miriam and their little son Joshua (Jesus). The boy was famous for performing all kinds of miracles, which he learned from the old masters. Some of his abilities were said to be: walking on water, turning water into wine, and more. But the scandalous story of Miriam and two men may explain why some thought it would be better if she was called a "virgin."
Translations that reveal the truth
The biggest misunderstanding in the story of the Virgin Mary comes from a translation error. Usually translations are based on previous translations, and the meaning of words is often deciphered by specialists in specific languages. In addition, many of the translations of this story have been based on dictionaries created by Latin scholars, which is the key to the mystery of the word "virgin."
The word "Virgo" comes from the Latin "virgo", which means "virgin or sexually inexperienced woman." It was this word that formed the basis of stories about Mary as a woman who never had intercourse with a man. However, historically, the term "virgin" meant "one in herself" i.e. - a woman who did not need a man, but at the same time she could easily have one. This interpretation represents a woman who was independent, financially free, mentally strong and not too dependent on her lover or partner. In ancient times, women were sometimes considered very strongly attached or even mentally dependent on their first sexual partner. Therefore, to avoid this problem, the ancient society of the Mediterranean (as well as other parts of the Middle East and Persia) decided to create a custom that became part of religious ceremonies.
Once upon a time, women in these places often went to the temples of Ishtar or Aphrodite, for example, to have sexual intercourse with a priest. They could never meet again, but this act, which seemingly was approved by the goddess of the temple, allowed the woman to avoid too much attachment to her lover. The temple visit was usually an offer from her family and was not viewed as a betrayal or scandal. However, researchers also speculate that the word virgin may have been applied by ancient societies to women who were independent in various fields. It is possible that Mary could have been autonomous in other respects, but neither the Bible nor other texts delve into this idea.
The Virgin Mary is a symbol for many things
Mary has become a symbol for many things, including the famous Ark of the Covenant. As experts from the site Catholic Bible 101 explain:.
These assumptions support the idea that Mary was depicted as the symbolic holy vessel that brought Jesus to life. But it was also the beginning of an interesting story. Perhaps this has nothing to do with the inexperience of a sexual lover. Mary could be called a virgin because of her charisma, strength, and ability to support her son. The ancient people who lived in the Middle East during her life did not see virginity in the same way as the Romans, for example.
Is Mary Really Holy?
Over the centuries, some priests and bishops have wondered if Christians should worship Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Perhaps they were aware of the error that appeared in the translations of the early texts, but felt that there was nothing they could do to change this error.
However, this does not change Mary's position in history. Some argue that biblical stories cannot be read as real historical evidence, but as symbolic legends easily. This idea causes even more controversy between religious people and some researchers. However, over time, new discussions reveal more secrets and versions about her, respectively, the story of Mary becomes even more fascinating.
About really Jesus escaped execution, married and lived in Japan, can be found in the following article, which deals with the museum in the village of Shingo, considered the last resting place of Christ.
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