Alma vs. Pantera: Jewish Responses to the Virgin Birth
Alma vs. Pantera: Jewish Responses to the Virgin Birth *This is a Chapter in my new book "Pilgrimage to Shiloh," available soon. "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel." — Isaiah 7:14 The virgin birth is a central article of faith in Christianity. It serves as a key feature of introduction to Jesus Christ in the gospels, both as supernatural endorsement of His life and ministry, and was also perceived universally as a fulfillment of prophecy in the early Christian community. Given its central place in the Christian story, it has been attacked frequently, and therefore, for a believer, it must be defended. Two significant Jewish polemics have been raised against the Christian claim of Jesus’ virgin birth. The first argues that the Hebrew word Alma in Isaiah 7:14, often translated as "virgin," actually means "young woman," undermining the Christi...