almah - Jews for Judaism

Almah, virgin and parthenos

If 'almah means "young woman" in Hebrew why did the Jewish scholar who translated the Book of Isaiah into Greek use a Greek word for "virgin," parthenos? Answer: The Septuagint is not necessarily a literal translation. Therefore, the use of parthenos by the Septuagint translator of the Book of Isaiah may have best represented his interpretive understanding of the physical state of the young woman of Isaiah 7:14 at the time of the annunciation of the sign. Thus, its use does not naturally lead

almah book of isaiah

Zalman Kravitz

Jun 4, 2025 — 1 min read

Chapter 18e - THE VIRGIN MISCONCEPTION MYTH

Continued from Chapter 18d ‘Almah The Christian understanding of the scriptural uses of ‘almah is usually governed by the attempt to prove that the word means virgin in Isaiah 7:14. Christians attempt to translate this verse in the Hebrew text to conform to the way Matthew used the Greek Isaiah 7:14 as a reference to a virgin conception. Of the relevant scriptural verses where ‘almah is used, Genesis 24:43, Exodus 2:8, Isaiah 7:14, Psalms 68:26, Proverbs 30:19, Song of Songs 1:3, 6:8, only th

almah na'arah

Zalman Kravitz

Jun 4, 2025 — 4 min read

Chapter 18f - THE VIRGIN MISCONCEPTION MYTH

Continued from Chapter 18e Betulah It is a fact of biblical usage that betulah is the Hebrew word for “virgin,” consistently used in passages which leave no room for speculation or uncertainty as to its meaning (e.g., Leviticus 21:14; Deuteronomy 22:15-19, 23, 28). The word betulah is derived from the root btl, “to sever,” “to separate.” It stands for the “woman separated (from man),” that is, a virgin, a woman who has had no sexual experience. The word betulah is found some fifty times in t

almah gospels of matthew

Zalman Kravitz

Jun 4, 2025 — 5 min read

Chapter 18h - THE VIRGIN MISCONCEPTION MYTH

Continued from Chapter 18g Why does the Septuagint use parthenos? The Hebrew phrase ha-‘almah harah ve-yoledet ben literally rendered is “the ‘almah pregnant and shall bear a son.” Wanting to indicate that the ‘almah, “young woman,” was still a betulah, “virgin,” at the time of the annunciation of the prophecy, the translator into Greek must have decided to render the term ‘almah as parthenos. The complete verse rendered from the Masoretic text reads: “Therefore the Lord Himself shall give y

almah parthenos

Zalman Kravitz

Jun 4, 2025 — 2 min read

Chapter 18i - THE VIRGIN MISCONCEPTION MYTH

Continued from Chapter 18h The untenable Christian claim The virgin conception story cannot gain any substantiation through reference to the Jewish Scriptures or by appealing to their Greek translation. Isaiah 7:14 appears to be Matthew’s biblical justification for claiming a virgin conception, but it was not the source of the belief (even the author of Luke presents the virgin conception without reference to this verse). The belief originated in the pagan notion that divine conception occur

almah isaiah 7:14

Zalman Kravitz

Jun 4, 2025 — 3 min read