Elaine Pagels

Well, we're talking about virgin birth story, which you find in two out of four New Testament Gospels, that Jesus was somehow conceived in some spiritual way without the intervention of any man or any seaman.

Well, we're talking about virgin birth story, which you find in two out of four New Testament Gospels, that Jesus was somehow conceived in some spiritual way without the intervention of any man or any seaman.

Well, we're talking about virgin birth story, which you find in two out of four New Testament Gospels, that Jesus was somehow conceived in some spiritual way without the intervention of any man or any seaman.

The claim that Jesus was spiritually conceived in some way. is a stunning claim, and it's always raised a lot of questions which are never answered. And the earliest account we have doesn't say that at all. It just says, Mary, his mother, was a rural woman in Nazareth. She had a lot of children. There's no man ever mentioned in her life. There's no father of Jesus.

The claim that Jesus was spiritually conceived in some way. is a stunning claim, and it's always raised a lot of questions which are never answered. And the earliest account we have doesn't say that at all. It just says, Mary, his mother, was a rural woman in Nazareth. She had a lot of children. There's no man ever mentioned in her life. There's no father of Jesus.

The claim that Jesus was spiritually conceived in some way. is a stunning claim, and it's always raised a lot of questions which are never answered. And the earliest account we have doesn't say that at all. It just says, Mary, his mother, was a rural woman in Nazareth. She had a lot of children. There's no man ever mentioned in her life. There's no father of Jesus.

And it's clear that the neighbors think that he might have been an illegitimate child. And that's an early...

And it's clear that the neighbors think that he might have been an illegitimate child. And that's an early...

And it's clear that the neighbors think that he might have been an illegitimate child. And that's an early...

Well, I think it's in Mark's narrative.

Well, I think it's in Mark's narrative.

Well, I think it's in Mark's narrative.

Indirectly. Mark doesn't say that. But the neighbors say, who is this? Who does he think he is? He's just Mary's son. He's a carpenter. Why is he out there preaching as if he were some kind of prophet? Why is he trying to heal people? And he can't do anything in his hometown because they scorn him.

Indirectly. Mark doesn't say that. But the neighbors say, who is this? Who does he think he is? He's just Mary's son. He's a carpenter. Why is he out there preaching as if he were some kind of prophet? Why is he trying to heal people? And he can't do anything in his hometown because they scorn him.

Indirectly. Mark doesn't say that. But the neighbors say, who is this? Who does he think he is? He's just Mary's son. He's a carpenter. Why is he out there preaching as if he were some kind of prophet? Why is he trying to heal people? And he can't do anything in his hometown because they scorn him.

But as early as the end of the first century, when Matthew is being written, there are critics in the Jewish communities who reject those claims about Jesus, that he's not the Messiah. The whole thing is a false trail.

But as early as the end of the first century, when Matthew is being written, there are critics in the Jewish communities who reject those claims about Jesus, that he's not the Messiah. The whole thing is a false trail.

But as early as the end of the first century, when Matthew is being written, there are critics in the Jewish communities who reject those claims about Jesus, that he's not the Messiah. The whole thing is a false trail.

It's not, because the person with whom I was most familiar, actually he wrote the review of the Gnostic Gospels on the front page of the New York Times Book Review.

It's not, because the person with whom I was most familiar, actually he wrote the review of the Gnostic Gospels on the front page of the New York Times Book Review.