@Anon-e-moose #245643
Update: If we found evidence written during the time of Jesus saying she was 20, it’s still a problem. Could she had said no?
We don’t know she was only 12-13, her being older than 14/15 wasn’t unlikely. I’ve read plenty of sources that said Jewish girls married up to late teens and some married after 20. Some sources say Palestinians Jewish women married at mid/late teens to early 20s (Babylonians married at 12-15). Others say 12-16 or 12-18.*Palestinian ancient rabbis talk about women being married at 15-20. That’s still young but I rather have that than 11-13. I believe she was 15-17/18. My problem isn’t her being under age by our standards, but her being under developed if she was 12/13 instead of 16/17.
Christians say no sex was involved , so guess IFV or magic. Still if Mary was 12-14 that doesn’t make it better.
* https://books.google.com/books?id=QR7SmbfqNKYC&dq=in+palestine+and+in+the+west+a+man+typicals+married+at+30&q=In+Palestine+and+in+the+west#v=snippet&q=In%20Palestine%20and%20in%20the%20west&f=false page 17 notes “In Palestine and in the west at 30 to a woman 10-15 years younger.
Jewish women married at 12-18.
Children in Early Christian Narratives - Sharon Betsworth - Google Books
https://books.google.com/books?id=aGsUUttO_ZUC&pg=PA226&dq=the+age+of+marriage+of+higher+for+jewish+girls+then+for+pagan+girls&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiGzK313rfPAhXM5yYKHfpAAk4Q6AEIGzAA#v=onepage&q&f=false
Some rabbis were against child marriage, but to people of ancient times a child was someone under 12-15.
A man may marry off his daughter when she is a na’ara / נערה / young woman" When she is a na’ara (young woman), yes. When she is a child, no. This supports the teaching of Rav, for Rav Y’huda said in the name of Rav, and there are those who say Rabbi El’azar, “It is forbidden for a man to marry off his daughter when she is a child, until she grows up and says, ‘I want to marry So-and-so.'” (Talmud, Kiddushin 41a).
Early rabbis also suggest that girls between 11 and 12 to take birth control because pregnancy under 12/12.5 wasn’t safe (neither was getting pregnant at 12-13). I don’t know why the rabbis think 12 was the safe age for pregnancy. Of course not all rabbis thought so. Palestine early rabbis suggest late teens. https://books.google.com/books?id=ZU-nBAAAQBAJ&dq=palestinian+jewish+women+were+expected+to+be+married+by+their+late+teens&source=gbs_navlinks_s
Page 52-55 suggest late teens for Palestinian women.
Further up the age of marriage in the second temple was unknown but it’s assume less than 20 for women (making Mary 12-16/18).
One source said most married at 13 base on the grave inscription. However I remember reading that the graves of lower class Jews were mark with less details.
Girls in ancient Judaism were adults at 12. Still the legal adult age doesn’t make someone fully developed. If Mary was 12 or 13 then god impregnated a girl even though magic is not a good god.