Profile of Mary

According to the Bible, Mary (Hebrew: ‫ ,מרים‬Miryam; c. 18 BC – c. 41 AD), also known as Saint Mary or Virgin Mary, was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee. She is identified in the New Testament[Mt 1:16,18-25][Lk 1:26-56][2:1-7] as the mother of Jesus through divine intervention. Mary (Maryam) also has a revered position in Islam, where a whole chapter of the Qur'an is devoted to her. Christians hold her son Jesus to be Christ (i.e., the messiah) and God the Son Incarnate. The canonical gospels of Matthew and Luke describe Mary as a virgin (Greek παρθένος, parthénos).[1] Traditionally, Christians believe that she conceived her son miraculously by the agency of the Holy Spirit. Muslims believe that she conceived her son miraculously by the command of God. This took place when she was already betrothed to Saint Joseph and was awaiting the concluding rite of marriage, the formal home-taking ceremony.[2] She married Joseph and accompanied him to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born.[3] In orthodox Jewish custom, it is possible for marriage to take place at the age of twelve for a girl or thirteen for a boy. In the absence of any direct evidence of Mary's age at betrothal or in pregnancy, New Testament scholar Dale Allison cites this Jewish custom to assert that Mary became pregnant at about 12,[4] although the minimum age was not compulsory and higher marriage age is recommended by orthodox Jewish tradition in the Talmud.