70-574: Sancta Maria refers to Saint Mary, mother of Jesus Christ. Sancta Maria may also refer to: Mary, mother of Jesus Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth , the wife of Joseph and the mother of Jesus . She is an important figure of Christianity , venerated under various titles such as virgin or queen , many of them mentioned in the Litany of Loreto . The Eastern and Oriental Orthodox , Catholic , Anglican , and Lutheran churches believe that Mary, as mother of Jesus,
140-680: A manger as a cradle. It is not told how old Mary was at the time of the Nativity, but attempts have been made to infer it from the age of a typical Jewish mother of that time. Mary Joan Winn Leith represents the view that Jewish girls typically married soon after the onset of puberty, while according to Amram Tropper, Jewish females generally married later in Palestine and the Western Diaspora than in Babylonia. Some scholars hold
210-549: A wedding at Cana by turning water into wine. Subsequently, there are events when Mary is mentioned along with the Jesus' brothers . According to Epiphanius , Origen and Eusebius , these "brothers" would be sons of Joseph from a previous marriage. This view is still the official position of the Eastern Orthodox churches. Following Jerome , those would be actually Jesus' cousins, children of Mary's sister. This remains
280-433: A message asking for him ... And looking at those who sat in a circle around him, Jesus said, 'These are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother'." Mary is also depicted as being present in a group of women at the crucifixion standing near the disciple whom Jesus loved along with Mary of Clopas and Mary Magdalene , to which list Matthew 27:56 adds "the mother of
350-605: A particular image of herself that incorporates elements of the local culture." Apparitions can become a part of national identity, as Our Lady of Guadalupe is for the majority-Catholic population of Mexico . Apparitions often result in the establishment of Marian confraternities, movements, and societies that seek to heed and spread the messages of a particular apparition, such as the Blue Army of Our Lady of Fátima . Occasionally, apparitions will introduce prayers that become incorporated into widespread Catholic practice, as for
420-446: A physical artifact is reportedly left behind, such as the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexico, 1531), which is said to have been miraculously imprinted on the cloak of Juan Diego . The Catholic Church believes that it is possible for actually-supernatural Marian apparitions to occur, but also believes that many claimed apparitions are fabricated by the seer or the result of something other than divine intervention. For this reason,
490-571: A possible supernatural phenomenon, ranging from a declaration that an event is not of supernatural origin to authorizing and promoting piety and devotion associated with a phenomenon without affirming its divine nature." The bishop is to submit his findings to the Dicastery for review before publishing them. Occasionally, an ecclesial authority will decide not to investigate the veracity of an apparition in itself, but will permit religious practices related to it. Pope Leo XIII , for example, authorized
560-501: A reported phenomenon. Even if a Catholic bishop sees no objection, belief in the apparition is never required of the Catholic faithful. The Catholic faith is based on so-called Public Revelation, which ended with the death of the last living Apostle . A Marian apparition, however, is considered private revelation , which may emphasize some facet of the received public revelation for a specific purpose, but can never add anything new to
630-426: A seer not only says that they have experienced a vision, but that they expect it will reoccur, causing people to gather to observe) appear to be a relatively recent phenomenon; up until about the seventeenth century, most reported apparitions happened when the individual was alone, or at least no one else was aware of its occurrence. Physical contact is hardly ever reported as part of Marian apparitions. In rare cases,
700-687: A woman, born under the law" (Galatians 4:4). Mary is mentioned several times in the canonical Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles: In the Book of Revelation , also part of the New Testament , the " woman clothed with the sun " (Revelation 12:1, 12:5–6) is sometimes identified as Mary. The New Testament tells little of Mary's early history. The Gospel of Matthew does give a genealogy for Jesus by his father's paternal line, only identifying Mary as
770-611: Is Life of the Virgin , attributed to the 7th-century saint Maximus the Confessor , which portrays her as a key element of the early Christian Church after the death of Jesus. Christian Marian perspectives include a great deal of diversity. While some Christians such as Catholics and Eastern Orthodox have well established Marian traditions, Protestants at large pay scant attention to Mariological themes. Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutherans venerate
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#1732768375658840-416: Is a difference between the usage of the term "blessed" as pertaining to Mary and its usage as pertaining to a beatified person. "Blessed" as a Marian title refers to her exalted state as being the greatest among the saints; for a person who has been declared beatified, on the other hand, "blessed" simply indicates that they may be venerated despite not being canonized . Catholic teachings make clear that Mary
910-484: Is a reported supernatural appearance by Mary the mother of Jesus , or a series of related such appearances during a period of time. In the Catholic Church , in order for a reported appearance to be classified as a Marian apparition, the person or persons who claim to see Mary (the "seers") must claim that they see her visually located in their environment. If the person claims to hear Mary but not see her, this
980-583: Is in fact the genealogy of Mary, while the genealogy from Solomon given in Matthew 1 is that of Joseph. (Aaron's wife Elisheba was of the tribe of Judah, so all their descendants are from both Levi and Judah.) Mary resided in "her own house" in Nazareth in Galilee , possibly with her parents, and during her betrothal—the first stage of a Jewish marriage . Jewish girls were considered marriageable at
1050-571: Is in parallel to "Sayyiduna" ("Our Lord"), used for the prophets. A related term of endearment is "Siddiqah" , meaning "she who confirms the truth" and "she who believes sincerely completely". Another title for Mary is "Qānitah" , which signifies both constant submission to God and absorption in prayer and invocation in Islam. She is also called "Tahira" , meaning "one who has been purified" and representing her status as one of two humans in creation to not be touched by Satan at any point,
1120-449: Is known as an interior locution , not an apparition. Also excluded from the category of apparitions are dreams , visions experienced in the imagination, the claimed perception of Mary in ordinarily-explainable natural phenomena , and miracles associated with Marian artwork, such as weeping statues . Believers consider such apparitions to be real and objective interventions of divine power, rather than subjective experiences generated by
1190-770: Is not accounted in the Bible , Roman Catholic , Eastern Orthodox , and some Protestant traditions believe that her body was raised into heaven at the end of her earthly life, which is known in Western Christianity as the Assumption of Mary and in Eastern Christianity as the Dormition of the Mother of God . Mary has been venerated since early Christianity , and is often considered to be
1260-853: Is not considered divine and prayers to her are not answered by her, but rather by God through her intercession. The four Catholic dogmas regarding Mary are: her status as Theotokos , or Mother of God; her perpetual virginity; the Immaculate Conception; and her bodily Assumption into Heaven. The Blessed Virgin Mary , the mother of Jesus has a more central role in Roman Catholic teachings and beliefs than in any other major Christian group. Not only do Roman Catholics have more theological doctrines and teachings that relate to Mary, but they have more feasts, prayers, devotional and venerative practices than any other group. The Catechism of
1330-628: Is the Mother of God . The Church of the East historically regarded her as Christotokos , a term still used in Assyrian Church of the East liturgy. Other Protestant views on Mary vary, with some holding her to have lesser status. She has the highest position in Islam among all women and is mentioned numerous times in the Quran , including in a chapter named after her . She is also revered in
1400-595: The Magnificat from her first word in the Latin version. After about three months, Mary returned to her own house. According to the gospel of Luke , a decree of the Roman Emperor Augustus required that Joseph return to his hometown of Bethlehem to register for a Roman census . While he was there with Mary, she gave birth to Jesus; but because there was no place for them in the inn, she used
1470-474: The Magnificat . Mary's participation in the processes of salvation and redemption has also been emphasized in the Catholic tradition, but they are not doctrines. Pope John Paul II 's 1987 encyclical Redemptoris Mater began with the sentence: "The Mother of the Redeemer has a precise place in the plan of salvation." In the 20th century, both popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI emphasized
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#17327683756581540-550: The Acts of the Apostles are the primary sources of historical information about Mary. They are almost contemporary sources, as the synoptic Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles are generally considered dating from around AD 66–90, while the gospel of John would date from AD 90–110. They provide limited information about Mary, as they primarily focus on the teaching of Jesus and on his apostles . The historical reliability of
1610-733: The Baháʼí Faith and the Druze Faith . The synoptic Gospels name Mary as the mother of Jesus. The gospels of Matthew and Luke describe Mary as a virgin who was chosen by God to conceive Jesus through the Holy Spirit . After giving birth to Jesus in Bethlehem , she raised him in the city of Nazareth in Galilee , and was in Jerusalem at his crucifixion and with the apostles after his ascension . Although her later life
1680-522: The Church Fathers "did not hesitate to speak of the holy Virgin as the Mother of God". Some Marian titles have a direct scriptural basis. For instance, the title "Queen Mother" has been given to Mary, as she was the mother of Jesus, sometimes referred to as the "King of Kings" due to his ancestral descent from King David . This is also based on the Hebrew tradition of the "Queen-Mother",
1750-619: The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in May 2024. Investigations into alleged apparitions still ordinarily fall first within the jurisdiction of the local ordinary (i.e. diocesan bishop ). The document recommends incidents of phenomena should be carefully assessed, to make sure that they are not fraudulent or for monetary gain. "Six possible conclusions that can be reached when discerning
1820-485: The Gebirah or "Great Lady". Other titles have arisen from reported miracles , special appeals, or occasions for calling on Mary. In Islam , Mary is known as Maryam ( Arabic : مريم , romanized : Maryam ), mother of Isa ( عيسى بن مريم , ʿĪsā ibn Maryām , lit. ' Jesus, son of Mary ' ). She is often referred to by the honorific title "Sayyidatuna" , meaning "Our Lady"; this title
1890-486: The Holy Spirit impregnated her, thereby conceiving her first-born son Jesus miraculously , without sexual relations with her betrothed Joseph, "until her son [Jesus] was born". The word "until" has inspired considerable analysis on whether Joseph and Mary produced siblings after the birth of Jesus or not. Among her many other names and titles are the Blessed Virgin Mary (often abbreviated to "BVM" after
1960-734: The Latin Beata Maria Virgo ), Saint Mary (occasionally), the Mother of God (primarily in Western Christianity ), the Theotokos (primarily in Eastern Christianity ), Our Lady (Medieval Italian : Madonna ), and Queen of Heaven ( Regina caeli ; see also here ). The title " queen of heaven " had previously been used as an epithet for a number of goddesses, such as Isis , or Ishtar . Titles in use vary among Anglicans , Lutherans and other Protestants , as well as Mormons , Catholics , Orthodox and other Christians . The three main titles for Mary used by
2030-625: The Temple in Jerusalem (Luke 2:22), so the priest could make atonement for her. They also presented Jesus – "As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord" (Luke 2:23; Exodus 13:2; 23:12–15; 22:29; 34:19–20; Numbers 3:13; 18:15). After the prophecies of Simeon and the prophetess Anna in Luke 2:25–38, the family "returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth". According to
2100-565: The deposit of faith . In the Catholic Church, approval of a Marian apparition is relatively rare. The majority of investigated apparitions are rejected as fraudulent or otherwise false. Recently rejected apparition claims include those of "Our Lady of Surbiton", denounced as fraudulent in 2007, and those associated with Holy Love Ministries in Elyria, Ohio , condemned in 2009. Some whose apparition claims are rejected have seceded from
2170-475: The gospel of Matthew , magi coming from Eastern regions arrived at Bethlehem where Jesus and his family were living, and worshiped him. Joseph was then warned in a dream that King Herod wanted to murder the infant, and the family fled by night to Egypt and stayed there for some time. After Herod's death in 4 BC, they returned to Nazareth in Galilee, rather than Bethlehem, because Herod's son Archelaus
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2240-641: The Catholic Church states: "The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship." For centuries, Catholics have performed acts of consecration and entrustment to Mary at personal, societal and regional levels. These acts may be directed to the Virgin herself, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and to the Immaculate Conception . In Catholic teachings, consecration to Mary does not diminish or substitute
2310-617: The Catholic Church as a result and initiated new groups, as in the case of the Mariavite Church , the Palmarian Catholic Church , and the Fraternité Notre-Dame . In many cases, apparition seers report a request from Mary for the construction of a shrine on the place of the apparition. Such Marian shrines often become popular sites of Christian pilgrimage . The most-visited Marian shrine in
2380-652: The Catholic Church has a formal evaluation process established for assessing claimed apparitions. In 1978, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith promulgated investigation guidelines in a document entitled "Norms of the Congregation for Proceeding in Judging Alleged Apparitions and Revelations", better known as Normae Congregationis , a shortening of its Latin title. The 1978 norms were superseded by new guidelines issued by
2450-573: The Church' and 'truth about man. ' " There is significant diversity in the Marian doctrines attributed to her primarily by the Catholic Church. The key Marian doctrines held primarily in Catholicism can be briefly outlined as follows: The acceptance of these Marian doctrines by Roman Catholics and other Christians can be summarized as follows: The title "Mother of God" ( Theotokos ) for Mary
2520-547: The Gospels and historical reliability of the Acts of the Apostles are subject to debate, as it was common practice in early Christian writings to mix historical facts with legendary stories. The earliest New Testament account of Mary is in the epistle to the Galatians , which was written before the gospels . She is referred to as "a woman" and is not named: "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of
2590-589: The Gospels of Matthew and Luke consider Jesus' conception not the result of intercourse, and assert that Mary had "no relations with man" before Jesus' birth. This alludes to the belief that Mary conceived Jesus through the action of God the Holy Spirit, and not through intercourse with Joseph or anyone else. The doctrines of the Assumption or Dormition of Mary relate to her death and bodily assumption to heaven. Roman Catholic Church has dogmatically defined
2660-621: The Hearts of Jesus and Mary ). Major Marian devotions include: Seven Sorrows of Mary , Rosary and scapular , Miraculous Medal and Reparations to Mary . The months of May and October are traditionally "Marian months" for Roman Catholics; the daily rosary is encouraged in October and in May Marian devotions take place in many regions. Popes have issued a number of Marian encyclicals and Apostolic Letters to encourage devotions to and
2730-412: The Holy Spirit, and, after initially expressing incredulity at the announcement, she responded, "I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done unto me according to your word." Joseph planned to quietly divorce her, but was told her conception was by the Holy Spirit in a dream by "an angel of the Lord"; the angel told him to not hesitate to take her as his wife, which Joseph did, thereby formally completing
2800-401: The Marian focus of the Catholic Church. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) suggested a redirection of the whole church towards the program of Pope John Paul II in order to ensure an authentic approach to Christology via a return to the "whole truth about Mary," writing: "It is necessary to go back to Mary if we want to return to that 'truth about Jesus Christ,' 'truth about
2870-532: The Orthodox are Theotokos ( Θεοτόκος or "God-bearer"), Aeiparthenos ( ἀειπαρθένος ) which means ever-virgin, as confirmed in the Second Council of Constantinople in 553, and Panagia ( Παναγία ) meaning "all-holy". Catholics use a wide variety of titles for Mary, and these titles have in turn given rise to many artistic depictions. The title Theotokos , which means "God-bearer",
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2940-585: The Virgin Mary. This veneration especially takes the form of prayer for intercession with her Son, Jesus Christ. Additionally, it includes composing poems and songs in Mary's honor, painting icons or carving statues of her, and conferring titles on Mary that reflect her position among the saints. In the Catholic Church, Mary is accorded the title "Blessed" ( beata , μακάρια , makaria ) in recognition of her assumption to Heaven and her capacity to intercede on behalf of those who pray to her. There
3010-417: The age of twelve years and six months, though the actual age of the bride varied with circumstances. The marriage was preceded by the betrothal, after which the bride legally belonged to the bridegroom, though she did not live with him till about a year later, when the marriage was celebrated. The angel Gabriel announced to her that she was to be the mother of the promised Messiah by conceiving him through
3080-408: The biblical accounts, although it is held by Catholics that she is again portrayed as the heavenly woman in the Book of Revelation . Her death is not recorded in the scriptures, but Orthodox tradition, tolerated also by Catholics, has her first dying a natural death, known as the Dormition of Mary , and then, soon after, her body itself also being assumed (taken bodily) into Heaven . Belief in
3150-482: The case of the disputed apparition entitled The Lady of All Nations (Netherlands, 1945..1959). Some Marian apparitions have only one purported seer, such as that of Our Lady of Lourdes (France, 1858). Other apparitions have multiple seers; in the case of Our Lady of Fatima (1917), there were only three seers of the apparition itself, but miraculous phenomena were reported by a crowd of approximately 70,000 people, and even by others located miles away. In other cases,
3220-499: The celebration of several Marian feast days in liturgy , the veneration of images and relics , the construction of churches dedicated to her and pilgrimages to Marian shrines . Many Marian apparitions and miracles attributed to her intercession have been reported by believers over the centuries. She has been a traditional subject in arts , notably in Byzantine art , medieval art and Renaissance art . Mary's name in
3290-660: The corporeal assumption of Mary is a dogma of the Catholic Church , in the Latin and Eastern Catholic Churches alike, and is believed as well by the Eastern Orthodox Church , the Oriental Orthodox Church , and parts of the Anglican Communion and Continuing Anglican movement . According to the apocryphal Gospel of James , Mary was the daughter of Joachim and Anne . Before Mary's conception, Anne had been barren and
3360-666: The doctrine of the Assumption, which was done in 1950 by Pope Pius XII in Munificentissimus Deus . Whether Mary died or not is not defined dogmatically, however, although a reference to the death of Mary is made in Munificentissimus Deus . In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is believed, and celebrated with her Dormition , where they believe she died. Marian apparition A Marian apparition
3430-702: The entirety of a large group of people claims to see Mary, as in the case of Our Lady of La Vang (Vietnam, c. 1800 ). Some modern mass apparitions, claimed to have been witnessed by hundreds of thousands, such as Our Lady of Zeitoun (Egypt, 1968~1971). Most alleged apparitions involve the verbal communication of messages, but others are silent, such as the apparition of Our Lady of Knock (Ireland, 1879). Some apparitions are one-time events, such as Our Lady of La Salette (France, 1846). Others recur over an extended period of time, such as Our Lady of Laus (France, 17th/18th centuries), whose seer claimed 54 years of appearances. Public, serial apparitions (in which
3500-576: The holiest and greatest saint . There is a certain diversity in the Mariology and devotional practices of major Christian traditions. The Catholic Church holds distinctive Marian dogmas , namely her Immaculate Conception and her bodily Assumption into heaven. Many Protestants hold less exalted views of Mary's role, often based on a perceived lack of biblical support for many traditional Christian dogmas pertaining to her. The multiple forms of Marian devotions include various prayers and hymns ,
3570-469: The love of God, but enhances it, for all consecration is ultimately made to God. Following the growth of Marian devotions in the 16th century, Catholic saints wrote books such as Glories of Mary and True Devotion to Mary that emphasized Marian veneration and taught that "the path to Jesus is through Mary". Marian devotions are at times linked to Christocentric devotions (such as the Alliance of
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#17327683756583640-615: The official Roman Catholic position. For Helvidius , those would be full siblings of Jesus, born to Mary and Joseph after the firstborn Jesus. This has been the most common Protestant position. The hagiography of Mary and the Holy Family can be contrasted with other material in the Gospels. These references include an incident which can be interpreted as Jesus rejecting his family in the New Testament: "And his mother and his brothers arrived, and standing outside, they sent in
3710-516: The original manuscripts of the New Testament was based on her original Aramaic name מרים , transliterated as Maryam or Mariam . The English name Mary comes from the Greek Μαρία , a shortened form of the name Μαριάμ . Both Μαρία and Μαριάμ appear in the New Testament. In Christianity, Mary is commonly referred to as the Virgin Mary, in accordance with the belief that
3780-590: The other being Jesus. In the Quran , she is described both as "the daughter of Imran" and "the sister of Aaron", alluding to Miriam from the Hebrew Bible . However, the title of "the sister of Aaron" is confirmed to be metaphorical (which is a common figure of speech in Arabic ) as per a Hadith from the Islamic prophet Muhammad explaining Mary was indeed named after Miriam. The canonical Gospels and
3850-624: The perceiving individuals, even in cases where the apparition is reportedly seen by only some, not all, of the people present at the event's location. Marian apparitions are considered by believers to be expressions of Mary's ongoing motherly care for the church. The understood purpose of each apparition is to draw attention to some aspect of the Christian message, given the needs of a particular time and place. Apparitions are often accompanied by other alleged supernatural phenomena, such as medical cures. However, such miraculous events are not considered
3920-405: The purpose of Marian apparitions, but are alleged to exist primarily to validate and draw attention to the message. Some Marian apparitions are associated with one or more titles given to Mary , often based on the location of the apparition, such as Our Lady of Pontmain in Pontmain , France (1871). Others use a title which Mary purportedly applies to herself during the alleged apparition, as in
3990-431: The sons of Zebedee", presumably the Salome mentioned in Mark 15:40. In Acts 1:12–26, especially verse 14, Mary is the only one other than the eleven apostles to be mentioned by name who abode in the upper room , when they returned from Mount Olivet . Her presence with the apostles during the Pentecost is not explicit, although it has been held as a fact by Christian tradition. From this time, she disappears from
4060-410: The use of a scapular described in the messages of Our Lady of Pellevoisin (France, 1876), but did not pass judgment on the supernatural character of the apparition itself. Under the new norms, a bishop or national conference will not make a declaration that these phenomena are of supernatural origin, but indicate by a "nihil obstat" (meaning "no objection") that they find no problematic elements with
4130-449: The veneration of the Virgin Mary. Catholics place high emphasis on Mary's roles as protector and intercessor and the Catechism refers to Mary as "honored with the title 'Mother of God', to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs". Key Marian prayers include: Ave Maria , Alma Redemptoris Mater , Sub tuum praesidium , Ave maris stella , Regina caeli , Ave Regina caelorum and
4200-427: The view that among them it typically happened between their mid and late teen years or late teens and early twenties. After eight days, the boy was circumcised according to Jewish law and named " Jesus " ( ישוע , Yeshu'a ), which means " Yahweh is salvation". After Mary continued in the " blood of her purifying " another 33 days, for a total of 40 days, she brought her burnt offering and sin offering to
4270-409: The wedding rites. Since the angel Gabriel had told Mary that Elizabeth—having previously been barren—was then miraculously pregnant, Mary hurried to see Elizabeth, who was living with her husband Zechariah in "the hill country..., [in] a city of Juda". Mary arrived at the house and greeted Elizabeth who called Mary "the mother of my Lord", and Mary spoke the words of praise that later became known as
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#17327683756584340-426: The wife of Joseph. John 19:25 states that Mary had a sister; semantically it is unclear if this sister is the same as Mary of Clopas , or if she is left unnamed. Jerome identifies Mary of Clopas as the sister of Mary, mother of Jesus. According to the early 2nd century historian Hegesippus , Mary of Clopas was likely Mary's sister-in-law, understanding Clopas (Cleophas) to have been Joseph's brother. According to
4410-466: The world is the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City , which draws 10 million pilgrims each year. Other popular apparition-related Marian pilgrimage sites include the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima in Portugal (6–8 million per year ) and the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in France (1.5 million annually). "When Marian apparitions occur, Mary addresses those who see her in their native language, and often promulgates
4480-459: The writer of Luke, Mary was a relative of Elizabeth , wife of the priest Zechariah of the priestly division of Abijah , who was herself part of the lineage of Aaron and so of the Tribe of Levi . Some of those who believe that the relationship with Elizabeth was on the maternal side, believe that Mary, like Joseph, was of the royal Davidic line and so of the Tribe of Judah , and that the genealogy of Jesus presented in Luke 3 from Nathan ,
4550-491: Was 12–14 years old. Her age during her pregnancy has varied up to 17 in apocryphal sources. In a large part, apocryphal texts are historically unreliable. According to ancient Jewish custom, Mary technically could have been betrothed at about 12, but some scholars hold the view that in Judea it typically happened later. Hyppolitus of Thebes says that Mary lived for 11 years after the death of her son Jesus, dying in 41 AD. The earliest extant biographical writing on Mary
4620-426: Was an almost universally held belief among Christians from the 2nd until the 19th century. It is included in the two most widely used Christian creeds , which state that Jesus "was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary" (the Nicene Creed , in what is now its familiar form) and the Apostles' Creed . The Gospel of Matthew describes Mary as a virgin who fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14, The authors of
4690-458: Was confirmed by the First Council of Ephesus , held at the Church of Mary in 431. The Council decreed that Mary is the Mother of God because her son Jesus is one person who is both God and man, divine and human. This doctrine is widely accepted by Christians in general, and the term "Mother of God" had already been used within the oldest known prayer to Mary, the Sub tuum praesidium , which dates to around 250 AD. The Virgin birth of Jesus
4760-414: Was far advanced in years. Mary was given to service as a consecrated virgin in the Temple in Jerusalem when she was three years old. This was in spite of the patent impossibility of its premise that a girl could be kept in the Temple of Jerusalem along with some companions. Some unproven apocryphal accounts, such as the apocryphal Gospel of James 8:2, state that at the time of her betrothal to Joseph, Mary
4830-486: Was recognized at the Council of Ephesus in 431. The direct equivalents of title in Latin are Deipara and Dei Genitrix , although the phrase is more often loosely translated into Latin as Mater Dei ("Mother of God"), with similar patterns for other languages used in the Latin Church . However, this same phrase in Greek ( Μήτηρ Θεοῦ ), in the abbreviated form ΜΡ ΘΥ , is an indication commonly attached to her image in Byzantine icons . The Council stated that
4900-404: Was the ruler of Judaea. Mary is involved in the only event in Jesus' adolescent life that is recorded in the New Testament. At the age of 12, Jesus, having become separated from his parents on their return journey from the Passover celebration in Jerusalem, was found in the Temple among the religious teachers. Mary was present when, at her suggestion, Jesus worked his first miracle during
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