The real Mary

[Chris Burford]

One of the reasons why there is such a difference in the degree of religious faith in the USA and the UK, may be the readiness of religion in the UK to accept a dialogue with more enquiring historical and philosophical approaches. (Last year Christmas attendances at Church of England churces was 7% down on the previous year).

On last Sunday BBC1, now the most popular UK television channel, carried a programme entitled "The Virgin Mary"; "An exploration of the life of the mother of Jesus reveals a story rather different to popular belief".

With a dramatic reconstuction featuring a rather knowing and vulnerable child actress, 7 scholars, state of the art graphics, the hour long programme presented a rather memorable image.

It noted the religious picture of the Virgin Mary dressed in celestial blue, and noted that colour would have only been available to the rich. The historical individual would have been Miriam, or possbily Mariamee (?)

They described the material and social life in a palestinian family, which would presume the child being betrothed at the age of 12 or 13 soon after an inspection revealed her to be sexually ready, to an older man. In her case said to be a trader. The loss of virginity would put the bride at severe risk, even of her life. Essentially she was the property of her parents, sold to her husband. Virgin brides were worth twice non virgin brides such as widows.

The story of the virgin birth and divine conception is in only the later gospels of Mark and Luke (80's and 90's AD) not in Mark, John or the letter of Paul. But a passage in John suggests there may have been a problem about the conception of Jesus, in that his opponents say "we are not born of fornication".

The programme gave a lot of docuhistory about the extreme violence of the imperialist oppression by the Romans. At the end of Herod the Great's riegn revolts led to the the burning of a number of cities. A messiah was longed for. Roman occupation forces would have been detested.

It discussed a 2nd century story that Jesus was the result of rape by a Roman soldier, but after memorable images, it suggested that this may have been put about by enemies of the Christians. It quoted an authority assuming the most likely father was indeed Joseph, and that he was a goodly man. But it did not discuss the possibility that the conception may have been within wedlock, and the whole drama may be a later attempt to establish the divinity of Jesus.

The programme did not discuss the theory that the term "Son of God" may not have meant literally the son of God, and that Jesus is also very much referred to as the Son of Man.

Nazareth, the most likely birthplace. A town/village of 400 in the remote province of Galilee, far from Jerusalem.

Bethlehem: scepticism about this as the birthplace. Mathew has the family living in Bethlehem. Luke has the family travelling from Nazareth to Bethlehem, on the grounds that there was a census. But surprisingly there is no collateral historical evidence of such a census.

The programme concluded that Bethlehem was to make the connection with the city of King David, and this connection was made to give strength to the preception of Jesus as the long awaited Messiah.

The stable: this appears only in Luke, whose narrative appeals to the poor. cf the story of the shepherds.
Matthew has no mention of Jesus being born in a stable. This gospel, [placed first in the Bible despite its later date] appeals more to the rich and powerful. It starts off with a long genealogy going back to David, and Abraham. Its visitors are the three wise men, [with their expensive symbolic gifts.]

The slaughter: this allegedly of Herod of boys under 2, is described only in Matthew. It provides the reason for the flight to Egypt and the return from Egypt such as to permit reference by implication to Moses.

Other sources the programme suggested, say that Mary had 4 more sons and two daughters. Her status would have risen as soon as she had become a mother.

Joseph is last heard of in the Bible when Jesus is 12. The programme assumed that Mary became a widow, and had to grieve over him, and surivive in a lower status.

It gave credence to the assumption that Mary would have protested her alarm to Jesus about the risky course of action he was taking. It debated whether she would have had strength to stay at the foot of the cross as described in John, during Jesus's torture and death. One of the authorities suggested that Mary comes over as a strong character, who might have done that.

It described her for the second time being the chief mourner for the head man in her family.

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The overall quiet effect of this sort of programme I suggest is powerful. It stimulated one bishop to denounce the idea that Jesus was the result of rape by a Roman soldier, but it held it out as a serious possibility only to favour a more probable explanation.

The analysis was essentially democratic, and materialists, relating the evidence to the socio-economic conditions known to prevail at the time. Without being self-consciously marxist it was consistent with a liberal scientific view of the probable origings of the preacher Jesus.

The breakthrough's in analysis of the Bible were really made by German scholars in the 19th century. Essentially you only have to read the books of the New Testament in something of the order in which they were written. It is misleading starting off with Matthew.

But modern communications can spread this to the public in a vivid way.

This programme left Miriam, less saintly, less able to reconcile impossible emotions and conflicts, but with the possibility of real dignity and courage, which somehow, no doubt, was passed on to her son.

There were no reports of protests that the programme was sacriligious.

Chris Burford

London