Mary, Mother of Jesus

Mary was likely born between 30-20 BCE. She grew up around Nazareth, about ten miles (16 kilometers) west of the Sea of Galilee. Her parents were Joachim and Hannah, and she had two sisters and two brothers. She was a descendant of a long line of remarkable women, including Eve and Ruth. Her ancestry is characterized by the predominance of strong but average individuals. In culture and belief, Mary was a Jew, but in heredity her lineage was Syrian, Hittite, Phoenician, Greek, and Egyptian. Mary was a brown-eyed, nearly blond woman. Her family was well educated, and she was far better educated than most women of her day. Mary developed a talent for planning and the ability to adapt and execute her plans. She was an expert weaver and skilled in most of the household arts of her day; she grew to be a good housekeeper and a superior homemaker. She was usually a cheerful person with a sunny disposition; she freely and frequently indulged in emotional expression. Mary married a craftsman named Joseph, a man from a good family. Not long after they were wed, in November of 8 BCE, Mary was visited by a celestial being named Gabriel who announced she was to become the mother of a "child of promise." This announcement came as a shock, and she said nothing to anyone for many weeks. When she knew without a doubt that she was pregnant, she told Joseph. But Joseph was skeptical until he had a dream that coincided with Gabriel’s announcement. Soon, Mary and Joseph came to believe they were to be the parents of an expected one, a Messiah who had long been foretold by Jewish prophets. Nine months after Gabriel’s visit Joshua (Jesus) was born, on August 21, 7 BCE.