What ‘evidence’??
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Well, just the way that Bethulah is normally translated.
For example:
In Genesis 24, it says Rebekah was a beautiful young virgin. The Hebrew Masoretic says Bethulah (Hebrew for virgin) and the Greek Septuagint translates it as Parthenos (Greek for virgin).
Rebekah:
Bethulah = Parthenos
Then in Esther, it says that the king sent out his servants to round up a bunch of beautiful young virgins, of whom Esther was one. Again, the Hebrew Masoretic says Bethulah (Hebrew for virgin) and the Greek Septuagint says Parthenos (Greek for virgin).
Esther:
Bethulah = Parthenos
Then in Isaiah 37, he refers to the nation of Judah as the virgin daughter of Zion. Again, the Hebrew says Bethulah (Hebrew for virgin), and the Greek Septuagint says Parthenos (Greek for virgin).
Isaiah 37:
Bethulah = Parthenos
So here we have THREE examples of Parthenos being a translation of Bethulah.
Now, in Isaiah 7:14, it gives a significant prophecy about the Messiah. It says, “Behold, the Lord will give you a sign. The virgin will be with child.”
Now, this is prophetically speaking about the Virgin Mary giving birth to Jesus. Matthew quotes it in his gospel and used the word Parthenos. He says that the Virgin Mary giving birth to Jesus is a fulfillment of this verse in Isaiah.
The Greek Septuagint in Isaiah 7:14 says Parthenos. So you would think that the Hebrew Masoretic says Bethulah, right? But it doesn’t. Instead, it says “Almah” which simply means a young woman, and has nothing to do with virginity.
Isaiah 7:
Parthenos = Almah???
Now, wait a minute. We’ve got all these other examples with Rebekah and Esther, where Bethulah is translated as Parthenos. But the very moment it comes to a very significant Messianic prophecy, suddenly the Hebrew says something different?
And that doesn’t seem fishy to you?
This absolutely REEKS of foul play!
It sounds to me that the original Hebrew said Bethulah, and that’s why the Septuagint translated it as Parthenos. But after the time of Christ, the Jews changed the Hebrew to Almah.
But that’s not all.
In the 2nd century AD, Jewish proselytes (converts) like Theodotion and Aquila made newer Greek translations. These were men who were born Greeks and converted to Judaism. And their versions did NOT say “Parthenos” in Isaiah 7:14 like the Greek Septuagint does. But rather, their versions said “Neesis”, which is a Greek word that simply means “young woman” and has nothing to do with virginity.
Not only did the Jews change the Hebrew, but they’ve also got converts making new Greek versions as well!
So early church fathers such as Irenaus and Justin Martyr defended the Greek Septuagint, and condemned the new translations made by Theodotion and Aquila. They insisted that “Parthenos” was the correct word, not “Neesis” as these new translations said.
In fact, Justin Martyr got into an argument with a Jew named Trypho. And they argued over this very passage. Trypho the Jew argued that it ought to be translated “the young woman shall be with child” whereas Justin argued that it ought to be “the virgin shall be with child.”
And Justin defended the “translation of the 70 elders who were with Ptolemy” (talking about the Greek Septuagint), and condemned the versions of Theodotion and Aquila. Irenaeus also condemned the versions of Theodotion and Aquila.
Not only that, but Justin accused the Jews of taking many things out of the Bible. He told Trypho that the Jews removed passages from Esdras (Ezra), they removed things from Psalms, and they also removed things from Jeremiah. And Justin defended the version of the Greek Septuagint, and accused the Jews of corrupting their own Hebrew copies.
Irenaeus also defended the Septuagint.
Look at what Justin says:
“But I am far from putting reliance in your teachers, who refuse to admit that the interpretation made by the seventy elders who were with Ptolemy king of the Egyptians is a correct one; and they attempt to frame another. And I wish you to observe, that they have altogether taken away many Scriptures from the translations effected by those seventy elders who were with Ptolemy…”
“Here Trypho remarked, "We ask you first of all to tell us some of the Scriptures which you allege have been completely cancelled.”
“And Justin said, "I shall do as you please. From the statements, then, which Esdras made in reference to the law of the passover, they have taken away the following…..”
“And from the sayings of Jeremiah they have cut out the following…..”
“And since this passage from the sayings of Jeremiah is still written in some copies of the Scriptures in the synagogues of the Jews, (for it is only a short time since they were cut out),…”
“And from the ninety-fifth (ninety-sixth) Psalm they have taken away this short saying of the words of David….”
From:
St. Justin Martyr
“Dialogue with Trypho the Jew”
CHAPTER LXXI
Saint Justin Martyr: Dialogue with Trypho (Roberts-Donaldson). On Early Christian Writings.
www.earlychristianwritings.com
And Justin listed off and quoted all these passages, which he accused the Jews of removing from their Hebrew scriptures.
Eusebius; writing in the 300’s said in his work “The Chronicon” that the Jewish Hebrew text currently being used by the Jews is untrustworthy and unreliable. He said the Greek Septuagint should be used, and that the Septuagint is the only version that is approved by the church of Christ.
Just look at some of what Eusebius says in his Chronicon:
“….we must agree that the numbers of years in the Jewish version are incorrect….”
“Indeed, it is absolutely clear that the dates in the Hebrew version of the Jews are incorrect…”
“And it is possible to show that the Jewish version is untrustworthy in another way….”
“Therefore, because it has been definitely established that the Septuagint version was translated from the original, unadulterated Hebrew scriptures, it is reasonable for us to use that version for this chronicle - especially since it is the only version that is approved by the church of Christ, which has spread throughout the whole world, and it is the version that was handed down to us from the beginning by the apostles and disciples of Christ.”
From: Eusebius’ Chronicon
A translation of Eusebius' Chronicle, Book 1, pages 71-131 (Schoene)
www.attalus.org
Time and time again, we keep seeing early church fathers defending the accuracy of the Greek Septuagint, claiming it to be an accurate translation of the original, unadulterated Hebrew scriptures, and then also claiming that the Jewish Hebrew text that is currently being used by the Jews is a corrupted and unreliable Hebrew text, with passages taken out, and numbers changed.
So, when you take all these things into consideration, it seems that the most likely conclusion is that the ORIGINAL Hebrew of Isaiah 7:14 probably said “Bethulah”, and that’s why the Septuagint translated it as “Parthenos.”
But after the time of Christ, the unbelieving Jews probably removed the word “Bethulah” and replaced it with the word “Almah”. And then they made newer Greek translations to reflect this change.
