The Christ: A Critical Review and Analysis of the Evidences of His Existence

by John E. Remsburg

“We are wholly ignorant of the name and occupation of St. Mary’s parents. She was, like Joseph, of the tribe of Judah, and of the lineage of David ([Ps. cxxxii, 11]; [Luke i, 32]; [Rom. i, 3]).”—Smith’s Bible Dictionary.

Three passages are cited in support of this claim:

1. “The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it. Of the fruit of thy body will I sit upon thy throne. If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne forevermore” ([Ps. cxxxii, 11, 12]).

2. “He shall be great, and shall be called the son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David” ([Luke i, 32]).

3. “Concerning his son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh” ([Rom. i, 3]).

The second and third passages do not refer to Mary; the first passage refers neither to Jesus nor Mary. There is no evidence to prove that Mary was descended from David. On the contrary there is evidence to prove that she was not descended from him.

1. “The angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city in Galilee, called Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary” ([Luke i, 27]). Joseph, and not Mary is declared to be of the house of David.

2. It is stated that Joseph went to Bethlehem “to be taxed with Mary,” not because they, but “because he was of the house and lineage of David” ([Luke ii, 4, 5]).

3. Mary was the cousin of Elizabeth ([Luke i, 3]), and Elizabeth “was of the daughters of Aaron” ([i, 5]), i. e., descended from Levi, while the house of David was descended from Judah.

This desperate, yet ineffectual, effort to establish the Davidic descent of Mary is virtually an abandonment of the genealogical tables of Matthew and Luke, and a falling back upon this pitiable argumentum in circulo: Mary was descended from David because the Messiah was to be descended from David, and Jesus was the Messiah because Mary was descended from David.