One of the strongest pinnacles of christianity is the "Virgin Birth".
But what if we have found information that shows us a very different scenario?
The custom of the Essenes was, some men in their ranks must marry, those who must continue their blood lines. The highest Essenes had no sex because it was considered sinful, but the men on their second order left the monastery to cohabit with their wives from time to time, the woman in such marriages had the status of a "Nun", the name of a nun in the Hellenistic world was a "virgin", it meant both, when a woman was physically a virgin and a dedicated woman. The marriage had stages, first there was the vow of dedication, then there was a bethrodal period were they should stay apart for as long as possible (no sex). Next, there was a wedding with a trial period of three years were sex was allowed, if the woman became pregnant after the trial period, there was a second wedding and this was for good, for there was going to be a child and divorce was not permitted by the Essenes.
http://www.geocities.com/engvaj/Scrolls.html
And thank you "Benko" for pointing this out to me.
