Publisher's Synopsis
Many scholars maintain that the Gospels should be dated later than they currently are. In Divinity of a Birth, Robert Geis reveals why this claim lacks foundation. Prophecy, the key to evidence of the Divine in human existence, is best demonstrated with a dating nearest to the time of the prophesied event. This work argues lexically for evidence of a Semitic substrate in much of the New Testament (NT) Gospels. This makes the timing of its composition an aid to the thesis that the Old Testament (OT)—a source of NT prophecy—was a Divine instrument, as the NT narratives of Christ make clear. The prophecies of the OT, therefore, support the claim of the divinity of Christ's birth. Geis carefully analyzes prophecies such as the virginity of Mary and argues for a stringent interpretation of Luke's claim to accuracy.
