Stu - you asked why. I gave you one possible answer, from one case of Biblical suffering. Thanks for the polite reply.
Milu - The Greek "parthenos" is "a woman who has never had sex with a man." The point I failed to make was that in case you mistranslate parthenos, there are other descriptions. You don't have to agree, and you certainly don't have to find it unique, but the translation "virgin" is not the problem.
Werewulf - you're largely right, hearsay is not admissible in court, and Jesus himself never wrote a single letter. However, if you apply that standard to any historical figure, you've just lost virtually all of history. For a full discussion, check out John McDowell's "Evidence that Demands a Verdict." For a summary, try
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http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?threadid=186703&perpage=20&pagenumber=8here
Dan