Scholars have long debated whether the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest Hebrew manuscripts of the Tanakh, might reshape our understanding of key verses like Isaiah 7:14. Some point to the Septuagint, the Greek translation of Jewish scriptures, claiming its 70 rabbinic translators used a word for "virgin," suggesting a messianic prophecy. Does the Great Isaiah Scroll, dating to 125 BCE and unearthed in Qumran's caves, confirm this as some have stated? As students of Torah, we turn to the original Hebrew text, preserved with remarkable clarity, to uncover Isaiah 7:14's true meaning. Let us explore its Hebrew wording, historical context, and the original audience's understanding, using an authoritative approach grounded in the authentic source before considering later interpretations.
The Hebrew Text: The Great Isaiah Scroll's Testimony
The Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsa^a), available in high-resolution at the Israel Museum's Digital Dead Sea Scrolls archive (dss.collections.imj.org.il/isaiah), preserves Isaiah 7:14 in Column 6, lines 9-11. The Hebrew text reads:
לכן יתן אדני הוא לכם אות הנה העלמה הרה וילדת בן וקראת שמו עמנו אל
Translated directly: "Therefore, my Lord himself will give you a sign: Behold, the young woman is pregnant and will bear a son, and she will call his name Immanuel."
Below, you will see an image of the entire Isaiah Scroll in the museum. The red area is the area of discussion.
Here a zoomed-in view of the bottom of leaf 6 highlighting 7:14.
IMPORTANT - This text demands close examination. The key terms are:
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The definite article "the" points to a specific young woman known to the audience. In Hebrew, this is העלמה (ha'almah), meaning a young woman of marriageable age, with no inherent implication of virginity, unlike בתולה (betulah), used elsewhere (e.g., Genesis 24:16). The scroll's text aligns with the Masoretic Text, affirming העלמה (ha'almah). Some might argue העלמה (ha'almah) can mean "virgin," but this is undermined by its use in Genesis 38:21, where a prostitute is called העלמה (ha'almah) - not בתולה (betulah) - indicating a broader term for a young woman, regardless of status.
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The present-tense "is pregnant" indicates the woman is already expecting, suggesting an immediate sign. In Hebrew, this is הרה (harah).
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The name "Immanuel," in Hebrew עמנו אל (Immanuel), means "God is with us," a symbolic declaration, not necessarily the child's literal name, reflecting divine presence.
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Minor orthographic variations, like an extra yod in העלמה (ha'almah), reflect Qumran's scribal style but do not change the meaning. The scroll's clarity, visible below, invites direct study.
The Shrine of the Book, where the actual original scroll is housed at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, draws over 800,000 visitors annually. These countless eyes - tourists, scholars, pilgrims, and even you - can confirm firsthand that the ancient Hebrew reads העלמה (ha'almah), a tangible witness to the text's ancient authenticity. To easily find it, going right to left, find the 6th leaf and go to the bottom as seen here underlined in red.
The Historical Context: A Sign for Ahaz's Crisis
To grasp the authentic source, we must step into 734 BCE Jerusalem. King Ahaz faces a dire threat: Aram (Syria) and Israel (Ephraim), led by Rezin and Pekah, plot to overthrow Judah and replace him (Isaiah 7:1-6). Fear shakes the House of David (7:2).
God sends Isaiah to assure Ahaz: "It will not come to pass" (7:4-7). The sign in 7:14 is immediate, tied to this Syro-Ephraimite War. Verses 15-16 specify:
"He will eat curds and honey when he knows to refuse evil and choose good. For before the boy knows to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted."
The child's early years, likely a few years, mark the Assyrian conquest of Aram (732 BCE) and Israel (722 BCE), fulfilling the prophecy. This timeline, rooted in historical records, shows the sign's urgency for Ahaz, as the original readers understood.
Some still propose a dual prophecy, suggesting it might also find realization in a future setting. This is conceivable, given the symbolic nature of "Immanuel" as "God is with us," yet the text consistently uses העלמה (ha'almah), not בתולה (betulah), affirming a young woman rather than a virgin, even in any potential future fulfillment.
Isaiah's Clarification: The Child's Identity
Isaiah clarifies the sign's fulfillment in 8:3-4: "And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the Lord said to me, 'Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz; for before the boy knows how to cry "My father" or "My mother," the plunder of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.'"
The "prophetess," likely Isaiah's wife, is the "young woman" of 7:14, already pregnant or soon to be. Their son, Maher-shalal-hash-baz, fulfills the timeline, aligning with 7:15-16. "Immanuel" is symbolic, like Maher-shalal-hash-baz ("Hasten to the spoil"), reflecting God's action. Isaiah 8:8 and 8:10 call Judah "your land, O Immanuel," affirming divine protection, a meaning clear to the original audience.
The Septuagint: Authority of the 70 vs. Later Copies
The Septuagint (LXX) is often cited for rendering העלמה (ha'almah) as παρθένος (parthenos), meaning "virgin," suggesting a miraculous birth. However, the authentic source lies in its origin: the Letter of Aristeas describes 70 Jewish scholars translating only the Torah (Pentateuch) for Ptolemy II around 250 BCE, earning the proto-Septuagint its authoritative status due to their rigorous scholarship. The prophetic books, including Isaiah, were added later, likely 2nd-1st century BCE, by Jewish scribes in the Hellenistic Jewish community. The versions we have today are copies, not the original 70's work, and were further revised by Christian scribes in the 1st-2nd century CE. These copies, influenced by theological agendas, introduced παρθένος (parthenos), diverging from the Hebrew העלמה (ha'almah).
Why the Proto-Septuagint Matters for Proper Translation
The proto-Septuagint's authority stems from the 70 scholars' expertise, ensuring fidelity to the Hebrew Torah. The later Septuagint lacks the original expertise of the 70, straying from their baseline, reflecting Hellenistic or Christian influences - e.g., παρθένος (parthenos) aligning with later interpretive needs.
Some others have suggested that rabbis altered the text from בתולה (betulah) to העלמה (ha'almah) to dispel virgin birth claims linked to Christianity. However, the Great Isaiah Scroll, written nearly 150 years before the figures of the New Testament emerged, predates any such claims, proving the text reflects the original understanding of the prophecy, free from later influence. Church Fathers like Jerome (4th-5th century) and Origen (3rd century) noted these mistranslations as well. Jerome, translating the Vulgate, criticized the later Septuagint deviations from the Hebrew, favoring the Masoretic Text. Origen's Hexapla compared Greek versions to the Hebrew, highlighting copy errors. A true scholar, especially of texts later tied to Christian writings, must use the proto-Septuagint's Torah as a baseline, cross-checked with the Hebrew - evidenced in the Dead Sea Scrolls as shown above - to correct these distortions. The scrolls' העלמה (ha'almah) confirms the original meaning.
Misunderstandings Today
The Hebrew העלמה (ha'almah), the 734 BCE context, and the original reader's understanding - Ahaz's deliverance via Isaiah's son - reveal a time-bound sign, not a virgin birth. Later copies of the Septuagint, which share the name of the original, confusing many, misrepresenting this, have led to misunderstandings. The images above, showing the scroll's clarity, ground us in this truth. Read Isaiah 7:1-16 and 8:1-10 in a Hebrew Tanakh, and ask: Do claims of a "virgin" prophecy align with the ancient Hebrew and context? Should we rely on later copies or the original proto-Septuagint and Hebrew to clarify? Let Isaiah's words, and the 70's legacy, guide your study.
Click here to view the actual Isaiah Scroll yourself in high res. http://dss.collections.imj.org.il/isaiah
