THE SON OF DAVID AND HIS MOTHER

The well-known puzzle of Jesus' Davidic descent is here examined in the light of related ancient traditions, including other attested claims, both Jewish and Christian, of Davidic descent. Contrary to the surface impression that the New Testament attaches Jesus' descent by adoption exclusively to the patrilinear genealogy of Joseph, this study proceeds to show that Jesus' Davidic identity in fact came in early Christian writings to be linked overwhelmingly to his mother Mary-a view closely relevant to christological developments and aided in part by a surprising (but not altogether implausible) exegesis of Luke 1:27.