Using solely the “multiple attestation argument”, there are 4 inependent attestations favorable to Jesus virginal birth:
- Gospel of the Hebrews, ch 1
The original text of this gospel probably is lost forever, but some pieces of it are cited by the church fathers. Cyril of Jerusalem, in his Discourse on Mary the Mother of God cites:
"It is written in the Gospel of the Hebrews that /1/ when Christ wanted to come to earth, the Good Father summoned a mighty power in the heavens who was called Michael, and entrusted Christ to his care. /2/ The power came down into the world, and it was called Mary, and Christ was in her womb for seven months. /3/ She gave birth to him and he grew up and he chose the apostles who preached him everywhere. /4/ He fulfilled the appointed time that was decreed for him. /5/ The Jews grew envious of him and came to hate him. They changed the custom of their law and they rose up against him and laid a trap and caught him. /6/ They turned him over to the governor, who gave him back to them to crucify. /7/ And after they had raised him on the cross, the Father took him up into heaven to himself. "
- Matt 1:18-25
- Luke 1:26-38
- Ignatius of Antioch was a direct disciple of John the Apostle, and he wrote several letters. One of them, to the Ephesians, is considered authentic.
In this letter, he says:
We have also as a Physician the Lord our God, Jesus the Christ, the only-begotten Son and Word, before time began, but who afterwards became also man, of Mary the virgin. For “the Word was made flesh.”
And
The cross of Christ is indeed a stumbling-block to those that do not believe, but to the believing it is salvation and life eternal. “Where is the wise man? where the disputer?” Where is the boasting of those who are called mighty? For the Son of God, who was begotten before time began, and established all things according to the will of the Father, He was conceived in the womb of Mary, according to the appointment of God, of the seed of David, and by the Holy Ghost. For says [the Scripture], “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and He shall be called Immanuel.” He was born and was baptized by John, that He might ratify the institution committed to that prophet.
And
Now the virginity of Mary was hidden from the prince of this world, as was also her offspring, and the death of the Lord; three mysteries of renown, which were wrought in silence by God.
Another letter considered authentic is the one to the Smyrnaeans. In this letter he says:
I glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who by Him has given you such wisdom. For I have observed that ye are perfected in an immoveable faith, as if ye were nailed to the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, both in the flesh and in the spirit, and are established in love through the blood of Christ, being fully persuaded, in very truth, with respect to our Lord Jesus Christ, that He was the Son of God, “the first-born of every creature,” God the Word, the only-begotten Son, and was of the seed of David according to the flesh, by the Virgin Mary; was baptized by John, that all righteousness might be fulfilled by Him; that He lived a life of holiness without sin, and was truly, under Pontius Pilate and Herod the tetrarch, nailed [to the cross] for us in His flesh. From whom we also derive our being, from His divinely-blessed passion, that He might set up a standard for the ages, through His resurrection, to all His holy and faithful [followers], whether among Jews or Gentiles, in the one body of His Church.
