Mary's 10 Year Pregnancy!

[Tonus]

Who would have believed her? If a 40 year old man bought the rights to a 12 or 13 year old girl (which was considered "18"/the magic legal age back then,) and she show up prego, before she was to be married, you don't think their would be a question or two??

Well, they could simply have told the truth. There is no account that the community was aware of the fact that a virgin was carrying a child. It all seems secretive, to the degree that even Joseph required divine intervention before he knew the truth.

Not only does the account not mention that she was checked for virginity, the only time anyone seems to be aware of her situation is through the action of holy spirit or angelic messengers. Based on your explanation, we are to understand that a pregnant woman was checked and found to be a virgin, but no one seemed to consider this to be notable.

even if it were a life and death matter? Do you think if she went to court with the story of being a virgin something that easy to check for would not have been checked? To make such a claim (a claim that full fills prophesy) were it not true was a death sentence in of itself, let alone the societal/sexual morality issue.

Hence why Joseph decided to make the marriage official. This implies that her situation was not known to anyone that god had not specifically notified via angels or dreams. Joseph would not have been concerned about bringing Mary public shame if it was understood that she was carrying the fetus of god himself. He knew that taking her into his home would lead people to believe that the child was his. Why there was this need for deception and secrecy, the text does not say, and I find it somewhat awkward.