"... Tales of miraculous births feature across cultures and corpora of antiquity, with a particular concentration in classical sources. Stuckenbruck observed that miraculous birth narratives often relate to exemplary or controversial figures. While none of these include the specific response of heart pondering or hiddenness, Suetonius notes the fright of Vitellius’ parents at the astrologers’ predictions and calculations of the time of birth (Vitellius 3). Plutarch relates a series of parental revelations and portents regarding the conception and future of Alexander (Plutarch, Life of Alexander 2–3). We should bear in mind, therefore, that our ancient Jewish and emerging Christian writings are also speaking into and out of Hellenistic culture. The Aramaic corpus at Qumran includes at least four compositions that feature birth notices and narratives of infant prodigies. These include: 1 Enoch 106–107, Birth of Noah (1Q19; 4Q534–536), Genesis Apocryphon (1Q20), and ALD (1Q21; 4Q213, 4Q213a, 4Q213b, 4Q214, 4Q214a, and 4Q214b). The majority of these pertain to the birth of Noah, which connects with a much larger body of traditions among the Dead Sea Scrolls associated with Genesis’ flood hero ... Mary is presented with knowledge of Jesus’ otherworldly ancestry or claims to his remarkable future on two occasions in the Lukan materials. How do these texts sound differently in the context of Aramaic Wunderkind traditions and revelatory reactions? The first response comes in Luke 2:19. The shepherds receive an angelic visitation regarding the salvific potential and messianic identity of Jesus, a child whom they will simply recognize when they encounter him (Luke 2:8–15). When these matters are relayed manger-side to Mary, we hear “But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart” ..."