The exact age of Mary when she had Jesus is not mentioned in the Bible, but scholars and theologians have made educated guesses based on clues from the Bible and historical context.
According to the Gospel of Luke, Mary was a young virgin living in Nazareth when the angel Gabriel appeared to her and told her she would bear the son of God (Luke 1:26-28). This would have been around the time that Mary was engaged to Joseph, a carpenter (Matthew 1:18-19). In Jewish culture, girls were typically betrothed at the age of twelve or thirteen, so it is likely that Mary was around this age when she became pregnant with Jesus.
The Gospel of Matthew also gives some clues about Mary’s age. It mentions that Joseph was a “righteous man” who did not want to disgrace Mary publicly, so he planned to quietly divorce her (Matthew 1:19). This suggests that Mary was not yet married and still living with her family. And she was likely between 12 and 14 years old when she gave birth to Jesus.
Historical context also supports the idea that Mary was a young teenager when she had Jesus. In the first century, women in Palestine typically married young and had their first child within a few years of marriage. The average age of marriage for women in Palestine during this time was around thirteen or fourteen, and the average age of first childbirth was around sixteen or seventeen.
The Bible also gives us some clues about Mary’s life after the birth of Jesus. In the Gospel of Luke, it mentions that Mary “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). This suggests that Mary was a thoughtful and reflective young woman who was deeply engaged with her faith.
In the Gospel of Matthew, it mentions that after Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph fled to Egypt to escape King Herod’s wrath (Matthew 2:13-15). This would have been a difficult and dangerous journey for a young mother with a newborn baby, but Mary’s faith and determination allowed her to make this sacrifice for her son.
In conclusion, while the exact age of Mary when she had Jesus is not mentioned in the Bible, clues from the Bible and historical context suggest that she was likely a young teenager around the age of thirteen or fourteen. This was a difficult and challenging time in Mary’s life, but her faith and devotion to God allowed her to rise to the occasion and become the mother of the son of God.