As I say, the context itself requires that "virgin" be meant.
...the Septuagint (LXX) translates the word "almah" as "young woman".
Well, no it doesn't. The Septuagint's "parthenos" DOES imply virginity.
You'll probably dispute Wikipedia as a source but this is what it has for
Isaiah 7:14
The author of the Gospel of Matthew used the pre-Christian Jewish Septuagint's translation of the Hebrew word almah as the Greek parthenos (a word that usually implies virginity)
I doubt the Septuagint had any special influence. The Jews of the day would have known that Isaiah 7:14 referred to a virgin, plus the report of the angel's annunciation has to be treated as a lie to deny it. Which of course the unbelieving Jews did, calling Mary a whore and all that. Kind of leaves you with a choice whether to believe them or the honest disciples of Christ.
Didn't we have this discussion a while back where I produced some evidence of pre-Christian Jewish understanding of the word as "virgin" and you merely dismissed it as irrelevant what a few Jews thought? Guess I should find that first.
Back soon.
ABE: The discussion we had was about the Two Messiahs, not almah.
Later.
Edited by Faith, : To add last comment