In Judaism, in order to establish paternity, it was not sufficient to ask the mother, because she might lie about the father so as not to be accused of adultery. Rather a man had to give testimony, since most men would be reluctant to acknowledge a child unless it was their own. The Mishnah, from around 200 years after Jesus’ birth, is very clear on this: ‘If a man says, “This is my son”, he is to be believed’ (Baba Bathra 8.6).
