Who is Jesus Christ to you?

What is your evidence for such a matrilineal tradition before Ezra? So, for example, one site writes:

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Who is a Jew?

• Maternal (Jewishness passes from mother to child). This is the view prevalent among modern-day orthodox religious Jews of most varieties. Most allow for the possibility of conversion, but such instances are relatively rare, and the conversion is not always recognized by other religious sects or by the secular majority. Many historians think that this law started with Ezra in order to reduce the number of Jewish men (returnees from Babylon, the vast majority of whom were men) marrying Samaritan women. Prior to that, Jewish transmission was tribal and paternal. Some feel the practice was continued during the Diaspora in order to ensure that the blood line was not broken, as one could always be certain of a baby's mother, but not its father. In both cases, blood was the central consideration, not faith.

- see Who is a Jew

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I also find it interesting that the Karaites apparently reject this tradition.Finally, I found the following of worth:

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Those interested in legal cultures and in the interaction between Roman law and local customs will find the discussion of the emergence of the so-called matrilineal principle fascinating. Clearly, and in spite of numerous strictures, marriage across the boundaries of faith did take place. What, then, was the status of the offspring? Here it is useful to remember that 'mixed' marriage in the ancient world was a varied and intricate concept. Like the Romans, the Jews had their own categories of acceptable and unacceptable spouses (Sivan, 'Why not marry a barbarian? In Mathisen and Eadem, Shifting Frontiers in Late Antiquity, 1996). Disqualified partners became parents who engendered children with problematic status. Cohen detects the influence of Roman law on the formation of the matrilineal principle that made mothers, rather than fathers, the bearers of legitimate Jews. Yet, in Roman law a valid marriage between free born and equal citizens bequeathed the paternal rather than the maternal status to the children. I am certainly in agreement about the influence of Roman law on rabbinic legal culture and on the importance of examining the relations between Jewish and Roman law (Sivan, 'Revealing the Concealed: Roman and Rabbinic Opinions on the Crime of Adultery in Late Antiquity', ZSS.RA). But the adoption of the matrilineal principle may owe its naissance to rabbinic archaism or even antiquarianism rather than to classical Roman law.

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- see Review of Shaye J. D. Cohen, The Beginnings of Jewishness. Boundaries, Varieties, Uncertainties. Hellenistic Culture and Society 31

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In either event, perhaps 'you are wrong, kinda'.

Your response dealt with the traditions of "ancient Jews". So, what is your evidence for matrilinear descent? Derives or justifies?I noticed that you chose not to address either of my references, relying instead on hints and 2nd century CE apologetics. Your choice ...