The
birth of Mary the Holy Mother of God, and very glorious Mother of Jesus Christ
The Protoevangelium
of James
Apocrypha
(1) IN the records of the twelve tribes of lsrael was Joachim, a man
rich exceedingly; and he brought his offerings double, (2) saying: There shall
be of my superabundance to all the people, and there shall be the offering for
my forgiveness (3) to the Lord for a propitiation for me. (4) For the great day
of the Lord was at hand, and the sons of lsrael were bringing their offerings.
And there stood over against him Rubim, saying: It is not meet for thee first to
bring thine offerings, because thou hast not made seed in Israel. (5) And
Joachim was exceedingly grieved, and went away to the registers of the twelve
tribes of the people, saying: I shall see the registers of the twelve tribes of
lsrael, as to whether I alone have not made seed in lsrael. And he searched, and
found that all the righteous had raised up seed in lsrael. And he called to mind
the patriach Abraham, that in the last day (6) God gave him a son Isaac. And
Joachim was exceedingly grieved, and did not come into the presence of his wife;
but he retired to the desert, (7) and there pitched his tent, and fasted forty
days and forty nights, (8) saying in himself: I will not go down either for food
or for drink until the Lord my God shall look upon me, and prayer shall be my
food and drink.
2. And his wife Anna (9) mourned in two mournings, and lamented in two
lamentations, saying: I shall bewail my widowhood; I shall bewail my
childlessness. And the great day of the Lord was at hand; and Judith (10) her
maid-servant said: How long dost thou humiliate thy soul? Behold, the great day
of the Lord is at hand, and it is unlawful for thee to mourn. But take this
head-band, which the woman that made it gave to me; for it is not proper that I
should wear it, because I am a maid-servant, and it has a royal appearance. (11)
And Anna said: Depart from me; for I have not done such things, and the Lord has
brought me very low. I fear that some wicked person has given it to thee, and
thou hast come to make me a sharer in thy sin. And Judith said: Why should I
curse thee, seeing that (12) the Lord hath shut thy womb, so as not to give thee
fruit in Israel? And Anna was grieved exceedingly, and put off her garments of
mourning, and cleaned her head, and put on her wedding garments, and about the
ninth hour went down to the garden to walk. And she saw a laurel, and sat under
it, and prayed to the Lord, saying: O God of our fathers, bless me and hear my
prayer, as Thou didst bless the womb of Sarah, and didst give her a son Isaac.
(13)
3. And gazing towards the heaven, she saw a sparrow's nest in the
laurel, (14) and made a lamentation in herself, saying: Alas! who begot me? and
what womb produced me? because I have become a curse in the presence of the sons
of Israel, and I have been reproached, and they have driven me in derision out
of the temple of the Lord. Alas! to what have I been likened? I am not like the
fowls of the heaven, because even the fowls of the heaven are productive before
Thee, O Lord. Alas! to what have I been likened? I am not like the beasts of the
earth, because even the beasts of the earth are productive before Thee, O Lord.
Alas! to what have I been likened? I am not like these waters, because even
these waters are productive before Thee, O Lord. Alas! to what have I been
likened? I am not like this earth, because even the earth bringeth forth its
fruits in season, and blesseth Thee, O Lord. (1)
4. And, behold, an angel of the Lord stood by, saying: Anna, Anna, the
Lord hath heard thy prayer, and thou shalt conceive, and shall bring forth; and
thy seed shall be spoken of in all the world. And Anna said: As the Lord my God
liveth, if I beget either male or female, I will bring it as a gift to the Lord
my God; and it shall minister to Him in holy things all the days of its life.
(2) And, behold, two angels came, saying to her: Behold, Joachim thy husband is
coming with his flocks. (3) For an angel of the Lord went down to him, saying:
Joachim, Joachim, the Lord God hath heard thy prayer Go down hence; for, behold,
thy wife Anna shall conceive.
And Joachim went down and called his shepherds, saying: Bring me hither
ten she-lambs without spot or blemish, and they shall be for the Lord my God;
and bring me twelve tender calves, and they shall be for the priests and the
elders; and a hundred goats for all the people. And, behold, Joachim came with
his flocks; and Anna stood by the gate, and saw Joachim coming, and she ran anti
hung upon his neck, saying: Now I know that the Lord God hath blessed me
exceedingly; for, behold the widow no longer a widow, and I the childless shall
conceive. And Joachim rested the first day in his house.
5. And on the following day he brought his offerings, saying in himself:
If the Lord God has been rendered gracious to me, the plate (4) on the priest's
forehead will make it manifest to me. And Joachim brought his offerings, and
observed attentively the priest's plate when he went up to the altar of the
Lord, and he saw no sin in himself. And Joachim said: Now I know that the Lord
has been gracious unto me, and has remitted all my sins. And he went down from
the temple of the Lord justified, and departed to his own house. And her months
were fulfilled, and in the ninth (5) month Anna brought forth. And she said to
the midwife: What have I brought forth? and she said: A girl. And said Anna: My
soul has been magnified this day.
And she laid her down. And the days having been fulfilled, Anna was
purified, and gave the breast to the child, (6) and called her name Mary.
6. And the child grew strong day by day; and when she was six (7) months
old, her mother set her on the ground to try whether she could stand, and she
walked seven steps and came into her bosom; and she snatched her up, saying: As
the Lord my God liveth, thou shall not walk on this earth until I bring thee
into the temple of the Lord. And she made a sanctuary in her bed-chamber, and allowed nothing common or unclean to
pass through her. And she called the undefiled daughters of the Hebrews, and
they led her astray. (8) And when she was a year old, Joachim made a great
feast, and invited the priests, and the scribes, and the elders, and all the
people of Israel. And Joachim brought the child to the priests; and they blessed
her, saying: O God of our fathers, bless this child, and give her an everlasting
name to be named in all generations. And all the people said: So be it, so be
it, amen. And he brought her to the chief priests; and they blessed her, saying:
O God most high, look upon this child, and bless her with the utmost blessing,
which shall be for ever. And her mother snatched her up, and took her into the
sanctuary of her bed-chamber, and gave her the breast. And Anna made a song to
the Lord God, saying: I will sing a song to the Lord my God, for He hath looked
upon me, and hath taken away the reproach of mine enemies; and the Lord hath
given the the fruit of His righteousness, singular in its kind, and richly
endowed before Him. Who will tell the sons of Rubim that Anna gives suck? Hear,
hear, ye twelve tribes of Israel, that Anna gives suck. And she laid her to rest
in the bed-chamber of her sanctuary, and went out and ministered unto them. And
when the supper was ended, they went down rejoicing, and glorifying the God of
Israel. (9)
7. And her months were added to the child. And the child was two years
old, and Joachim said: Let us take her up to the temple of the Lord, that we may
pay the vow that we have vowed, lest perchance the Lord send to us, (10) and our
offering be not received. And Anna said: Let us wait for the third year, in
order that the child may not seek for father or mother. And Joachim said: So let
us wait. And the child was three years old, and Joachim said: Invite the
daughters of the Hebrews that are undefiled, and let them take each a lamp, and
let them stand with the lamps burning, that the child may not turn back, and her
heart be captivated from the temple of the Lord. And they did so until they went
up into the temple of the Lord.
And the priest received her, and kissed her, and blessed her, saying:
The Lord has magnified thy name in all generations. In thee, on the last of the
days, the Lord will manifest His redemption to the sons of lsrael. And he set
her down upon the third step of the altar, and the Lord God sent grace upon her;
and she danced with her feet, and all the house of Israel loved her.
8. And her parents went down marvelling, and praising the Lord God,
because the child had not turned back. And Mary was in the temple of the Lord as
if she were a dove that dwelt there, and she received food from the hand of an
angel. And when she was twelve (1) years old there was held a council of the
priests, saying: Behold, Mary has reached the age of twelve years in the temple of the Lord. What then shall we do with her, test
perchance she defile the sanctuary of the Lord? And they said to the high
priest: Thou standest by the altar of the Lord; go in, and pray concerning her;
and whatever the Lord shall manifest unto thee, that also will we do. And the
high priest went in, taking the robe (2) with the twelve bells into the holy of
holies; and he prayed concerning her. And behold an angel of the Lord stood by
him, saying unto him: Zacharias, Zacharias, go out and assemble the widowers of
the people, and let them bring each his rod; and to whomsoever the Lord shall
show a sign, his wife shall she be. And the heralds went out through all the
circuit of Judaea, and the trumpet of the Lord sounded, and all ran. 9. And Joseph, throwing away his axe, went
out to meet them; and when they had assembled, they went away to the high
priest, taking with them their rods. And he, taking the rods of all of them,
entered into the temple, and prayed; and having ended his prayer, he took the
rods and came out, and gave them to them: but there was no sign in them, and Joseph took his rod last; and, behold, a dove came out of the
rod, and flew upon Joseph's head. And the priest said to Joseph, Thou hast been
chosen by lot to take into thy keeping the virgin of the Lord. But Joseph
refused, saying: I have children, and I am an old man, and she is a young girl.
I am afraid lest I become a laughing-stock to the sons of lsrael. And the priest said to Joseph: Fear the Lord thy God, and
remember what the Lord did to Dathan, and Abiram, and Korah; (3) how the earth
opened, and they were swallowed up on account of their contradiction. And now
fear, O Joseph, lest the same things happen in thy house. And Joseph was afraid,
and took her into his keeping. And Joseph said to Mary: Behold, I have received
thee from the temple of the Lord; and now I leave thee in my house, and go away
to build my buildings, and I shall come to thee. The Lord will protect thee.
10. And there was a council of the priests, saying: Let us make a veil
for the temple of the Lord. And the priest said: Call to me the undefiled
virgins of the family of David. And the officers went away, and sought, and
found seven virgins. And the priest remembered the child Mary, that she was of
the family of David, and undefiled before God. And the officers went away and
brought her. And they brought them into the temple of the Lord.
And the priest said: Choose for me by lot who shall spin the gold, and
the white, (4) and the fine linen, and the silk, and the blue, (5) and the
scarlet, and the true purple. (6) And the true purple and the scarlet fell to
the lot of Mary, and she took them, and went away to her house. And at that time
Zacharias was dumb, and Samuel was in his place until the time that Zacharias spake. And Mary took the scarlet, and span it.
11. And she took the pitcher, and went out to fill it with water. And,
behold, a voice saying: Hail, thou who hast received grace; the Lord is with
thee; blessed art thou among women! (7) And she looked round, on the right hand
and on the left, to see whence this voice came. And she went away, trembling, to
her house, and put down the pitcher; and taking the purple, she sat down on her seat, and drew it out. And, behold, an angel
of the Lord stood before her, saying: Fear not, Mary; for thou hast found grace
before the Lord of all, and thou shalt conceive, according to His word. And she
hearing, reasoned with herself, saying: Shall I conceive by the Lord, the living
God? and shall I bring forth as every woman brings forth? And the angel of the Lord said: Not so, Mary; for the power of
the Lord shall overshadow thee: wherefore also that holy thing which shall be
born of thee shall be called the Son of the Most High. And thou shalt call His
name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins. And Mary said: Behold,
the servant of the Lord before His face: let it be unto me according to thy
word.
12. And she made the purple and the scarlet, and took them to the
priest. And the priest blessed her, and said: Mary, the Lord God hath magnified
thy name, and thou shall be blessed in all the generations of the earth. And
Mary, with great joy, went away to Elizabeth her kinswoman, (1) and knocked at
the door. And when Elizabeth heard her, she threw away the scarlet, (2) and ran to the door, and opened it; and seeing Mary, she
blessed her, and said: Whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should
come to me? for, behold, that which is in me leaped and blessed thee. (3) But
Mary had forgotten the mysteries of which the archangel Gabriel had spoken, and gazed up into heaven, and said: Who am I, O
Lord, that all the generations of the earth should bless me? (4) And she
remained three months with Elizabeth; and day by day she grew bigger. And Mary
being afraid, went away to her own house, and hid herself from the sons of
Israel. And she was sixteen (5) years old when these mysteries happened.
13. And she was in her sixth month; and, behold, Joseph came back from
his building, and, entering into his house, he discovered that she was big with
child. And he smote (6) his face, (7) and threw himself on the ground upon the
sackcloth, and wept bitterly, saying: With what face shall I look upon the Lord
my God? and what prayer shall I make about this maiden? because I received her a
virgin out of the temple of the Lord, and I have not watched over her. Who is it
that has hunted me (8) down? Who has done this evil thing in my house, and
defiled the virgin? Has not the history of Adam been repeated in me? For just as
Adam was in the hour of his singing praise, (9) and the serpent came, and found
Eve alone, and completely deceived her, so it has happened to me also. And
Joseph stood up from the sackcloth, and called Mary, and said to her: O thou who
hast been cared for by God, why hast thou done this and forgotten the Lord thy
God? Why hast thou brought low thy soul, thou that wast brought up in the holy
of holies, and that didst receive food from the hand of an angel? And she wept
bitterly, saying: I am innocent, and have known no man. And Joseph said to her:
Whence then is that which is in thy womb? And she said: As the Lord my God
liveth, I do not know whence it is to me.
14. And Joseph was greatly afraid, and retired from her, and considered
what he should do in regard to her. (10) And Joseph said: If I conceal her sin,
I find myself fighting against the law of the Lord; and if I expose her to the
sons of lsrael, I am afraid lest that which is in her be from an angel, (11) and
I shall be found giving up innocent blood to the doom of death. What then shall
I do with her? I will put her away from me secretly.
And night came upon him; and, behold, an angel of the Lord appears to
him in a dream, saying: Be not afraid for this maiden, for that which is in her
is of the Holy Spirit; and she will bring forth a Son, and thou shall call His
name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. (12) And Joseph arose
from sleep, and glorified the God of lsrael, who had given him this grace; and he kept her.
15. And Annas the scribe came to him, and said: Why hast thou not
appeared in our assembly? And Joseph said to him: Because I was weary from my
journey, and rested the first day. And he turned, and saw that Mary was with
child. And he ran away to the priest,(13) and said to him: Joseph, whom thou
didst vouch for, has committed a grievous crime. And the priest said: How so?
And he said: He has defiled the virgin whom he received out of the temple of the
Lord, and has married her by stealth, andhas not revealed it to the sons of
lsrael. And the priest answering, said: Has Joseph done this? Then said Annas
the scribe: Send officers, and thou wilt find the virgin with child. And the
officers went away, and found it as he had said; and they brought her along with
Joseph to the tribunal. And the priest said: Mary, why hast thou done this? and
why hast thou brought thy soul low, and forgotten the Lord thy God? Thou that
wast reared in the holy of holies, and that didst receive food from the hand of
an angel, and didst hear the hymns, and didst dance before Him, why hast thou
done this? And she wept bitterly, saying: As the Lord my God liveth, I am pure
before Him, and know not a man. And the priest said to Joseph: Why hast thou
done this? And Joseph said: As the Lord liveth, I am pure concerning her. Then
said the priest: Bear not false witness, but speak the truth. Thou hast married
her by stealth, and hast not revealed it to the sons of Israel, and hast not
bowed thy head under the strong hand, that thy seed might be blessed.
And Joseph was silent.
16. And the priest said: Give up the virgin whom thou didst receive out
of the temple of the Lord. And Joseph burst into tears. And the priest said: I
will give you to drink of the water of the ordeal of the Lord, (14) and He shall
make manifest your sins in your eyes. And the priest took the water, and gave
Joseph to drink and sent him away to the hill-country; and he returned unhurt. And he gave to Mary also to drink, and sent her away
to the hill-country; and she returned unhurt. And all the people wondered that
sin did not appear in them. And the priest said: If the Lord God has not made
manifest your sins, neither do I judge you. And he sent them away. And Joseph
took Mary, and went away to his own house, rejoicing and glorifying the God of
Israel.
17. And there was an order from the Emperor Augustus, that all in
Bethlehem of Judaea should be enrolled. (1) And Joseph said: I shall enrol my
sons, but what shall I do with this maiden? How shall I enrol her? As my wife? I
am ashamed. As my daughter then? But all the sons of Israel know that she is not
my daughter. The day of the Lord shall itself bring it to
pass (2) as the Lord will. And he saddled the ass, and set her upon it;
and his son led it, and Joseph followed. (3) And when they had come within three
miles, Joseph turned and saw her sorrowful; and he said to himself: Likely that
which is in her distresses her. And again Joseph turned and saw her laughing.
And he said to her: Mary, how is it that I see in thy face at one time laughter,
at another sorrow? And Mary said to Joseph: Because I see two peoples with my
eyes; the one weeping and lamenting, and the other rejoicing and exulting. And
they came into the middle of the road, and Mary said to him: Take me down from
off the ass, for that which is in me presses to come forth. And he took her down
from off the ass, and said to her: Whither shall I lead thee, and cover thy
disgrace? for the place is desert.
18. And he found a cave (4) there, and led her into it; and leaving his
two sons beside her, he went out to seek a midwife in the district of Bethlehem.
And I Joseph was walking, and was not walking; and I looked up into the
sky, and saw the sky astonished; and I looked up to the pole of the heavens, and
saw it standing, and the birds of the air keeping still. And I looked down upon
the earth, and saw a trough lying, and work-people reclining: and their hands
were in the trough. And those that were eating did not eat, and those that were
rising did not carry it up, and those that were conveying anything to their
mouths did not convey it; but the faces of all were looking upwards. And I saw
the sheep walking, and the sheep stood still; and the shepherd raised his hand
to strike them, and his hand remained up. And I looked upon the current of the
river, and I saw the mouths of the kids resting on the water and not drinking,
and all things in a moment were driven from their course.
19. And I saw a woman coming down from the hill-country, and she said to
me: O man, whither art thou going? And I said: I am seeking an Hebrew midwife.
And she answered and said unto me: Art thou of Israel? And I said to her: Yes.
And she said: And who is it that is bringing forth in the cave? And I said: A
woman betrothed to me. And she said to me: Is she not thy wife? And I said to
her: It is Mary that was reared in the temple of the Lord, and I obtained her by
lot as my wife. And yet she is not my wife, but has conceived of the Holy
Spirit.
And the midwife said to him: Is this true? And Joseph said to her: Come
and see. And the midwife went away with him. And they stood in the place of the
cave, and behold a luminous cloud overshadowed the cave. And the midwife said:
My soul has been magnified this day, because mine eyes have seen strange things
-- because salvation has been brought forth to lsrael.
And immediately the cloud disappeared out of the cave, and a great light
shone in the cave, so that the eyes could not bear it. And in a little that
light gradually decreased, until the infant appeared, and went and took the
breast from His mother Mary. And the midwife cried out, and said: This is a
great day to me, because I have seen this strange sight. And the midwife went
forth out of the cave, and Salome met her. And she said to her: Salome, Salome,
I have a strange sight to relate to thee: a virgin has brought forth -- a thing
which her nature admits not of. Then said Salome: As the Lord my God liveth,
unless I thrust in my finger, and search the parts, I will not believe that a
virgin has brought forth.
20. And the midwife went in, and said to Mary: Show thyself; for no
small controversy has arisen about thee. And Salome put in her finger, and cried
out, and said: Woe is me for mine iniquity and mine unbelief, because I have
tempted the living God; and, behold, my hand is dropping off as if burned with
fire. And she bent her knees before the Lord, saying: O God of my fathers, remember that I am the seed of Abraham, and Isaac, and
Jacob; do not make a show of me to the sons of Israel, but restore me to the
poor; for Thou knowest, O Lord, that in Thy name I have performed my services,
and that I have received my reward at Thy hand. And, behold, an angel of the
Lord stood by her, saying to her: Salome, Salome, the Lord hath heard thee. Put
thy hand to the infant, and carry it, and thou wilt have safety and joy. And
Salome went and carried it, saying: I will worship Him, because a great King has
been born to lsrael. And, behold, Salome was immediately cured, and she went
forth out of the cave justified. And behold a voice saying: Salome, Salome, tell
not the strange things thou hast seen, until the child has come into Jerusalem.
21. And, behold, Joseph was ready to go into Judaea. And there was a
great commotion in Bethlehem of Judaea, for Magi came, saying: Where is he that
is born king of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and have come
to worship him. And when Herod heard, he was much disturbed, and sent officers
to the Magi. And he sent for the priests, and examined them, saying: How is it
written about the Christ? where is He to be born? And they said: In Bethlehem of
Judaea, for so it is written. (1) And he sent them away. And he examined the
Magi, saying to them: What sign have you seen in reference to the king that has
been born? And the Magi said: We have seen a star of great size shining among
these stars, and obscuring their light, so that the stars did not appear; and we
thus knew that a king has been born to Israel, and we have come to worship him.
And Herod said: Go and seek him; and if you find him, let me know, in order that
I also may go and worship him. And the Magi went out. And, behold, the star
which they had seen in the east went before them until they came to the cave,
and it stood over the top of the cave. And the Magi saw the infant with His
mother Mary; and they brought forth from their bag gold, and frankincense, and
myrrh. And having been warned by the angel not to go into Judaea, they went into
their own country by another road. (2)
22. And when Herod knew that he had been mocked by the Magi, in a rage
he sent murderers, saying to them: Slay the children (3) from two years old and
under. And Mary, having heard that the children were being killed, was afraid,
and took the infant and swaddled Him, and put Him into an ox-stall.
And Elizabeth, having heard that they were searching for John, took him
and went up into the hill-country, and kept looking where to conceal him. And
there was no place of concealment. And Elizabeth, groaning with a loud voice,
says: O mountain of God, receive mother and child. And immediately the mountain
was cleft, and received her. And a light shone about them, for an angel of the
Lord was with them, watching over them.
23. And Herod searched for John, and sent officers to Zacharias, saying:
Where hast thou hid thy son? And he, answering, said to them: I am the servant
of God in holy things, and I sit constantly in the temple of the Lord: I do not
know where my son is. And the officers went away, and reported all these things
to Herod. And Herod was enraged, and said: His son is destined to be king over
Israel. And he sent to him again, saying: Tell the truth; where is thy son? for
thou knowest that thy life is in my hand. And Zacharias said: I am God's martyr,
if thou sheddest my blood; for the Lord will receive my spirit, because thou
sheddest innocent blood at the vestibule of the temple of the Lord. And
Zacharias was murdered about daybreak. And the sons of lsrael did not know that
he had been murdered.(4)
24. But at the hour of the salutation the priests went away, and
Zacharias did not come forth to meet them with a blessing, according to his
custom. (5) And the priests stood waiting for Zacharias to salute him at the
prayer, (6) and to glorify the Most High. And he still delaying, they were all
afraid. But one of them ventured to go in, and he saw clotted blood beside the
altar; and he heard a voice saying: Zacharias has been murdered, and his blood
shall not be wiped up until his avenger come. And hearing this saying, he was
afraid, and went out and told it to the priests. And they ventured in, and saw
what had happened; and the fretwork of the temple made a wailing noise, and they
rent their clothes (7) from the top even to the bottom. And they found not his
body, but they found his blood turned into stone. And they were afraid, and went
out and reported to the people that Zacharias had been murdered. And all the
tribes of the people heard, and mourned, and lamented for him three days and
three nights. And after the three days, the priests consulted as to whom they
should put in his place; and the lot fell upon Simeon. For it was he who had
been warned by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death until he should see
the Christ in the flesh. (8)
And I James that wrote this history in Jerusalem, a commotion having
arisen when Herod died, withdrew myself to the wilderness until the commotion in
Jerusalem ceased, glorifying the Lord God, who had given me the gift and the
wisdom to write this history. (1) And grace shall be with them that fear our
Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory to ages of ages.
Amen. (2)
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