Early Christian devotion to Mary & early Marian texts

ProtoevangeliumofJamesEhrman-Plese.pdf

Home >Psychology homework help >Early Christian devotion to Mary & early Marian texts

The Proto-Gospel of James

The Birth of Mary, the Revelation of James

Of all the early Christian apocrypha, none played a larger a role in late an-tique and medieval theology, culture, and popular imagination than the Protevangelium Jacobi, the Proto-Gospel of James (see, for example, Cartlidge

and Elliott). This title is not original or even ancient: it comes from the first

publication of the book in the sixteenth century (see later). But it is in some

respects appropriate: this is the Gospel “prior to” the Gospel, an account of the

events leading up to and immediately following the birth of Jesus. The focus of

attention is on Jesus’ mother Mary, on her own miraculous birth, upbringing,

young life, and engagement to Joseph. In addition, the account narrates, as a

kind of Christian midrash on the infancy narratives of Matthew and Luke (see

Cothenet), the circumstances of Jesus’ birth, Mary’s continued virginity (dem-

onstrated famously by a midwife’s postpartum inspection), and the opposition

to the Christ child by King Herod, leading to the miraculous protection of John

the Baptist and his mother, and the murder of his father, Zacharias, the high

priest of the Jews, in the Temple.

The account was probably written in the late second century (see later) and

became particularly popular in the eastern part of Christendom. Largely on the

basis of episodes found in its narrative, the eastern church instituted feast days to

honor the Virgin Mary throughout the year (Beyers and Gijsel). The book now

survives in some 150 Greek manuscripts and a range of eastern versions: Cop-

tic, Syriac, Ethiopic, Armenian, Georgian, and Slavonic (169 Slavonic mss were

catalogued by de Santos Otero, Die handschriftliche Überlieferung). This is not to

say that it was completely unknown in the West (see Bovon): there are still frag-

ments of a Latin version, and more important, it was taken over by the widely

read Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew, which popularized most of its stories. But

for the most part the Protevangelium was not transmitted in the West because

its portrayal of Jesus’ “brothers” as sons of Joseph from a previous marriage

was roundly condemned by no less an authority than Jerome (see De perpetua

Ehrman, Bart, and Zlatko Plese. The Apocryphal Gospels : Texts and Translations, Oxford University Press, Incorporated, 2011. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/bridwell/detail.action?docID=746755. Created from bridwell on 2022-01-19 14:34:34.

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

32 Infancy Gospels

virginitate beatae Mariae adversus Helvidium). In Jerome’s forcefully stated view,

Jesus’ alleged brothers were in fact his cousins. This interpretation was closely

tied to Jerome’s ascetic agenda: for him, not only was Mary a perpetual virgin,

but Joseph—the earthly father of the Lord—was as well. The account of the

Protevangelium was explicitly condemned in 405 CE by Pope Innocent I (Letter

6 to Exuperius of Toulouse 7.30) and eventually in the sixth-century Gelasian

Decree (No. 8).

The book was reintroduced in the West by G. Postel in 1552, in a Latin trans-

lation of a now unidentifi ed Greek manuscript. Postel entitled the work Pro-

tevangelium sive de natalibus Jesu Christi et ipsius Matris virginis Mariae, sermo

historicus divi Jacobi minoris, a title traditionally shortened to Protevangelium

Jacobi. It is not called this in the manuscripts, however, which have a bewil-

dering array of long and explanatory titles for the work, such as “Narrative

and History concerning How the Very Holy Mother of God Was Born for Our

Salvation” (Tischendorf ’s ms C) or “Narrative of the Holy Apostle James, the

Archbishop of Jerusalem and Brother of God, concerning the Birth of the All

Holy Mother of God and Eternal Virgin Mary” (ms A). Our earliest manuscript,

however, Bodmer V of the third or fourth century, simply calls it “The Birth of

Mary, the Revelation of James.” In this context, “revelation” does not refer to

the literary genre (“apocalypse”), but either to the nature of the account (it is

revelatory) or to the ultimate source of the author’s information: even though he

claimed to be James—presumably the brother of Jesus—he received his infor-

mation by divine revelation.

In earlier times the book may simply have been called the Book of James.

This appears to be its title in our earliest certain reference to the account, by

the church father Origen (died 254 CE), who indicates in his Commentary on

Matthew 10.17 (on Matt. 13:55) that James was the son of Joseph from a previ-

ous marriage, claiming that this is taught either in “the Gospel of Peter” or the

“Book of James,” the latter of which, he says, stresses the ongoing virginity of

Mary. As the latter is a key theme of the Protevangelium, there is little doubt

that Origen is referring to our text. More questionable are possible references in

Clement of Alexandria (died 215 CE), who knows the story of Mary’s postpar-

tum inspection by a midwife, but does not indicate the source of his knowledge

(Stromateis, 7, 16, 93), and in Justin Martyr (died 160 CE), who knows the tradi-

tion that Jesus was born in a cave outside Bethlehem, but also does not reference

the text of the Protevangelium itself (see Apology 1. 33).

The Greek text of the Protevangelium was fi rst published by M. Neander in

Basel in 1563. For the past century and a half, the most infl uential and widely

translated edition has been the eclectic Greek text constructed by Constantine

von Tischendorf in 1853 on the basis of eighteen late medieval manuscripts. Just

over a century later our fi rst truly early manuscript, Bodmer V, was published

by M. Testuz; this became the basis of what is now the best available edition of

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

The Proto-Gospel of James 33

the Gospel, E. de Strycker’s La Forme la plus ancienne du Protévangile de Jacques.

But even this is not a critical edition that takes full account of all the surviving

manuscripts and versions. The construction of such a critical edition is a major

desideratum of early Christian studies. A start has been made by B. Daniels and

G. Zervos, who between them have provided full collations of the surviving

Greek witnesses (both in unpublished dissertations).

Our earliest full manuscript, Bodmer V, is interesting in part because it dem-

onstrates that enormous textual alterations have been made in the course of the

transmission of the text. Among other things, this papyrus manuscript lacks

one of the most fascinating passages of the entire Gospel, the account in chapter

18 in which Joseph, in the fi rst person, describes how time stood still when the

Son of God entered into the world (on which, see Bovon; the chapter is miss-

ing in two of our other Greek witnesses as well). Indeed, our surviving wit-

nesses attest wide-ranging textual differences, both great and small. This makes

it particularly diffi cult to speak about an “original” form of the text. Like many

of the other early Christian Gospels, the Protevangelium is based on oral tradi-

tions that had long been in circulation among Christian storytellers. These oral

traditions affected the written texts, just as the written texts affected the oral

accounts.

Any quest for an ostensible original is complicated by the circumstance that

the Protevangelium gives clear signs of being based on yet earlier sources avail-

able to the author. Not only is chapter 18 narrated in the fi rst person (Joseph’s

perspective); so too is the postscript: “I James, the one who has written this ac-

count” (ch. 24). What is most striking, of course, is that the fi rst person of chap-

ter 24 is different from the fi rst person of chapter 18. Clearly the two parts of

the narrative come from different sources. What has struck scholars even more,

however, is that the Gospel appears to contain three self-contained narratives

with only slight ties to one another. This led Adolf von Harnack to posit three

older sources that had been incorporated into the longer account: (1) a kind of

“biography of Mary” in chapters 1–17, beginning with the circumstances of her

miraculous birth to the wealthy Jerusalemite Joachim and his hitherto barren

wife, Anna; through her holy and protected infancy; to her upbringing in the

Jerusalem Temple, where she was daily fed by an angel; through her engage-

ment to the elderly Joseph and then her virginal conception; (2) an account of

Joseph and the birth of Jesus in chapters 18–20, including the trip to Bethlehem,

the fi rsthand account of his vision of time standing still, and the narrative of

the postpartum inspection of Mary, which showed her to be a virgin even after

giving birth; and (3) an account of the death of Zacharias, the father of John the

Baptist, in the wake of Herod’s wrath, in chapters 22–24.

More recent scholars such as de Strycker have argued for an original unity of

the text, largely on the grounds of literary style and vocabulary. What is clear, in

any event, is that the subject matter does shift in the fi nal chapters of the book,

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

34 Infancy Gospels

where Mary, the key fi gure of the narrative as a whole, disappears from sight,

and the family of John the Baptist assumes center stage. Even if this latter ac-

count was “original” to the text, it probably came from a different oral or writ-

ten source from the rest of the account, as did the vision of Joseph in chapter 18

(see Gijsel).

The various sources of the author’s information are, of course, lost in the

mists of Christian antiquity. But it is not diffi cult to reconstruct the driving

force that led to their creation (this is true of many of the apocryphal Gospels,

especially the so-called Infancy Gospels). Our canonical texts are largely silent

about the events prior to and leading up to Jesus’ birth, but his unique standing

as the Son of God led Christians to wonder about parts of the story left out. If he

was special, as shown by the fact that he was conceived by a virgin—what can

we say about his mother? Who was Mary? What made her special? How was

she herself born? How did she maintain her own purity, to make her a worthy

“vessel” for the Son of God?

It would be a mistake, however, to see this account driven exclusively by

biographical concerns, or even by the impulse to provide an “encomium” of

Mary, the mother of Jesus (see Hock). Scholars have long recognized that there

is an apologetic impulse behind the account as well (see, for example, Smid,

van Stempvoort, and Frey). In the late second century, the probable date of this

work, pagan and possibly Jewish opponents of Christianity attacked the “cre-

dentials” of Jesus as the Son of God. One of the earliest and best known polemi-

cists was the pagan Celsus, who voiced the widespread charges that Jesus came

from the lower class, that his parents were poor and not of royal blood, that his

“father” was a common laborer (a carpenter), and that his mother had to spin

for a living. Moreover, the circumstances of his birth were highly suspect: his

mother, according to Celsus, had been seduced by a Roman soldier and given

birth out of wedlock. With this kind of pedigree, Jesus could surely not be the

Son of God (see Origen, Contra Celsum 1.28–39).

Celsus was answered by no less an apologist than Origen, in his work Contra

Celsum. But the apologetic task was not only taken up in tractates that directly

engaged the polemics, it also came to color the ways Christians told their stories

about Jesus, precisely in order to highlight the aspects of his life and background

that would counter the pagan charges leveled against him. This apologetic goal

may explain many of the emphases of the Protevangelium. Here Mary is not an

impoverished Jewish peasant. Her father was the richest man in Israel and of

royal blood. She herself was of impeccable morals and purity. Her purity was

safeguarded from the time of her birth and demonstrated in her unusual up-

bringing, as she spent her young life, literally, in the Temple, day and night, fed

by the hand of an angel. The stories of the account demonstrate in particular her

sexual purity. Not only was she a virgin at the time of her conception; she also

remained a virgin, even after giving birth, as shown by the physical inspection

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

The Proto-Gospel of James 35

of a skeptical midwife. Joseph himself never laid a fi nger on her. Moreover, he

was not a poor carpenter, but an established building contractor. Finally, Mary’s

spinning activity was not for money; it was to provide a curtain for the sacred

Temple of God.

The apologetic need to establish Jesus’, and Mary’s, credentials eventually

waned as Christianity spread throughout the Roman world and became, near

the end of the fourth century, the religion of the empire. But the theological em-

phases that sprouted in the apologetic discourse of the second century came to

bear considerable doctrinal fruit in these later years, as the purity and perpetual

virginity of Mary became central issues in the theological discussions of the

fourth century and on into the Middle Ages. For many of these discussions, the

Protevangelium played a central role—either itself or in its revised form in the

Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew and later texts.

The Protevangelium is written in such a way as to encourage its “authorita-

tive” nature. Even though it was probably not written by a Jew in Palestine—or

if it was, it was by a Jew who was remarkably ignorant of both Palestinian

geography (he evidently did not realize that Bethlehem was in Judea) and

Jewish customs (such as the “water of purity” ritual)—it was written in a style

self-consciously imitative of the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the He-

brew Bible. In particular, themes from I Samuel 1–4 (the miraculous birth of

Samuel to the barren Hannah; cf. the miraculous birth of Mary to the barren

Anna) and Susannah (whose father was also “a very rich” Joachim) predomi-

nate. It appears that this pseudonymous author wanted to give his account a

biblical feel and resonance. That he claims to be none other than James—pre-

sumably Jesus’ older “brother”—provides credibility to his account, as does

his claim to have written the Gospel soon after the death of Herod (the Great):

the account, that is, is to be taken as nearly contemporaneous with the events

it describes.

It is impossible to say where the text was originally written. As it appears to

have been composed in Greek, it must have been somewhere in the Christian

east. Given the apologetic concerns that drive much of the narrative, and the

knowledge of the account by the late second- / early third-century Origen, it

appears to have been written some time in the second half of the second century.

The translation here is of the text provided by de Strycker (used with permis-

sion, and with only occasional changes), including the longer version of 18:1–

21:3, which is (secondarily) shortened in our oldest witness, Bodmer V.

In the apparatus of this highly variant text, we have noted only variants that

are of special interest (e.g., for interpretation) or signifi cance. For an exhaustive

discussion of the textual history of the Proto-Gospel and detailed apparatus, see

the edition of de Strycker. The following witnesses have been used to establish

the text:

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

36 Infancy Gospels

Manuscripts Used by Tischendorf (With Range of Possible Dates)

A—tenth–fourteenth century

B—twelfth–thirteenth century

C—tenth century

D—eleventh century

E—eleventh century

F—ninth–eleventh century

G—twelfth–thirteenth century

H—fi fteenth–seventeenth century

I—thirteenth–fourteenth century

K—ninth–tenth century

L—sixteenth century

M—twelfth century

N—twelfth–thirteenth century

O—eleventh century

P—fourteenth century

Q—sixteenth–seventeenth century

R—sixteenth–seventeenth century

Manuscripts Discovered since Tischendorf, Used by de Strycker

Z—(Bodmer 5) fourth century

Y— fourth century (highly fragmentary)

X—fi fth–sixth century (highly framentary)

S—ninth century (highly fragmentary)

Major Versions Cited

Syr a—fi fth–sixth century

Syr b—sixth century

Syr c—n.d. (highly fragmentary)

Syr d—n.d. (small portion of the text)

Arm a—thirteenth–fourteenth century

Arm b—fi fteenth century

Arm c—twelfth–thirteenth century

Georg—tenth century

Eth—based on two mss of the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries

Sah a—tenth century (highly fragmentary)

Sah b—eleventh century (highly fragmentary)

NB: In citing manuscripts for variant readings, those (earlier) manuscripts

not known to Tischendorf are cited fi rst, and then those cited by Tischendorf,

in alphabetical sequence, followed by the versional witnesses. In keeping with

the practice of Tischendorf, followed as well by de Strycker, the following sigla

are also used:

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

The Proto-Gospel of James 37

c-o = codices omnes, that is, all the manuscripts used by Tischendorf support the

reading in question (if they preserve the text at this point)

c-p = codices plerique, when at least two-thirds of the manuscripts used by

Tischendorf support the reading in question

c-n = codices nonnulli, when some of the manuscripts used by Tischendorf

support the reading in question (in such cases he does not identify the

manuscripts)

A* — an asterisk is used by Tischendorf to indicate that one or more other

(undesignated) witnesses also support the reading in question

Parentheses ( ) indicate that a witness attests a minor variation that does not

materially alter its support for the reading in question

Where versions are not cited explicitly for one reading or another, their witness

is ambiguous.

The term “rell” is used (rarely) to indicate that all witnesses not cited for the

variant reading support the reading in question.

Bibliography

Beyers, R., and J. Gijsel. Libri de Nativitate Mariae: Pseudo-Matthaei Evangelium, textus

et commentarius. CCSA 9. Turnhout: Brepols, 1997.

Bovon, F. “The Suspension of Time in Chapter 18 of Protevangelium Jacobi,” in The

Future of Early Christianity: Essays in Honor of Helmut Koester, ed. B. Pearson. Min-

neapolis: Fortress Press, 1992; pp. 393-405.

Cartlidge, D. Art and the Christian Apocrypha. New York: Routledge, 2001.

Cothenet, E. “Le Protévangile de Jacques: origine, genre et signifi cation d’un premier

midrash chrétien sur la Nativité de Marie,” ANRW 2.25.6 (1988) 4252 –69.

Cullmann, O. “The Protevangelium of James,” in New Testament Apocrypha, ed. W.

Schneemelcher; rev. ed. trans. R. McL. Wilson. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox,

1991; vol. 1, pp 421–38.

Daniels, B. “The Greek Manuscript Tradition of the Protevangelium Jacobi.” 2 vols.

(Unpublished) PhD dissertation, Duke University, 1956.

Elliott, J. K. Apocryphal New Testament. Oxford: Clarendon, 1993; pp. 48–67.

Frey, A. “Protévangile de Jacques,” in Écrits apocryphes chrétiens, ed. F. Bovon and P.

Geoltrain. Paris: Gallimard, 1997; vol. 1, pp. 73–80.

Harnack, A. von. Geschichte der altchristlichen Literatur bis Eusebius. Leipzig: Hinrichs,

1958 (original: 1897); vol. 2, pp. 598–603.

Hock, R. The Infancy Gospels of James and Thomas. Santa Rosa, CA: Polebridge, 1995.

Santos Otero, A. de. Die handschrifl iche Überlieferung der altslavischen Apokryphen, 2 vols.

Berlin: de Gruyter, 1978, 1981.

———. Los Evangelios apócrifos: Colección de textos griegos y latinos, versión crítica, es-

tudios introductorios y comentarios; rev. ed. Madrid: Biblioteca de Autores Cristianos,

2003; pp. 120–70.

Smid, Harm R. Protevangelium Jacobi: A Commentary. Assen: van Gorcum, 1965.

de Strycker, E. La Forme la plus ancienne du Protévangile de Jacques. Brussels: Société des

Bollandistes, 1961.

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

38 Infancy Gospels

von Tischendorf, C. Evangelia Apocrypha. Leipzig: Mendelssohn, 1853 (2nd ed. 1876);

pp. xii–xxii, 1–50.

Testuz, M., ed. Papyrus Bodmer V: Nativité de Marie. Geneva: Bibliotheca Bodmeriana,

1958.

van Stempvoort, P. A. “The Protevangelium Jacobi, the Sources of Its Theme and Style

and Their Bearing on Its Date,” in Studia Evangelica III, ed. F. Cross. Berlin: Akad-

emie Verlag, 1964; pp. 410–26.

Vorster, W. S. “James, Protevangelium of,” in The Anchor Bible Dictionary, ed.

D. N. Friedman et al. New York: Doubleday, 1992; vol. 3, pp. 629–32.

Zervos, G. “Prolegomena to a Critical Edition of the Genesis Marias (Protevangelium

Jacobi): The Greek Manuscripts.” (Unpublished) PhD dissertation, Duke Univer-

sity, 1986.

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

This page intentionally left blank

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

40 Infancy Gospels

PRWTOEUAGGELION IAKWBOU

GENESIS MARIAS. APOKALUYIS IAKWB.1

1 !En tai'" iJstorivai" tw'n ibV fulw'n tou' !Israh;l2 h\n !Iwakei;m plouvsio" sfovdra, kai; prosevfere Kurivw/ ta; dw'ra aujtou' dipla' levgwn ejn eJautw/': Æ#Estai to; th'" perisseiva"3 mou a{panti tw/' law/' kai; to; th'" ajfevsew" Kurivw/ tw/' Qew/' eij" iJlasmo;n ejmoiv.Æ 2 #Hggisen de; hJ hJmevra Kurivou hJ megavlh, kai; prosevferon oiJ uiJoi; !Israh;l ta; dw'ra aujtw'n. Kai; e[sth katenwvpion aujtou' @Roubh;l levgwn: ÆOujk e[xestiv soi prwvtw/ ejnegkei'n ta; dw'rav sou, kaqovti spevrma oujk ejpoivhsa" ejn tw'/ !Israhvl.Æ 3 Kai; ejluphvqh !Iwakei;m sfovdra, kai; ajph'lqen eij" th;n dwdekavfulon tou' laou' levgwn ejn eJautw'/: ÆQeavsomai thvn dwdekavfulon tou' !Israhvl, eij ejgw; movno" oujk ejpoivhsa spevrma ejn tw/' !Israhvl.Æ Kai; hjrauvnhse, kai; eu|ren pavnta" tou;" dikaivou" o{ti spevrma ejn tw/' !Israh;l ajnevsthsan. Kai; ejmnhvsqh tou' patriavrcou !Abraavm, o{ti ejn th/' ejscavth/ aujtou' hJmevra/ e[dwken aujtw/' Kuvrio" oJ Qeo;" uiJo;n to;n !Isaavk. 4 Kai; ejlupei'to !Iwakei;m sfovdra, kai; oujk ejfavnh th/' gunaiki; aujtou', ajlla; e[dwken eJauto;n eij" th;n e[rhmon. Kai; e[phxen th;n skhnh;n aujtou' ejkei', kai; ejnhvsteusen mV hJmevra" kai; nuvkta" mV levgwn ejn eJautw/' !Iwakeivm: ÆOuj katabhvsomai ou[te ejpi; brwto;n ou[te ejpi; potovn, e{w" ejpiskevyhtaiv me Kuvrio" oJ Qeov" mou: kai; e[stai mou hJ eujch; brwvmata kai; povmata.Æ

1 @H de; gunh; aujtou' #Anna duvo qrhvnou" ejqrhvnei kai; duvo kopetou;" ejkovpteto levgousa: ÆKovyomai th;n chrosuvnhn mou kai; kovyomai th;n ajteknivan mou.Æ 2 #Hggisen de; hJ hJmevra Kurivou hJ megavlh. Kai; ei\pen !Iouqivnh hJ paidivskh aujth '" pro;" aujthvn: Æ$Ew" povte tapeinoi'" th;n yuchvn sou_ !Idou; h[ggise hJ hJmevra Kurivou hJ megavlh, kai; oujk e[xestiv soi penqei 'n. !Alla; lavbe tou'to to; kefalodevsmion, o} e[dwkevn moi hJ kuriva tou' e[rgou, kai; oujk e[xestiv moi dhvsasqai aujtov, kaqovti paidivskh eijmi; sh;4 kai; carakth'ra e[cei5 basilikovn.Æ 3 Kai; ei\pen #Anna: ÆApovsthqi ajp! ejmou '. Kai; tau 'ta oujk ejpoivhsa, kai; Kuvrio" oJ Qeo;" ejtapeivnwsevn me sfovdra. Mhvpw" tou 'to panou'rgo"6 e[dwkevn soi, kai; h\lqe" koinwnh 'saiv me th/ ' aJmartiva/ sou.Æ Kai; ei\pen !Iouqivnh hJ paidivskh: ÆTiv ajraswmaiv se, kaqovti oujk h[kousa" th'" fwnh'" mou_7 !Apevkleisen Kuvrio" oJ Qeov" th;n mhvtran sou, tou ' mh; dou'naiv soi karpo;n ejn !Israhvl.Æ

1 The title is given a different form in nearly every manuscript of the Protevangelium used

by Tischendorf and de Strycher; the title given here is from Bodmer 5.

2 tou Israhl c-o Syr a Arm c Eth: om. Z Arm b Georg 3 perisseia" Z E M: periousia" c-p 4 eimi sh Z R Georg: sou eimi C D (I) Arm a b: om. A B Syr a c 5 ecei Z A B L Syr a c Arm a b Georg: ecei" C I R 6 panourgo" C E I R Arm b (Eth): panourgw" A B D Syr a c Georg: panourgw Z 7 kaqoti . . . mou Z c-p Arm a b: om. A D Syr a c Georg Eth

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

The Proto-Gospel of James 41

The Proto-Gospel of James The Birth of Mary. The Revelation of James.

The Rich Joachim and His Self-Exile

(1) In the “Histories of the Twelve Tribes of Israel” there was a very wealthy

man Joachim, who used to offer a double portion of his gifts to the Lord,

saying to himself, “The portion that is my surplus will be for all the people,

and the portion that is for forgiveness will be for the Lord God as my

atonement.” (2) Now the great day of the Lord drew near, and the sons of

Israel were offering their gifts. Reuben stood before him and said, “You are

not allowed to offer your gifts first, since you have not produced any offspring

in Israel.”

(3) Joachim was very upset and went away to consult the book of the twelve

tribes of the people, saying to himself, “I will examine the Book of the Twelve

Tribes of Israel to see if I am the only one not to produce offspring in Israel.”

And he searched and found that everyone who was righteous had raised up

offspring in Israel. Then he remembered the patriarch Abraham, that at the

end of his life the Lord God had given him a son, Isaac.

(4) Joachim was very upset and did not appear to his wife, but went out to the

wilderness and pitched his tent there. Joachim fasted for forty days and nights,

saying to himself, “I will not come down for either food or drink until the

Lord my God visits me. My prayer will be my food and drink.”1

The Lamentation of Anna

(1) Now his wife Anna wailed and mourned twice over, saying “I mourn for

being a widow, I mourn for being childless.” (2) The great day of the Lord

drew near, and her servant Judith said to her, “How long will you humble

your soul? See, the great day of the Lord is drawing near, and you are not

allowed to lament. But take this headband that my supervisor gave me; I am

not allowed to wear it, since I am your servant and it is of royal quality.”

(3) Anna replied, “Go away from me. I did none of these things and yet the

Lord God has severely humbled me. For all I know, some scoundrel has

given this to you, and you have come to implicate me in your sin.”2 Judith, her servant, said, “Why would I curse you, just because you have not listened to

me? The Lord God has closed your womb to keep you from bearing fruit in

Israel.”

1. Cf. John 4:34.

2. The meaning of the exchange is obscure.

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

42 Infancy Gospels

4 Kai; ejluphvqh #Anna sfovdra, kai; perieivlato ta; iJmavtia aujth'" ta; penqika; kai; ajpesmhvxato th;n kefalh;n aujth '" kai; ejneduvsato ta; iJmavtia aujth'" ta; numfikav. Kai; peri; w{ran qV katevbh eij" to;n paravdeison aujth '" tou ' peripath'sai: kai; ei\den dafnidevan kai; ejkavqisen uJpokavtw aujth'", kai; meta; to; ajnapah'nai8 ejlitavneusen to;n Despovthn levgousa: Æ@O Qeo;" tw'n patevrwn mou, eujlovghsovn me kai; ejpavkouson th'" dehvsewv" mou, kaqw;" eujlovghsa" th;n mhvtran Savrra"9 kai; e[dwka" aujth/' uiJo;n to;n !Isaavk.Æ

1 Kai; ajtenivsasa #Anna eij" oujranovn, kai; ei\den kalia;n strouqw'n ejn th/' dafnideva/. Kai; ejpoivhsen #Anna qrh'non ejn auJth/' levgousa: ÆOi[moi, tiv" moi ejgevnnhsen_ poiva de; mhvtra ejxevfusevn me_ o{ti ejgw; katavra ejgennhvqhn ejnwvpion tw'n uiJw'n !Israhvl. Kai; wjneidivsqhn kai; ejmukthvrisan kai; ejxwvrisavn10 me ejk naou' Kurivou tou' Qeou' mou. 2 Oi[moi tivni wJmoiwvqhn ejgwv_ Oujc wJmoiwvqhn ejgw; toi'" peteinoi'" tou' oujranou', o{ti kai; ta; peteina; tou' oujranou' govnimav ejstin ejnwvpiovn sou, Kuvrie. Oi[moi tivni wJmoiwvqhn ejgwv_ Oujc wJmoiwvqhn ejgw; toi'" ajlovgoi" zw/voi", o{ti kai; ta; a[loga zw/'a govnimav eijsin ejnwvpiovn sou, Kuvrie.11 Oi[moi tivni wJmoiwvqhn ejgwv_ Oujc wJmoiwvqhn ejgw; toi'" qhrivoi" th'" gh'", o{ti kai; ta; qhriva th'" gh'" govnimav eijsin ejnwvpiovn sou, Kuvrie. 3 Oi[moi tivni wJmoiwvqhn ejgwv_ Oujc wJmoiwvqhn ejgw; toi'" u{dasin touvtoi", o{ti kai; ta; u{data tau'ta12 galhniw'nta13 kai; skirtw'nta, kai; oiJ ijcquve" aujtw'n se eujlogou'sin, Kuvrie.14 Oi[moi tivni wJmoiwvqhn ejgwv_ Oujc wJmoiwvqhn ejgw; th/' gh/' tauvth/, o{ti kai; hJ gh' profevrei tou;" karpou;" aujth'" kata; kairo;n kaiv se eujlogei', Kuvrie.Æ

1 Kai; ijdou; a[ggelo" Kurivou ejpevsth15 levgwn aujth/': Æ#Anna #Anna, ejphvkousen Kuvrio" th'" dehvsewv" sou. Sunlhvmyei" kai; gennhvsei", kai; lalhqhvsetai to; spevrma sou ejn o{lh/ th/' oijkoumevnh/.Æ Kai ei\pen #Anna: ÆZh/' Kuvrio" oJ Qeov": eja;n gennhvsw ei[te a[rsena ei[te qhvleian, prosavxw aujto; dw'ron Kurivw/ tw'/ Qew/' mou, kai; e[stai leitourgw'n aujtw/' pavsa" ta;" hJmevra" th'" zwh'" aujtou'.Æ

8 meta to anapahnai Z: hqelhse tou anapahnai L: om. c-p Syr a c Arm a b c Georg Eth 9 mhtran sarra" c-o: Arm a b c Georg Eth: mhteran saran Z Syr a c 10 kai exwrisan Z E Syr a c Arm a b (Georg): kai exeballon R: om. B D L Arm c 11 oimoi2 . . . Kurie2 c-p Syr a Arm a b c Georg Eth: om. A D (other mss om. others of the

fi ve “woes”)

12 udata tauta Z Arm a: add. gonima eisin enwpion sou Kurie c-o Arm b c Georg 13 galhniwnta Z (A) C (Arm c): oimoi tini wmoiwqhn egw: ouc wmoiwqhn egw toi"

kumasi th" qalassh" oti kai ta kumata galhniwnta B (D) E F (I) L M N (R) Arm a b (c) (Georg)

14 galhniwnta . . . Kurie Z (A) B D E F I L M N R Arm a b c Georg: om. C 15 epesth c-p Georg: efanh (A) L Arm c: esth Z B D Syr a Arm a b Eth

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

The Proto-Gospel of James 43

(4) Anna was very upset, and took off her clothes of mourning; she then

washed her face and put on her bridal clothes, and in midafternoon went

down to walk in her garden. She saw a laurel tree and sat beneath it, and after

resting a bit she prayed to the Master, saying, “O God of my fathers, bless me

and hear my prayer, just as you blessed the womb of Sarah and gave her a son,

Isaac.”3

(1) While Anna was gazing at the sky she saw a nest of sparrows in the laurel

tree, and she mourned to herself, “Woe is me. Who gave me birth? What kind

of womb bore me? I have been born as a curse before the sons of Israel and

have been despised; they have mocked me and banished me from the Temple

of the Lord my God. (2) Woe is me, what am I like? I am not like the birds of

the sky, for even the birds of the sky are productive before you, O Lord. Woe

is me, what am I like? I am not like the senseless living creatures, for even the

senseless living creatures are productive before you, O Lord. Woe is me, what

am I like? I am not like the wild beasts of the earth, for even the wild beasts of

the earth are productive before you, O Lord. (3) Woe is me, what am I like? I

am not like these waters, for even these waters are tranquil yet prance about,

and their fish bless you, O Lord. Woe is me. What am I like? I am not like this

soil, for even this soil produces its fruit in its season and blesses you, O Lord.”

Some Angelic Visitations

(1) Then, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared and said to her, “Anna, Anna,

the Lord has heard your prayer. You will conceive a child and give birth,4 and

your offspring will be spoken of throughout the entire world.” Anna replied,

“As the Lord God lives, whether my child is a boy or a girl, I will offer it as a

gift to the Lord my God, and it will minister to him its entire life.”5

3. Gen. 21:1–3.

4. Cf. Luke 1:13.

5. Cf. 1 Sam. 1:11, 28; 2:11.

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

44 Infancy Gospels

2 Kai; ijdou; h[lqosan a[ggeloi duvo levgonte" aujth/': Æ!Idou; !Iwakei;m oJ ajnhvr sou e[rcetai meta; tw'n poimnivwn aujtou'.Æ #Aggelo" ga;r Kurivou katevbh pro;" !Iwakei;m levgwn: Æ!Iwakei;m !Iwakeivm, ejphvkousen Kuvrio" oJ Qeo;" th'" dehvsewv" sou. Katavbhqi ejnteu'qen. !Idou; hJ gunhv sou #Anna ejn gastri; ei[lhfen.Æ16 3 Kai; eujqevw" katevbh !Iwakei;m kai; ejkavlesen tou;" poimevna" levgwn aujtoi'": ÆFevretev moi w|de devka17 ajmnavda" ajspivlou" kai; ajmwvmou", kai; e[sontai aiJ devka ajmnavde"18 Kurivw/ tw/' Qew/': kai; fevretev moi dwvdeka movscou" aJpalouv", kai; e[sontai oiJ dwvdeka movscoi19 toi'" iJereu'sin kai; th/' gerousiva/: kai; rV cimavrou"20 panti; tw/' law/'.Æ 4 Kai' ijdou; h{kei !Iwakei;m meta; tw'n poimnivwn aujtou'. Kai; e[sth #Anna pro;" th/' puvlh/ kai; ei\den !Iwakei;m ejrcovmenon meta; tw'n poimnivwn aujtou'.21 Kai; eujqu;" e[dramen kai; ejkremavsqh22 eij" to;n travchlon aujtou' levgousa: ÆNu'n oi\da o[ti Kuvrio" oJ Qeov" eujlovghsevn me23 sfovdra. !Idou; ga;r hJ chvra oujkevti chvra, kai; hJ a[tekno" ijdou; ejn gastri; ei[lhfa.Æ24 Kai; ajnepauvsato !Iwakei;m th/' prwvth/ hJmevra/ ejn tw/' oi[kw/ aujtou'.

1 Th/' de; ejfauvrion prosevferen ta; dw'ra aujtou' levgwn ejn eJautw/': Æ!Ea;n Kuvrio" oJ Qeo;" iJlasqh/' moi to; pevtalon tou' iJerevw" fanerovn moi poihvsei.Æ25 Kai; prosevferen ta; dw'ra aujtou' !Iwakei;m kai; prosei'ce tw/' petavlw/ tou' iJerevw" wJ"26 ejpevbh ejpi; to; qusiasthvrion Kurivou, kai; oujk ei\den aJmartivan ejn eJautw/'. Kai; ei\pen !Iwakeivm: ÆNu'n oi\da o{ti Kuvrio" oJ Qeov" iJlavsqh moi kai; ajfh'kevn moi pavnta ta; aJmarthvmatav mou.Æ Kai; katevbh ejk tou' naou' Kurivou dedikaiwmevno", kai; h{kei ejn tw/' oi[kw/ aujtou'.27 2 Kai; ejplhrwvqhsan mh'ne" aujth'/ wJsei; e{x:28 tw/' de; eJbdovmw/ mhni;29; ejgevnnhsen #Anna kai; ei\pen th/' maiva/: ÆTiv ejgevnnhsa;Æ Kai; ei\pen hJ mai'a:

16 eilhfen Z B Syr a Eth: lhyetai c-p Arm c: concipiet et pariet Arm a b Georg 17 deka Z c-p Syr a Arm a b c: dwdeka (dekaduo) B C K Georg: duos Eth 18 ai deka amnade" Z F L Syr a Arm (b): ai dwdeka amnade" B D (Georg): om. A E I

Arm c

19 apalou" . . . moscoi (with variation) B D E L (Georg): apalou" kai esontai: A C R* Syr a Arm b c: om. Z

20 cimarou" A D E Georg: add. kai esontai oi ekaton cimaroi Z B C L R Syr a Arm b c 21 meta twn poimniwn autou Z C D E F R Arm a b Georg: om. A B* (Syr a) Arm c Eth 22 ekremasqh c-o: ekramasen athn Z 23 me c-o Syr a Arm a b c Georg Eth: se Z 24 eilhfa Z B F M Syr a: lhyomai c-p: sullhyomai kai eilhfa L 25 poihsei c-p Arm b Georg: poihsai Z: genhsetai L Syr a 26 w" C F L R Arm a b: ew" A I Syr a: o" D: kai B E Georg: om. Z 27 oikw autou c-p: add. cairwn kai doxazwn ton qeon B C (D) Eth: add. sunelabe de

anna I R Arm c 28 wsei ex (Z) (L): ex A E (Arm a) Georg: epta B Arm b: ennea Eth: om. C D F (R) (Syr

a Arm c) 29 tw de ebdomw mhni E L Arm b Georg: tw de epta mhni Z: tw de ogdow mhni R Arm a:

tw de ennatw mhni c-p Syr a: kai D (Arm c Eth)

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

The Proto-Gospel of James 45

(2) Behold, two angels came, saying to her, “See, your husband Joachim is

coming with his flocks.” For an angel of the Lord had descended to Joachim

and said, “Joachim, Joachim, the Lord God has heard your prayer. Go

down from here; see, your wife Anna has conceived a child.” (3) Joachim

immediately went down and called his shepherds and said, “Bring me here ten

lambs without spot or blemish, and the ten lambs will be for the Lord God;

and bring me twelve young calves, and the twelve calves will be for the priests

and the council leaders, and bring a hundred male goats for all the people.”

(4) And behold, Joachim came with his flocks and Anna stood beside the gate

and saw Joachim coming with his flocks; and running up to him she hung on

his neck and said, “Now I know that the Lord God has blessed me abundantly.

For see, the widow is no longer a widow and I who am childless have

conceived a child.” Then Joachim rested the first day in his home.

The Birth of Mary

(1) On the next day he brought his gifts as an offering, saying to himself, “If

the Lord is gracious to me, the leafed plate of the priest’s mitre6 will make it

known to me.” And Joachim offered his gifts and looked closely at the priest’s

leafed mitre as he went up to the altar of the Lord; and he saw no sin in

himself. Joachim then said, “Now I know that the Lord God has been gracious

to me and forgiven me all my sins.” He went down from the Temple of the

Lord justified and came to his house.7

(2) Some six months came to completion for Anna; and in the seventh month

she gave birth. She asked the midwife, “What is it?” The midwife replied,

6. Literally: the priest’s leaf. The meaning is obscure. See de Strycher, Protévangile, p. 85. n. 1.

7. Cf. Luke 18:14.

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

46 Infancy Gospels

ÆQhvleian.Æ Kai; ei\pen #Anna: Æ!Emegaluvnqh hJ yuchv mou30 th;n hJmevran tauvthn.Æ Kai; ajnevklinen aujthvn. Plhrwqevntwn de; tw'n hJmerw'n ajpesmhvxato hJ #Anna th'" ajfevdrou aujth'"31 kai; e[dwke masqo;n th/' paidi; kai; wjnovmasen to; o[noma aujth'" Mariva.

1 @Hmevra/ de; kai; hJmevra/ ejkrataiou'to hJ pai'". Genamevnh" de; aujth'" eJxamhvnou e[sthsen aujth;n hJ mhvthr aujth'" camaiv, diapeira'sai eij i{statai. Kai; eJpta; bhvmata peripathvsasa h\lqen eij" to;n kovlpon th'" mhtro;" aujth'". Kai; ajnhvrpasen aujth;n hJ mhvthr aujth'" levgousa:32 ÆZh/' Kuvrio" oJ Qeov" mou: ouj mh; peripathvsh/" ejn th/' gh/' tauvth/ e{w" se ajpavxw ejn tw'/ naw/' Kurivou.Æ Kai; ejpoivhsen aJgivasma ejn tw/' koitw'ni aujth'", kai; koino;n kai; ajkavqarton oujk ei[a dievrcesqai di! aujth'". Kai; ejkavlese ta;" qugatevra" tw'n @Ebraivwn ta;" ajmiavntou", kai; dieplavnwn aujthvn. 2 !Egevneto de; prw'to" ejniauto;" th/' paidiv, kai; ejpoivhsen !Iwakei;m doch;n megavlhn kai; ejkavlese tou;" ajrcierei'" kai; tou;" iJerei'" kai; tou;" grammatei'" kai; th;n gerousivan kai; o{lon to;n lao;n tou' !Israhvl. Kai; proshvnegken th;n pai'da !Iwakei;m toi'" iJereu'sin, kai; hujlovghsan aujth;n levgonte": Æ@O Qeo;" tw'n patevrwn hJmw'n, eujlovghson th;n pai'da tauvthn kai; do;" aujth/' o[noma ojnomasto;n aijwvnion ejn pavsai" tai'" geneai'".Æ Kai; ei\pen pa'" oJ laov": ÆGevnoito, ajmhvn.Æ Kai; proshvnegkan aujth;n toi'" ajrciereu'sin, kai; eujlovghsan aujth;n levgonte": Æ@O Qeo;" tw'n uJywmavtwn, ejpivbleyon ejpi; th;n pai'da tauvthn kai; eujlovghson aujth;n ejscavthn eujlogivan h{ti" diadoch;n oujk e[cei.Æ 3 Kai; ajnhvrpasen aujth;n hJ mhvthr aujth'" ejn tw/' aJgiavsmati tou' koitw'no" kai; e[dwke masqo;n th/' paidiv. Kai; ejpoivhsen a/\sma Kurivw/ tw/' Qew/' #Anna levgousa: Æ#Aisw wj/dh;n aJgivan Kurivw/ tw/' Qew/' mou, o{ti ejpeskevyatov me kai; ajfei'len ajp! ejmou' ojneidismo;n tw'n ejcqrw'n mou, kai; e[dwkevn moi Kuvrio" oJ Qeov" mou karpo;n dikaiosuvnh" aujtou' monoouvsion poluplavsion ejnwvpion aujtou'. Tiv" ajggelei' toi'" uiJoi'" @Roubh;l o{ti #Anna qhlavzei_ !Akouvsate ajkouvsate, aiJ ibV fulai; tou' !Israhvl,33 o{ti #Anna qhlavzei.Æ Kai; ajnevpausen aujth;n ejn tw/' koitw'ni tou' aJgiavsmato" aujth'",34 kai; ejxh'lqen kai; dihkovvnei aujtoi'". Telesqevnto" de; tou' deivpnou katevbhsan eujfranovmenoi35 kai; ejdovxasan to;n Qeo;n Israhvl.

30 emegalunqh h yuch mou Z c-p Arm a c Georg: emegalunen h yuch mou ton kurion C D F Syr a Arm b Eth

31 th" afedrou auth" (Z) L (R) Arm b: th" loceia" auth" N Georg: apo tou aimato" auth" (I): om. c-p Arm c Eth

32 Kai . . . legousa Z c-p Syr a Arm a b Georg: kai eipen anna B (C) D I Arm c Eth 33 oti Anna . . . tou Israhl c-p Syr a Georg: om. z C R Arm a b 34 agiasmato" auth" c-p Syr a: agiasmato" Z R Georg 35 eufranomenoi c-p Syr a Arm a b c Georg Eth: add. kai epeqhkan auth onoma

mariam dioti to onoma auth" ou maranqhsetai ei" ton aiwna (with minor variations) B F I

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

The Proto-Gospel of James 47

“A girl.” Anna said, “My soul is exalted today.”8 And she laid the child

down. When the days came to completion, Anna washed off the blood of her

impurity, gave her breast to the child, and named her Mary.

Mary’s Early Life

(1) The child grew stronger every day. When she was six months old, her

mother set her on the ground, to see if she could stand. She walked seven

steps and came to her mother’s bosom. Her mother lifted her up and said,

“As the Lord my God lives, you will not walk at all on this ground until I

have taken you up to the Temple of the Lord.” Then she made a sanctuary in

her bedroom and did not allow anything impure or unclean to pass through

her lips. And she called the undefiled daughters of the Hebrews and they

entertained her.

(2) When the child had her first birthday, Joachim held a great feast and

invited the chief priests, priests, scribes, council leaders, and all the people of

Israel. Joachim brought the child out to the priests and they blessed her, saying,

“O God of our fathers, bless this child and give her a name that will be famous

forever, to all generations.” And all the people replied, “Let it be so! Amen.”

They brought her to the chief priests, and they blessed her, saying, “O Most

High God, look upon this child and bless her with an ultimate blessing, equal

to none.”

(3) Her mother took her back to the sanctuary in her bedroom and nursed

the child. And Anna made a song to the Lord God, saying, “I will sing a holy

song to the Lord my God, for he has visited me and removed from me the

reproach of my enemies.9 The Lord my God has given me the fruit of his

righteousness, unique and abundant before him. Who will report to the sons of

Reuben that Anna is now nursing a child?10 Listen closely, you twelve tribes of

Israel: Anna is nursing a child!” And she laid her down to rest in the bedroom

of her sanctuary and went out to serve the others. When the feast ended they

descended happy, and they gave glory to the God of Israel.

8. Cf. Luke 1:46.

9. Cf. 1 Sam. 2:1.

10. Cf. Gen. 21:7.

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

48 Infancy Gospels

1 Th/' de; paidi; prosetivqento oiJ mh'ne" aujth'". !Egevneto de; dieth;" hJ pai'", kai; ei\pen !Iwakeivm: Æ!Anavxwmen aujth;n ejn naw/' Kurivou o{pw" ajpodw'men th;n ejpaggelivan h}n ejphggeilavmeqa, mhvpw" ajposteivlh/ oJ Despovth" ejf! hJma'" kai; ajprovsdekton e[stai to; dw'ron hJmw'n.Æ Kai; ei\pen #Anna: Æ!Anameivnwmen to; trivton e[to", o{pw" mh; zhthvsh/ patevra h] mhtevra.Æ Kai; ei\pen !Iwakeivm: Æ !Anameivnwmen.Æ36 2 !Egevneto de; trieth;" hJ pai'", kai; ei\pen !Iwakeivm: ÆKalevswmen ta;" qugatevra" tw'n @Ebraivwn ta;" ajmiavntou", kai; labevtwsan ajna; lampavda, kai; e[stwsan kaiovmenai i{na mh; strafh/' hJ pai'" eij" ta; ojpivsw kai; aijcmalwtisqhvsetai hJ kardiva aujth'" ejk naou' Kurivou.Æ Kai; ejpoivhsan ou{tw" e{w" ajnevbhsan ejn naw/' Kurivou.37 Kai; ejdevxato aujth;n oJ iJereu;" kai; filhvsa" aujth;n eujlovghsen kai; ei\pen: Æ!Emegavlunen Kuvrio" oJ Qeo;" to; o[nomav sou ejn pavsai" tai'" geneai'". !Epi; soi; ejp! ejscavtwn tw'n hJmerw'n fanerwvsei Kuvrio" to; luvtron aujtou' toi'" uiJoi'" !Israhvl.Æ 3 Kai; ejkavqisen aujth;n ejpi; trivtou baqmou' tou' qusiasthrivou, kai; e[balle Kuvrio" oJ Qeo;" cavrin ejp! aujthvn, kai; katecovreue toi'" posi;n aujth'", kai; hjgavphsen aujth;n pa'" oi\ko" Israhvl.

1 Kai; katevbhsan oiJ gonei'" aujth'" qaumavzonte" kai; ejpainou'nte" kai; doxavzonte"38 to;n Despovthn Qeo;n39 o{ti oujk ajpestravfh hJ pai'" ejp! aujtouv". &Hn de; Mariva ejn naw/' Kurivou wJsei; peristera; nemomevnh kai; ejlavmbane trofh;n ejk ceiro;" ajggevlou. 2 Genomevnh" de; aujth'" ibV etou'", sumbouvlion ejgevneto tw'n iJerevwn legovntwn: Æ!Idou; Mariva gevgonen ibV eth;" ejn tw/' naw/' Kurivou. Tiv ou\n aujth;n poihvswmen, mhvpw" miavnh/ to; aJgivasma Kurivou tou' Qeou' hJmw'n;Æ Kai; ei\pan tw'/ ajrcierei':40 ÆSu; e{sthka" ejpi; to; qusiasthvrion Kurivou. Ei[selqe kai; provseuxai peri; aujth'": kai; o} eja;n fanerwvsh/ soi 3 Kuvrio" oJ Qeov", tou'to poihvsomen.Æ Kai; eijsh'lqen oJ ajrciereu;" labw;n to;n ibV kwvdwna eij" ta; a{gia tw'n aJgivwn kai; hu[xato peri; aujth'". Kai; ijdou; a[ggelo" Kurivou ejpevsth41 levgwn: ÆZacariva Zacariva, e[xelqe kai; ejkklhsivason tou;" chreuvonta" tou' laou', kai;

36 anameinwmen c-p: amhn Z: amhn genoito C Arm b Georg: genoito amhn L: genoito Arm a

37 kai . . . naw kuriou Z c-p Syr a: om. A K Arm a b Georg 38 epainounte" kai doxazonte" Z: ainounte" kai doxazonte" E F R: doxazonte" kai

epainounte" X: doxazonte" kai ainounte" A: glorifi cantes et laudantes Georg Eth: glorifi cantes et benedicentes Arm a: ainounte" C K Syr a: doxazonte" B D Arm b: umnounte" L

39 ton despothn qeon Z F K: kurion ton qeon X B Eth: ton qeon A C R: alii alia 40 tw arcierei A D E Georg: autw oi ierei" Z: oi ierei" tw arcierei I R Syr a: tw

ierei L: oi arcierei" tw zacaria B C K Arm b: tw Zacaria oi arcierei" F: oi ierei" pro" Zacarian Arm a: ad sacerdotem zachariam Eth: tw arcierei legonte": Zacaria C

41 epesth B C D I: esth Z F K R

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

The Proto-Gospel of James 49

(1) Months passed for the child. When she became two, Joachim said, “Now

we should take her up to the Temple of the Lord, to fulfill the promise we

made;11 otherwise the Master may send some harm our way and our gift be

deemed unacceptable.” Anna replied, “Let’s wait until she is three; otherwise

she may be homesick for her father and mother.” Joachim agreed, “Let us

wait.”

(2) When the child turned three, Joachim said, “We should call the

undefiled daughters of the Hebrews and have each take a torch and set them

up, blazing, that the child not turn back and her heart be taken captive away

from the Temple of the Lord.” They did this, until they had gone up to the

Lord’s Temple. And the priest of the Lord received her and gave her a kiss,

blessing her and saying, “The Lord has made your name great among all

generations. Through you will the Lord reveal his redemption to the sons of

Israel at the end of time.”

(3) He set her on the third step of the altar, and the Lord God cast his grace

down upon her. She danced on her feet, and the entire house of Israel loved

her.

Joseph Becomes Mary’s Guardian

(1) Her parents went away marveling, praising and glorifying God, the Master,

that the child did not turn back. Mary was in the Temple of the Lord, cared

for like a dove, receiving her food from the hand of an angel.

(2) But when she reached her twelfth birthday, the priests held a council and

said, “See, Mary has become twelve years old in the Lord’s Temple. What then

shall we do with her, to keep her from defiling the sanctuary of the Lord our

God?” They said to the chief priest, “You have stood on the Lord’s altar. Go

in and pray about her, and we will do whatever the Lord God reveals to you.”

(3) The chief priest went in, taking the robe with twelve bells into the Holy of

Holies; and he prayed about her. And behold, an angel of the Lord appeared

and said to him, “Zacharias, Zacharias, go out and gather the widowers of

the people, and have each of them bring a rod; she will become the wife of

11. Cf. 1 Sam. 1:21–28.

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

50 Infancy Gospels

ejnegkavtwsan ajna; rJavbdon, kai; w/| eja;n ejpideivxh/ Kuvrio" oJ Qeo;" shmei'on, touvtw/ e[stai gunhv.Æ !Exh'lqan de; oiJ khvruke" kaq! o{lou th'" pericwvrou th'" !Ioudaiva", kai; h[chsen savlpigx Kurivou, kai; ijdou; e[dramon a{pante".

1 !Iwsh;f de; rJivya" to; skevparnon ejxh'lqen eij" sunavnthsin aujtw'n. Kai; sunacqevnte" oJmou' ajph'lqan pro;" to;n iJereva labovnte" ta;" rJavbdou". Dexavmeno" de;42 ta;" rJavvbdou" ajp! aujtw'n eijsh'lqen eij" to; iJero;n kai; hu[xato. Televsa" de; th;n eujch;n e[labe ta;" rJavbdou" kai; ejxh'lqen kai; e[dwken aujtoi'": kai; shmei'on oujk h\n ejn aujtai'". Th;n de; ejscavthn rJavbdon e[labe oJ !Iwshvf. Kai; ijdou; peristera; ejxh'lqen ajpo; th'" rJavbdou kai; ejpetavsqh43 ejpi; th;n kefalh;n tou' !Iwshvf. Kai; ei\pen oJ iJereuv" tw/' !Iwshvf:44 ÆSu; keklhvrwsai th;n parqevnon Kurivou paralavvbai eij" thvrhsin eJautw/'.45 2 Kai; ajntei'pen oJ !Iwsh;f levgwn: ÆUiJou;" e[cw kai; presbuvth" eijmiv: au{th de; nea'ni". Mhvpw" e[somai perivgelo" toi'" uiJoi'" !Israhvl.Æ Kai; ei\pen oJ iJereuv": Æ!Iwshvf, fobhvqhti Kuvrion to;n Qeovn sou, kai; mnhvsqhti o{sa ejpoivhsen oJ Qeo;" Daqa;n kai; !Abirw;n kai; Korev, pw'" ejdicavsqh hJ gh' kai; katepovqhsan a{pante" dia; th;n ajntilogivan aujtw'n. Kai; nu'n fobhvqhti, !Iwshvf, mhvpw" e[stai tau'ta ejn tw/' oi[kw/ sou.Æ 3 Kai; fobhqei;" !Iwsh;f parevlaben aujth;n eij" thvrhsin eJautw/', kai; ei\pen aujth/': ÆMariva, parevlabovn se ejk naou' Kurivou. Kai; nu'n kataleivpw se ejn tw/' oi[kw/ mou. !Apevrcomai ga;r oijkodomh'sai ta;" oijkodomav", kai; h{xw pro;" sev. Kuvriov" se diafulavxei.Æ

1 !Egevneto de; sumbouvlion tw'n iJerevwn legovntwn: ÆPoihvswmen katapevtasma tw/' naw/' Kurivou.Æ Kai; ei\pen oJ iJereuv": ÆKalevsatev moi ta;" parqevnou"46 ta;" ajmiavntou" ajpo; th'" fulh'" tou' Dauivd.Æ Kai; ajphvlqasin oiJ uJphrevtai kai; ejxezhvthsan kai; eu{rhsan zV. Kai; ejmnhvsqh oJ iJereu;" th'" paido;" Mariva" o{ti h\n th'" fulh'" tou' Daui;d kai; ajmivanto" tw/' Qew/'. Kai; ajphvlqasin oiJ ujphrevtai kai; h[gagan aujthvn. 2 Kai; eijshvgagan au\ta;" ejn tw/' naw/' Kurivou. Kai; ei\pen oJ iJereuv": ÆLavcetev moi w|de, tiv" nhvsei to;n cruso;n kai; to;n ajmivanton kai; th;n buvsson kai; to; siriko;n kai; to; uJakivnqinon kai; to; kovkkinon kai; th;n ajlhqinh;n porfuvran.Æ Kai; e[lace th;n Marivan

42 dexameno" de B D I Arm a b Georg Eth: add. o iero" (Z) E K (C) (F) (L) (Syr a): add. o arciereu" X (A) G (R)

43 epetasqh c-p Georg: epestaqh Z X Syr a Arm a b Eth 44 tw Iwshf X B R Arm a b: tw Iwshf Iwshf A D E K: tw Iwshf Iwshf Iwshf D L:

Iwshf C Syr a (Georg): Iwshf Iwshf Z 45 eautw X c-p: autw Z: seautw C R: tibi Arm a b: sibi ipsi Georg: auth" A Syr a: om.

D L

46 ta" parqenou" Z A: parqenou" B E I R Georg: oktw parqenou" ta" X: oktw parqenou" G K L Syr a Arm a b Eth: epta parqenou" C D

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

The Proto-Gospel of James 51

the one to whom the Lord God gives a sign.”12 The heralds went out to all

the countryside of Judea and the trumpet of the Lord was blown, and see,

everyone came running.

(1) Joseph cast aside his carpenter’s axe and went to their meeting. When they

had gathered together they went to the priest, bringing their rods. When

he had received the rods from them he went into the Temple and prayed.

When he finished his prayer, he took the rods, went outside, and gave them

back. And no sign appeared among them. But Joseph took the last rod, and

behold! A dove came out of the rod and flew onto Joseph’s head. The priest

said to Joseph, “You have been chosen to take the Lord’s virgin into your safe-

keeping.” (2) But Joseph refused, saying, “I have sons and am an old man; she

is but a child. I do not want to become a laughingstock to the sons of Israel.”

The priest replied, “Fear the Lord your God, and remember everything that

he did to Dathan, Abeira, and Core, how the earth split open and they were all

swallowed up because of their dispute.13 Now, Joseph, you should be afraid of

this happening to your house as well.”

(3) Joseph was afraid and took her into his safekeeping. He said to her,

“Mary, I have received you from the Temple of the Lord. Now I am leaving

you in my house, for I am going out to construct some buildings; later I will

come back to you. The Lord will watch over you.”

Mary Spins for the Curtain in the Temple

(1) Then the priests held a council and said, “We should make a curtain for

the Lord’s Temple.” The priest said, “Call to me the undefiled virgins from

the tribe of David.” The servants went out looking for them and found seven

virgins. The priest then remembered that the child Mary was from the tribe of

David, and that she was undefiled before God. The servants went out and led

her back. (2) And they brought them into the Lord’s Temple. And the priest

said, “Cast lots before me to see who will spin the gold, the asbestos, the fine

linen, the silk, the sapphire blue, the scarlet, and the true purple.” Mary drew

12. Cf. Num. 17:1–9.

13. Cf. Num. 16:1, 31–33.

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

52 Infancy Gospels

hJ ajlhqinh; porfuvra kai; to; kovkkinon. Kai; labou'sa ajph/vei ejn tw/' oi[kw/ aujth'". Tw/' de; kairw/' ejkeivnw/ Zacariva" ejsivghsen, kai; ejgevneto ajnti; aujtou' Samouhvl, mevcri o{te ejlavlhsen Zacariva". Mariva de; labou'sa to; kovkkinon e[klwqen.

1 Kai; e[laben th;n kavlpin kai; ejxh'lqen gemivsai u{dwr. Kai; ijdou; fwnh; levgousa aujth'/: ÆCai're, kecaritwmevnh: oJ Kuvrio" meta; sou': eujloghmevnh su; ejn gunaixivn.Æ Kai; perievblepen ta; dexia; kai; ta; ajristera; Mariva povqen au{th ei[h hJ fwnhv. Kai; e[ntromo" genomevnh eijsh/vei eij" to;n oi\kon aujth'" kai; ajnapauvsasa th;n kavlpin e[laben th;n porfuvran kai; ejkavqisen ejpi; tou' qrovnou aujth'" kai; h|lken th;n porfuvran. 2 Kai; ijdou; a[ggelo" Kurivou47 e[sth ejnwvpion aujth'" levgwn: ÆMh; fobou', Mariva: eu|re" ga;r cavrin ejnwvpion tou' pavntwn Despovtou. Sunlhvmyh/ ejk Lovgou aujtou'.Æ @H de; ajkouvsasa Mariva diekrivqh ejn eJauth/' levgousa: Æ!Egw; sunlhvmyomai ajpo; Kurivou Qeou' zw'nto"48 kai; gennhvsw49 wJ" pa'sa gunh; genna/';Æ 3 Kai; ei\pen aujth/' oJ a[ggelo" Kurivou:50 ÆOujc ou{tw", Mariva. Duvnami" ga;r Qeou' ejpiskiavsei soi:51 dio; kai; to; gennwvmenon ejk sou'52 a{gion klhqhvsetai uiJo;" @Uyivstou.53 Kai; kalevsei" to; o[noma aujtou' !Ihsou'n: aujto;" ga;r swvsei to;n lao;n aujtou' ejk tw'n aJmartiw'n aujtw'n.Æ Kai; ei\pe Mariva: Æ!Idou; hJ douvlh Kurivou katenwvpion aujtou'. Gevnoitov moi kata; to; rJh'mav sou.Æ

1 Kai; ejpoivhsen th;n porfuvran kai; to; kovkkinon, kai; ajnhvnegken tw/' iJerei'. Kai; labw;n oJ iJereu;" eujlovghsen aujth;n kai; ei\pen: ÆMariva, ejmegavlunen Kuvrio" oJ Qeo;" to; o[nomav sou, kai; e[sh/ eujloghmevnh ejn pavsai" tai'" geneai'" th'" gh'".Æ 2 Cara;n de; labou'sa Mariva ajph/vei pro;" th;n suggenivda aujth'" !Elisavbed kai; e[krousen pro;" th;n quvran. Kai; ajkouvsasa hJ @Elisavbed e[rriyen to; kovkkinon kai; e[dramen pro;" th;n quvran kai; h[noixen aujth/'54 kai; eujlovghsen aujth;n kai; ei\pen: ÆPovqen moi tou'to i{na hJ mhvthr tou' Kurivou mou e[lqh/ pro;" ejmev_ !Idou; ga;r to; ejn ejmoi; ejskivrthsen55 kai; eujlovghsevn se.Æ @H de; Mariva ejpelavqeto tw'n musthrivwn w|n ejlavlhsen Gabrih;l oJ a[ggelo".

47 kuriou1 c-o Syr a Arm a b Georg Eth: om. Z 48 apo Kuriou Qeou zwnto" Z c-o Syr a Georg Eth: om. C Arm a b 49 kai gennhsw c-p Syr a Arm a: om. Z C D G K L (Georg) 50 kai eipen auth o aggelo" Kuriou (with minor variations) c-p Syr c: kai idou aggelo"

esth auth legwn auth Z (and with minor variations) E F K Syr a Arm a b Georg 51 dunami" gar qeou episkiasei soi (with variations) Z c-p Syr a c: alla pneuma agion

epeleusetai epi se kai dunami" uyistou episkiasei soi E (K) Arm a Georg Eth 52 ejk sou B E I R Syr a c Arm a b Georg: om. Z A C D F H K 53 uyistou Z C E K L Syr a c (Arm b) Eth: qeou c-p Georg 54 auth Z B C R Syr a c Arm a b: authn (F) G K: om. A D E Georg 55 eskirthsen Z c-p: add. en th koilia mou A E H Syr c Arm a b: add. en agalliasei F

Georg: add. en th koilia mou en agalliasei D Eth

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

The Proto-Gospel of James 53

the lot for the true purple and the scarlet, and taking them she returned home.

At that time Zacharias became silent.14 Samuel took his place, until Zacharias

spoke again. And Mary took the scarlet and began to spin it.

The Annunciation

(1) Mary took a pitcher and went out to fetch some water. And behold, she

heard a voice saying, “Greetings, you who are favored! The Lord is with you.

You are blessed among women.”15 Mary looked around, right and left, to see

where the voice was coming from. She then entered her house frightened and

set the pitcher down. Taking up the purple she sat on her chair and began to

draw it out. (2) And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before her and said,

“Do not fear, Mary. For you have found favor before the Master of all. You

will conceive a child from his Word.”16 But when she heard this she asked

herself, “Am I to conceive from the living Lord God and give birth like every

other woman?” (3) The angel of the Lord said to her, “Not so, Mary. For the

power of God will overshadow you. Therefore the holy one born from you

will be called the Son of the Highest.17 And you will name him Jesus, for he

will save his people from their sins.”18 Mary replied, “Behold the slave of the

Lord is before him. May it happen to me as you have said.”19

Mary Visits Elizabeth

(1) She made the purple and the scarlet, and brought them to the Temple. The

priest took them and blessed her, “Mary, the Lord God has made your name

great; you will be blessed among all the generations of earth.”

(2) Full of joy, Mary went off to her relative Elizabeth.20 She knocked on the

door; and when Elizabeth heard she cast aside the scarlet and ran to the door.

When she opened it she blessed Mary and said, “How is it that the mother of

my Lord should come to me? For see, the child in me leapt up and blessed

you.” But Mary forgot the mysteries that the archangel Gabriel had spoken to

14. Cf. Luke 1:20–22, 64.

15. Cf. Luke 1:28.

16. Cf. Luke 1:30–31.

17. Cf. Luke 1:35.

18. Cf. Matt. 1:21.

19. Cf. Luke 1:38.

20. Cf. Luke 1:39–45.

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

54 Infancy Gospels

Kai; hjtevnisen eij" to;n oujrano;n kai; ei\pen: ÆKuvrie,56 tiv" eijmi ejgw; o{ti pa'sai aiJ gunai'ke"57 th'" gh'" makariou'sivn me;Æ 3 Kai; ejpoivhsen trei'" mh'na" pro;" th;n !Elisavbed. Kai; hJmevra/ ajf! hJmevra" hJ gasth;r aujth'" wjgkou'to. Kai; fobhqei'sa hJ Mariva h\lqen ejn tw/' oi[kw/ aujth'" kai; e[kruben auJth;n ajpo; tw'n uiJw'n !Israhvl. &Hn de; ejtw'n iıV,58 o{te tau'ta ta; musthvria ejgevneto aujth/'.

1 Kai; ejgevneto aujth/' ıV mhvn, kai; ijdou; h\lqen !Iwsh;f ajpo; tw'n oijkodomw'n aujtou' kai; eijsh'lqen ejn tw/' oi[kw/ kai; eu|ren59 aujth;n wjgkwmevnhn. Kai; e[tuyen to; provswpon aujtou' kai; e[rriyen auJto;n camai; ejpi; to;n savkkon kai; e[klausen pikrw'" levgwn: ÆPoivw/ proswvpw/ ajtenivsw pro;" Kuvrion to;n Qeovn; Tiv a[ra eu[xwmai peri; th'" kovrh" tauvth";60 $Oti parqevnon parevlabon aujth;n ejk naou' Kurivou tou' Qeou' kai; oujk ejfuvlaxa aujthvn. Tiv" oJ qhreuvsa" me_ Tiv" to; ponhro;n tou'to ejpoivhsen ejn tw/' oi[kw/ mou61 kai; ejmivanen th;n parqevnon;62 Mhvti ejn ejmoi; ajnekefalaiwvqh hJ iJstoriva tou' !Adavm; $Wsper ga;r !Ada;m h\n ejn th/' w{ra/ th'" doxologiva" aujtou' kai; h\lqen oJ o[fi" kai; eu|ren th;n Eu[an movnhn kai; ejxhpavthsen aujth;n,63 ou{tw" kajmoi; sunevbh.Æ 2 Kai; ajnevsth !Iwsh;f ajpo; tou' savkkou kai; ejkavlesen aujth;n kai; ei\pen aujth/': ÆMemelhmevnh Qew/', tiv tou'to ejpoivhsa"_ !Epelavqou Kurivou tou' Qeou' sou; Tiv ejtapeivnwsa" th;n yuchvn sou, hJ ajnatrafei'sa eij" ta; a{gia tw'n aJgivwn kai; trofh;n lambavnousa ejk ceiro;" ajggevlou;Æ 3 @H de; e[klausen pikrw'" levgousa kaqovti ÆKaqarav eijmi ejgw; kai; a[ndra ouj ginwvskw.Æ Kai; ei[pen aujth/' !Iwshvf: ÆPovqen ou\n tou'tov ejstin ejn th/' gastriv sou;Æ @H de; ei\pen: ÆZh/' Kuvrio" oJ Qeov" mou kaqovti ouj ginwvskw povqen ejsti;n ejn ejmoiv.Æ

1 Kai; ejfobhvqh oJ !Iwsh;f sfovdra kai; hjrevmhsen ejx aujth'", dialogizovmeno" aujth;n tiv poihvsei. Kai; ei\pen !Iwshvf: Æ!Ea;n aujth'" kruvyw to; aJmavrthma, euJreqhvsomai macovmeno"64 tw/' novmw/ Kurivou: kai; eja;n aujth;n fanerwvsw toi'" uiJoi'" !Israhvl, fobou'mai mhvpw" ajggelikovn65 ejstin to; ejn eJauth/',

56 Kurie A (D) K (Syr a c Arm a b Georg): om. Z B C H R 57 gunaike" Z: geneai c-o Syr a c Arm a b Georg 58 deka ex (Z) c-p: sedecim Syr a Georg: deka epta H: deka pente F: pentekaideka C:

deka tessarwn Arm b: duodecim Syr c: decem Arm a 59 euren Z A C H Syr a c Arm a b Georg: eiden B D I R Eth 60 th" korh" tauth" c-p: auth" Z: th" neanido" th" F: puellam hanc Syr a Arm a b Georg

Eth

61 oikw mou Z c-p Arm b Georg: add. ti" hcmalwteuse thn parqenon ap! emou C (D) Syr a Arm a Eth

62 thn parqenon c-p: authn Z C Syr a Eth 63 exhpathsen authn c-o Arm a b Georg: add. kai emianen authn Z Syr a 64 macomeno" Z Y A C D E H Syr a Arm a b: enoco" B I M N R Eth 65 aggelikon Z c-p Arm (a) b (Eth): agion S B I L M R

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

The Proto-Gospel of James 55

her, and gazed at the sky and said, “Who am I, Lord, that all the women of

earth will bless me?”

(3) She stayed with Elizabeth for three months. Day by day her own belly

grew. Mary then returned home in fear, and hid herself from the sons of Israel.

She was sixteen when these mysteries happened to her.

Joseph Discovers Mary’s Condition

(1) When she was in her sixth month, behold, Joseph returned from his

buildings. As he came into the house he saw that she was pregnant. Striking

his face he cast himself to the ground on sackcloth, weeping bitterly and

saying, “How can I look upon the Lord God? How can I utter a prayer for this

young girl? For I received her from the Temple of the Lord God as a virgin,

but I did not watch over her. Who has preyed upon me? Who has done this

wicked deed in my home and defiled the virgin? Has not the entire history of

Adam been summed up in me? For just as Adam was singing praise to God,

when the serpent came and found Eve alone and led her astray,21 so too has

this now happened to me.”

(2) Joseph rose up from the sackcloth, called Mary, and said to her, “You

who have been cared for by God: why have you done this? Have you forgotten

the Lord your God? Why have you humiliated your soul—you who were

brought up in the Holy of Holies and received your food from the hand of

an angel?” (3) But she wept bitterly and said, “I am pure and have not had

sex with any man.”22 Joseph replied to her, “How then have you become

pregnant?” She said, “As the Lord my God lives, I do not know.”

(1) Joseph was very afraid and let her be, debating what to do about her. Joseph

said, “If I hide her sin, I will be found to be fighting the Law of the Lord; if

I reveal her condition to the sons of Israel, I am afraid that the child in her is

21. Cf. Gen. 3:13.

22. Cf. Luke 1:34.

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

56 Infancy Gospels

kai; euJreqhvsomai paradidou;" ajqw/'on ai|ma eij" krivsma qanavtou. Tiv ou\n aujth;n poihvsw_ Lavqra/ aujth;n ajpoluvsw ajp! ejmou'.Æ Kai; katevlaben aujto;n nuvx. 2 Kai; ijdou; a[ggelo" Kurivou faivnetai aujtw/' kat! o[neiron levgwn: ÆMh; fobhqh/'" th;n pai'da tauvthn: to; ga;r ejn aujth/' o]n ejk Pneuvmatov" ejstin @Agivou. Tevxetai de;66 uiJo;n kai; kalevsei" to; o[noma eJautou' !Ihsou'n: aujto;" ga;r swvsei to;n lao;n aujtou' ejk tw'n aJmarthmavtwn aujtw'n.Æ Kai; ajnevsth !Iwsh;f ajpo; tou' u{pnou kai; ejdovxasen to;n Qeo;n tou' !Israh;l to;n dovnta aujtw'/ th;n cavrin aujtou'. Kai; ejfuvlasse aujthvn.67

1 &Hlqen de; #Anna" oJ grammateu;" pro;" aujto;n kai; ei\pen aujtw/': Æ!Iwshvf, dia; tiv oujk ejfavnh" th/' sunovdw/ hJmw'n;Æ Kai; ei\pen aujtw/': Æ$Oti e[kamon ejk th'" oJdou' kai; ajnepausavmhn th;n prwvthn hJmevran.Æ Kai; ejstravfh #Anna" kai; ei\den th;n Marivan wjgkwmevnhn. 2 Kai; ajph/vei dromai'o" pro;" to;n iJerevan kai; ei\pen aujtw/': Æ!Iwshvf, w/| su; marturei'", hjnovmhsen sfovdra.Æ Kai; ei\pen oJ iJereuv": ÆTiv tou'to;_Æ Kai; ei\pen: ÆTh;n parqevnon, h}n !Iwsh;f parevlaben ejk naou' Kurivou, ejmivanen aujth;n kai; e[kleyen tou;" gavmou" aujth'" kai; oujk ejfanevrwsen toi'" uiJoi'" !Israhvl.Æ Kai; ajpokriqei ;" oJ iJereu;" ei\pen: Æ!Iwsh;f tau'ta ejpoivhsen;Æ Kai; ei\pen #Anna" oJ grammateu;" aujtw/': Æ!Apovsteilon uJphrevta" kai; euJrhvsei" th;n parqevnon wjgkwmevnhn.Æ Kai; ajph'lqon oiJ uJphrevtai kai; eu|ron aujth;n kaqw;" ei\pen kai ajphvgagon aujth;n a{ma tw/' !Iwsh;f68, 69 eij" to; krithvrion. 3 Kai; ei\pen aujth/' oJ ajrciereuv": ÆMariva, tiv tou'to ejpoivhsa"_ Tiv ejtapeivnwsa" th;n yuchvn sou kai; ejpelavqou Kurivou tou' Qeou' sou_ @H ajnatrafei'sa eij" ta; a{gia tw'n aJgivwn kai; labou'sa trofh;n ejk ceiro;" ajggevlou,70 kai; ajkouvsasa tw'n u{mnwn71 aujtou'72 kai; coreuvsasa ejnwvpion aujtou',73 tiv tou'to ejpoivhsa";Æ @H de; e[klause pikrw'" levgousa: ÆZh/' Kuvrio" oJ Qeo;" kaqovti kaqarav eijmi ejnwvpion aujtou' kai; a[ndra ouj ginwvskw.Æ 4 Kai; ei\pen oJ iJereuv": Æ!Iwshvf, tiv tou'to ejpoivhsa"_Æ Ei\pen de; !Iwshvf: ÆZh/' Kuvrio" oJ Qeo;" mou74 kai; oJ th'" ajlhqeiva" aujtou' mavrtu" kaqovti kaqarov" eijmi ejgw; ejx aujth'".Æ Kai; ei\pen oJ iJereuv": ÆMh;

66 texetai de S c-p Arm a Georg Eth: add. soi Z Syr a Arm b 67 authn S B H I L R Syr a: thn paida Z A C E Arm a b Georg 68 ama tw iwshf (A C D) E H Georg: kai ton iwshf S B (F) I L: om. Z Syr a Arm a b 69 iwshf S c-p Georg: add. ei" to ieron kai esth Z (F Arm a b): ei" to ieron Syr a: add.

kai esthsen autou" o arciereu" D: add. kai paresthsan autou" H: add. ei" to ieron kai autou" Syr a

70 aggelou S c-o Syr a Arm a Georg Eth: aggelwn Z Arm b 71 twn umnwn C (E) Syr a Eth: ton umnon Z (A) D H Georg: vocem Arm a: twn musthriwn

S B I L M R

72 autou S B I L M R: autwn Z D Syr a Georg: enwpion autwn E H: om. C 73 enwpion autou S B C G I L R: enwpion autwn Z Syr a Georg 74 zh kurio" o qeo" mou c-p Syr a Arm b: zh kurio" o cristo" autou Z: vivus est dominus

et vivus est spiritus eius Georg: zh kurio" o qeo" kai zh o cristo" autou Zvid: zh kurio" o qeo" mou o cristo" autou kai; o th" alhqeia" autou martu" E

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

The Proto-Gospel of James 57

angelic, and I may be handing innocent blood over to a death sentence. What

then should I do with her? I will secretly divorce her.”23 Then night overtook

him.

(2) Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Do

not be afraid of this child. For that which is in her comes from the Holy Spirit.

She will give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. For he will save his

people from their sins.”24 Joseph rose up from his sleep and glorified the God

of Israel who had bestowed favor on him; and he watched over her.

The Authorities Discover Mary’s Condition

(1) But Annas the scribe came to see him and said, “Joseph, why have you not

appeared before our council?” Joseph replied, “I was tired from my journey

and rested on my first day back.” Annas then turned and saw that Mary was

pregnant. (2) He left and ran off to the priest and said to him, “Joseph, the one

you have vouched for, has committed a great sin.” The priest replied, “What

has he done?” He said, “He has defiled the virgin he received from the Lord’s

Temple and has stolen her wedding rights.25 And he has not revealed this to

the sons of Israel.” The priest asked, “Joseph, has done this?” Annas the scribe

replied, “Send some servants, and you will find that the virgin is pregnant.”

The servants went off and found her just as he had said. They brought her

back to the judgment hall, along with Joseph.

(3) The high priest said to her, “Mary, why have you done this? Why have

you humiliated your soul and forgotten the Lord your God? You who were

brought up in the Holy of Holies and received your food from the hand of

an angel, and heard his hymns, and danced before him—why have you done

this?” But she wept bitterly and said, “As the Lord my God lives, I am pure

before him and have not had sex with any man.”

(4) The priest then said, “Joseph, why have you done this?” Joseph replied,

“As the Lord my God lives, and the witness of his truth, I am pure toward

23. Cf. Matt. 1:19.

24. Cf. Matt. 1:20–21.

25. Or: eloped with her.

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

58 Infancy Gospels

yeudomartuvrei, ajlla; levge ta; ajlhqh'. #Ekleya" tou;" gavmou" aujth'"75 kai; oujk ejfanevrwsa" toi'" uiJoi'" !Israhvl, kai; oujk e[klina" th;n kefalhvn sou uJpo; th;n krataia;n cei'ran o{pw" eujloghqh/' to; spevrma sou.Æ

1 Kai; !Iwsh;f ejsivghsen. Kai; ei\pen oJ iJereuv": Æ!Apovdo" th;n parqevnon h}n parevlabe" ejk naou' Kurivou.Æ Kai; peridavkruto" genavmeno" oJ !Iwsh;f . . . Kai; ei\pen oJ ajrciereuv": ÆPotivsw uJma'" to; u{dwr th'" ejlevgxew" Kurivou, kai; fanerwvsei to; aJmavrthma uJmw'n ejn ojfqalmoi'" uJmw'n.Æ 2 Kai; labw;n oJ iJereu;" ejpovtisen to;n !Iwsh;f kai; e[pemyen aujto;n eij" th;n e[rhmon, kai; h\lqen oJlovklhro". Kai; ejpovtisen kai; th;n Maria;m76 kai; e[pemyen aujth;n eij" th;n ejrhmivan, kai; katevbh oJlovklhro". Kai; ejqauvmasen pa'" oJ lao;" o{ti oujk ejfavnh hJ aJmartiva aujtw'n.77 3 Kai; ei\pen oJ iJereuv": ÆEij Kuvrio" oJ Qeo;" oujk ejfanevrwsen to; aJmavrthma uJmw'n, oujde; ejgw; krivnw uJma'".Æ Kai; ajpevlusen aujtouv". Kai; parevlaben !Iwsh;f th;n Mariavmmhn kai; ajph/vei ejn tw/' oi[kw/ aujtou' caivrwn kai; doxavzwn to;n Qeo;n !Israhvl.

1 Kevleusi" de; ejgevneto ajpo; Aujgouvstou basilevw" ajpogravyasqai o{soi eijsi;n ejn Bhqlee;m th'" !Ioudaiva". Kai; ei\pen !Iwshvf: Æ!Egw; ajpogravyomai tou;" uiJouv" mou. Tauvthn de; th;n pai'da tiv poihvsw; Pw'" aujth;n ajpogravyomai; Gunai'ka ejmhvn; !Epaiscuvnomai. !Alla; qugatevra; Oi\dan oiJ uiJoi; !Israh;l o{ti oujk e[stin qugavthr mou. Au{th hJ hJmevra Kurivou poihvsei wJ" bouvletai.Æ78 2 Kai; e[strwsen to;n o[non kai; ejkavqisen aujth;n, kai; h|lken oJ uiJo;" aujtou'79 kai; hjkolouvqei Samouhvl.80 Kai; h[ggisan ejpi; mivlion trivton, kai; ejstravfh !Iwsh;f kai; ei\den aujth;n stugnh;n kai; e[legen:

75 auth" A D E H: sou Z S B I N R Syr a Arm a b Georg: om. L M 76 mariam c-p Arm b Georg Eth: paida Z E Syr a: parqenon A C 77 ouk efanh h amartia autwn cn. de Strycker: ouk efanen amartian autwn Z: h

amartia autwn ouk efanh H: non sunt manifestata peccata eorum Arm a b: amartia ouk efanh en autoi" S c-p: amartia ouc eureqhn en autoi" C F Syr a Georg

78 bouletai Z A C D E Syr a b Arm a b Georg Eth: add. kurio" S B H I L R 79 kai hlken o uio" autou Z A C (D: add. Samouhl) E (N: add. Iakwbo" ante o uio") Syr

a b: kai hlqen iwshf kai o uio" autou Syr a: kai hlqen simwn uio" iwshf Arm b: om. B F H I L M R Arm a Georg Eth

80 kai hkolouqei samouhl Z Yvid (D) E (Georg Eth): kai hkolouqei kai o uio" autou samouhl opisqen autwn L (M R): et manuel fi lius ioseph sequebatur mariam Arm a: kai hkolouqei iwshf A (C) H N : kai iakwbo" kai simwn ephkolouqoun B F I: qui sequebatur mariam Arm b: om. Syr a b

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

The Proto-Gospel of James 59

her.” The priest said, “Do not bear false witness, but speak the truth. You have

stolen her wedding rights26 and not revealed it to the sons of Israel; and you

have not bowed your head under the mighty hand that your offspring might

be blessed.” Joseph kept his silence.

(1) The priest said, “Hand over the virgin you received from the Lord’s

Temple.” And Joseph began to weep bitterly. The priest said, “I will have both

of you drink the Lord’s ‘water of refutation,’ and it will reveal your sin to your

own eyes.”27 (2) The priest gave it to Joseph to drink, and sent him away to

the wilderness. But he came back whole. He then gave it to Mary to drink and

sent her off to the wilderness. And she came back whole. All the people were

amazed that their sin was not revealed.

(3) The priest said, “If the Lord God has not revealed your sin, neither do

I judge you.” And he released them. Joseph took Mary and returned home,

rejoicing and glorifying the God of Israel.

The Journey to Bethlehem

(1) An order went out from the king, Augustus, that everyone from

Bethlehem of Judea was to be registered for a census.28 Joseph said, “I will

her? As my wife? I would be too ashamed. As my daughter? The sons of

Israel know that she is not my daughter. This day of the Lord will turn out

as he wishes.” (2) He saddled the donkey and seated her on it; and his son led

it along, while Samuel followed behind. When they approached the third

milestone, Joseph turned and saw that she was gloomy. He said to himself,

26. Or: eloped with her.

27. Cf. Num. 5:11–31.

28. Cf. Luke 2:1.

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

60 Infancy Gospels

Æ#Isw" to; ejn aujth/' ceimavzei aujthvn.Æ Kai; pavlin ejstravfh !Iwsh;f kai; ei\den aujth;n gelou'san kai; ei\pen aujth/': ÆMariavmmh, tiv ejstivn soi tou'to, o{ti to; provswpovn sou blevpw pote; me;n gelou'nta pote; de; stugnavzon;Æ Kai; ei\pen aujtw'/: Æ$Oti duvo laou;" blevpw ejn toi'" ojfqalmoi'" mou, e{na klaivonta kai; koptovmenon kai; e{na caivronta kai; ajgalliw'nta.Æ 3 Kai; h[lqwsin ajna; mevson th'" oJdou', kai; ei\pen aujtw/' Mariavmmh: Æ!Iwshvf, katavgagev me ajpo; tou' o[nou, o{ti to; ejn ejmoi; ejpeivgei me proelqei'n.Æ Kai; kathvgagen aujth;n ajpo; th'" o[nou81 kai; ei\pen aujth/': ÆPou' se ajpavxw kai; skepavsw sou th;n ajschmosuvnhn, o{ti oJ tovpo" e[rhmov" ejstin;Æ

1 Kai; eu|ren ejkei' sphvlaion kai; eijshvgagen aujth;n kai; parevsthsen aujth/' tou;" uiJou;" aujtou' kai; ejxh'lqen zhth'sai mai'an @Ebraivan ejn cwvra/ Bhqleevm.82 2 !Egw; de; !Iwsh;f periepavtoun kai; ouj periepavtoun. Kai; ajnevbleya eij" to;n povlon tou' oujranou' kai; ei\don aujto;n eJstw'ta, kai; eij" to;n ajevra kai; ei\don aujto;n e[kqambon kai; ta; peteina; tou' oujranou' hjremou'nta. Kai ejpevbleya ejpi; th;n gh'n kai; ei\don skavfhn keimevnhn kai; ejrgavta" ajnakeimevnou", kai; h\san aiJ cei're" aujtw'n ejn th/' skavfh/. Kai; oiJ maswvmenoi oujk ejmasw'nto kai; oiJ ai[ronte" oujk ajnevferon kai; oiJ prosfevronte" tw/' stovmati aujtw'n ouj prosevferon, ajlla; pavntwn h\n ta; provswpa a[nw83 blevponta. 3 Kai; ei\don ejlaunovmena provbata, kai; ta; provbata eJsthvkei: kai; ejph'ren oJ poimh;n th;n cei'ra aujtou' tou' patavxai aujtav,84 kai; hJ cei;r aujtou' e[sth a[nw. Kai; ejpevbleya ejpi; to;n ceivmarron tou' potamou' kai; ei\don ejrivfou" kai; ta; stovmata aujtw'n ejpikeivmena tw/' u{dati85 kai; mh; pivnonta. Kai; pavnta qhvxei uJpo; tou' drovmou aujtw'n ajphlauvneto.

1 Kai; ei\don gunai'ka katabaivnousan ajpo; th'" ojreinh'", kai; ei\pevn moi: Æ#Anqrwpe, pou' poreuvh/;Æ Kai; ei\pon: ÆMai'an zhtw' @Ebraivan.Æ Kai; ajpokriqei'sa ei\pevn moi: Æ!Ex !Israh;l ei\;Æ Kai; ei\pon aujth/': ÆNaiv.Æ @H de; ei\pen: ÆKai; tiv" estin hJ gennw'sa ejn tw/' sphlaivw/;Æ Kai; ei\pon ejgwv: Æ@H memnhsteumevnh moi.Æ Kai; ei\pev moi: ÆOujk e[sti sou gunhv;Æ Kai; ei\pon aujth/': ÆMariva ejstivn, hJ

81 apo th" onou B C D H I L: ekei Z Georg: om. A E F G R Syr a b 82 For 18.1–19.1 Bodmer 5 has a severely truncated text, omitting Joseph’s vision, as follows:

kai eurwn hnegken apo oreinh" katabainousan. kai eipen iwshf th maia oti maria estin h memnhsteumenh moi alla sullhmma ecei ek pneumato" agiou anatrafeisa en naw kuriou.

83 anw c-p Syr a Arm b (Georg): katw A E Arm a 84 auta Y c-p Syr a Arm a b Georg: add. en th rabdw B (I) L R 85 erifou" kai ta stomata autwn epikeimena tw udati Yvid C (D H Syr a) Georg (Arm

a b): ta stomata twn erifwn epikeimena A B E I L R

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

The Proto-Gospel of James 61

“Maybe the child in her is causing her trouble.” Then Joseph turned again

and saw her laughing. He said to her, “Mary, why is it that one time I see you

laughing and at another time gloomy?” She replied, “Because my eyes see two

peoples, one weeping and mourning and the other happy and rejoicing.”

(3) When they were halfway there, Mary said to him, “Joseph, take me

down from the donkey. The child inside me is pressing on me to come out.”

He took her down from the donkey and said to her, “Where can I take you to

hide your shame? For this place is a wilderness.”

Joseph Watches Time Stand Still

(1) He found a cave there and took her into it. Then he gave his sons to her

and went out to find a Hebrew midwife in the region of Bethlehem.

(2) But I, Joseph, was walking, and I was not walking.29 I looked up to the

vault of the sky, and I saw it standing still, and into the air, and I saw that it

was greatly disturbed, and the birds of the sky were at rest. I looked down to

the earth and saw a bowl laid out for some workers who were reclining to eat.

Their hands were in the bowl, but those who were chewing were not chewing;

and those who were taking something from the bowl were not lifting it up;

and those who were bringing their hands to their mouths were not bringing

them to their mouths. Everyone was looking up. I saw a flock of sheep being

herded, but they were standing still. The shepherd raised his hand to strike

them, but his hand remained in the air. I looked down at the torrential stream,

and I saw some goats whose mouths were over the water, but they were not

drinking. Then suddenly everything returned to its normal course.

The Birth of Jesus and the Witness of the Midwives

(1) I saw a woman coming down from the hill country, and she said to me, “O

man, where are you going?” I replied, “I am looking for a Hebrew midwife.”

She asked me, “Are you from Israel?” I said to her, “Yes.” She asked, “Who

is the one who has given birth in the cave?” I replied, “My betrothed.” She

said to me, “Is she not your wife?” I said to her, “She is Mary, the one who

29. The Bodmer Papyrus V gives a much shorter version of chs. 18–21; the longer form of

the text, generally regarded as older than the Bodmer version, is followed here, as reconstructed

by de Strycher. Several witnesses report the vision of Joseph in ch. 18 in the third person.

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

62 Infancy Gospels

ajnatrafei'sa86 ejn naw/' Kurivou. Kai; ejklhrwsavmhn aujth;n gunai'ka, kai; oujk e[stin mou gunhv, ajlla; suvllhmma e[cei ejk Pneuvmato" @Agivou.Æ Kai; ei\pen hJ mai'a: ÆTou'to ajlhqev";Æ Kai; ei\pen aujth/' !Iwshvf: ÆDeu'ro kai; i[de.Æ Kai; ajph/vei hJ mai'a met! aujtou', 2 kai; e[sthsan ejn tw/' tovpw/ tou' sphlaivou. Kai; h\n nefevlh fwteinh;87 ejpiskiavzousa to; sphvlaion. Kai; ei\pen hJ mai'a: Æ!Emegaluvnqh hJ yuchv mou shvmeron, o{ti ei\don oiJ ojfqalmoiv mou paravdoxa, o{ti swthriva tw/' !Israh;l ejgennhvqh.Æ Kai; paracrh'ma hJ nefevlh uJpestevlleto tou' sphlaivou, kai; ejfavnh fw'" mevga ejn tw/' sphlaivw/ w{ste tou;" ojfqalmou;" mh; fevrein. Kai; pro;" ojlivgon to; fw'" ejkei'no uJpestevlleto, e{w" ejfavnh brevfo": kai; h\lqen kai; e[labe masqo;n ejk th'" mhtro;" aujtou' Mariva". Kai; ajnebovhsen hJ mai'a kai; ei\pen: Æ@W" megavlh moi hJ shvmeron hJmevra, o{ti ei\don to; kaino;n qevama tou'to.Æ 3 Kai; ejxh'lqen ejk tou' sphlaivou hJ mai'a, kai; hjphvnthsen aujth/' Salwvmh, kai; ei\pen aujth/': ÆSalwvmh Salwvmh, kainovn soi qevama e[cw ejxhghvsasqai: parqevno" ejgevnnhsen, a} ouj cwrei' hJ fuvsi" aujth'".Æ88, 89 Kai; ei\pen Salwvmh: ÆZh/' Kuvrio" oJ Qeov" mou: eja;n mh; bavlw to;n davktulovn mou kai; ejraunhvsw th;n fuvsin aujth'",90 ouj mh; pisteuvsw o{ti hJ91 parqevno" ejgevnnhsen.Æ92

1 Kai; eijsh'lqen hJ mai'a kai; ei\pen: ÆMariva, schmavtison seauthvn: ouj ga;r mikro;" ajgw;n provkeitai peri; sou'.Æ93 Kai; e[bale Salwvmh to;n davktulon aujth'" eij" th;n fuvsin aujth'".94 Kai; ajnhlavlaxen Salwvmh kai; ei\pen: ÆOujai; th/' ajnomiva/ mou kai;

86 anastrafeisa c-p Syr a b Arm a b: add. ei" ta agia twn agiwn C R Georg 87 fwteinh c-p Arm a b: fwto" H Syr a b Georg Eth: skoteinh z: om. C 88 auth" Z c-p Georg: auth A B Syr a b: anqrwpinh C (Arm a b): om. L 89 auth" Y rell Syr a b Arm a b Georg: add. kai h parqeno" menei parqeno" (or

something similiar) A B F H I Eth

90 ean mh balw ton daktulon mou kai eraunhsw thn fusin auth" Z D F G H (Georg): ean mh ereunhsw thn fusin auth" B I L R: ean mh idw A (C) E Syr a (add. oculis meis) Eth Syr b (add. quod virgo est and place after ou mh pisteusw): si non ibo, explorabo et videbo oculis Arm a b

91 h Z I: om. c-p Arm a b Georg 92 For 20.1–4a Bodmer 5 has a severely truncated text, as follows: kai eishlqen kai

eschmatisen authn, kai hraunhse h salwmh thn fusin auth". kai anhlalaxen salwmh oti exepeirasen qeon zwnta: kai idou h ceir mou puri apopiptei ap! emou. kai proshuxato pro" kurion, kai iaqh h maia en th wra ekeinh. kai idou aggelo" kuriou esth pro" salwmhn legwn: eishkousqh h dehsi" sou enwpion kuriou tou qeou. proselqousa ayai tou paidou kai auto" estai soi h swthria. kai epoihsen outw kai iaqh salwmh kaqw" prosekunhsen kai exhlqen ek tou sphlaiou. idou aggelo" kuriou en fwnh legwn:

93 sou c-p Arm a b Georg: add. kai h maria akousasa tauta eschmatisen authn H: add. kai eschmatisen authn Z: add. sed monstra teipsam num virgo sis Syr a b

94 ebale salwmh ton daktulon auth" ei" thn fusin auth" (D) F (Georg): ebale thn ceira auth" ei" authn G H: eraunhse h salwmh thn fusin auth" Z: eshmeiwsato authn h salwmh B I L R: katenohsen authn C: accessit et vidit eam esse virginem Syr a b: appropinquabat salome ut videret et tenaret Arm b: accessit sulame ad mariam et extendit manum suam ut videret

Eth: pistwqeisa salwmh (and om. the following kai) A E

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

The Proto-Gospel of James 63

was brought up in the Lord’s Temple, and I received the lot to take her as my

wife. She is not, however, my wife, but she has conceived her child by the Holy

Spirit.” The midwife said to him, “Can this be true?” Joseph replied to her,

“Come and see.” And the midwife went with him.

(2) They stood at the entrance of the cave, and a bright cloud overshadowed

it. The midwife said, “My soul has been magnified today, for my eyes have

seen a miraculous sign: salvation has been born to Israel.” Right away the

cloud began to depart from the cave, and a great light appeared within, so

that their eyes could not bear it. Soon that light began to depart, until an

infant could be seen. It came and took hold of the breast of Mary, its mother.

The midwife cried out, “Today is a great day for me, for I have seen this new

wonder.”

(3) The midwife went out of the cave and Salome met her. And she said to

her, “Salome, Salome, I can describe a new wonder to you. A virgin has given

birth,30 contrary to her natural condition.” Salome replied, “As the Lord my

God lives, if I do not insert my finger and examine her condition,31 I will not

believe that the virgin has given birth.”

(1) The midwife went in and said to Mary, “Brace yourself. For there is no

small controversy concerning you.” Then Salome inserted her finger in order

to examine her condition, and she cried out, “Woe to me for my sin and

30. Cf. Isa. 7:14.

31. Cf. John 20:25.

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

64 Infancy Gospels

th/' ajpistiva/95 mou, o{ti ejxepeivrasa Qeo;n zw'nta. Kai; ijdou; hJ ceivr mou puri;96 ajpopivptei ajp! ejmou'.Æ 2 Kai; e[klinen ta; govnata pro;" to;n Despovthn levgousa: Æ@O Qeo;" tw'n patevrwn mou, mnhvsqhtiv mou o{ti spevrma eijmi; !Abraa;m kai; !Isaa;k kai; !Iakwvb. Mh; paradeigmativsh/" me toi'" uiJoi'" !Israhvl, ajlla; ajpovdo" me toi'" pevnhsin.97 Su; ga;r oi\da", Devspota, o{ti ejpi; tw/' sw/' ojnovmati ta;" qerapeiva" mou ejpetevloun kai; to;n misqovn mou para; sou' ejlavmbanon.Æ 3 Kai; ijdou; a[ggelo" Kurivou ejpevsth98 levgwn pro;" aujthvn: ÆSalwvmh Salwvmh, ejphvkousen oJ pavntwn Despovth" th'" dehvsewv" sou. Prosevnegke th;n cei'rav sou tw/' paidivw/ kai; bavstaxon aujtov, kai; e[stai soi swthriva kai; carav.Æ 4 Labou'sa de; cara;n prosh'lqe Salwvmh tw/' paidivw/ kai; ejbavstaxen aujto; levgousa: ÆProskunhvsw aujtw/'99 o{ti basileu;" ejgennhvqh mevga"100 tw/' !Israhvl.Æ Kai; paracrh'ma ijavqh Salwvmh kai; ejxh'lqen ejk tou' sphlaivou dedikaiwmevnh. Kai; ijdou; fwnh; levgousa: ÆSalwvmh Salwvmh, mh; ajnaggeivlh/" o{sa ei\de" paravdoxa e{w" e[lqh/ oJ pai'" eij" @Ierosavlhma.Æ

1 Kai; ijdou; !Iwsh;f hJtoimavsqh tou' ejxelqei'n ejn th/' @Ioudaiva/, kai; qovrubo" ejgevneto mevga" ejn Bhqle;m th'" !Ioudaiva". #Hlqwsan ga;r mavgoi levgonte": ÆPou' ejstin oJ basileu;" tw'n !Ioudaivwn_ Ei[domen ga;r to;n ajstevra aujtou' ejn th/' ajnatolh/' kai; h[lqamen proskunh'sai aujtw/'.Æ 2 Kai; ajkouvsa" oJ @Hrwvdh" ejtaravcqh kai; e[pemyen uJphrevta" pro;" tou;" mavgou": kai; metepevmyato kai; tou;" ajrcierei'" kai; ajnevkrinen aujtou;" ejn tw/' praitwrivw/ levgwn aujtoi'": ÆPw'" gevgraptai peri; tou' Cristou'; Pou' genna'tai;Æ Levgousin aujtw/': Æ!En Bhqlee;m th'" !Ioudaiva": ou{tw" ga;r gevgraptai.Æ Kai; ajpevlusen aujtouv". Kai; ajnevkrinen tou;" mavgou" levgwn aujtoi'": ÆTiv ei[dete shmei'on ejpi; to;n gennhqevnta basileva;Æ Kai; ei\pon oiJ mavgoi: ÆEi[domen ajstevra pammegevqh lavmyanta ejn toi'" a[stroi" touvtoi" kai; ajmbluvnanta aujtouv", w{ste tou;" ajstevra" mh; faivnesqai. Kai; ou{tw" e[gnwmen o{ti basileu;" ejgennhvqh tw/' !Israhvl, kai; h[lqomen proskunh'sai aujtw/'.Æ Kai; ei\pen aujtoi'" @Hrwvdh": Æ@Upavgete kai; zhthvsate, kai; eja;n eu{rhte ajpaggeivlatev moi, o{pw" kajgw; ejlqw;n proskunhvsw aujtw/'.Æ 3 Kai; ejxh'lqon oiJ mavgoi. Kai; ijdou; o}n ei\don ajstevra ejn th/' ajnatolh/' proh'gen aujtou;" e{w" eijsh'lqan ejn tw/' sphlaivw/ kai; e[sth ejpi; th;n kefalh;n101

95 anomia . . . apistia B C F H Syr a b Georg: amartia . . . apistia Arm a b Eth: anomia amartia A D E (G): anomia I: apistia L R

96 puri Z A E F I: en puri C: puri kaiomenh B D Syr a b Arm a b Georg: w" dalo" puro" kaietai kai G H: om. L M N R

97 alla apodo" me toi" penhsin A B (E) (H) Arm a b Georg: alla apodo" me toi" goneusi mou Syr a: alla apodo" moi ugih thn ceira mou C D G: alla poihson met! emou to eleo" sou L R: om. Syr b

98 epesth c-p: esth Z C G 99 proskunhsw autw Yvid: c-p: accedo (hoc enim erravi in corde meo) ut adorem puerum (F

G) Syr a (b): om. C Arm a b Eth

100 basileu" egennhqh mega" B H: mega" egennhqh basileu" I (L) R: basileu" mega" egennhqh C: outo" egennhqh basileu" Y Arm a (b) (Eth): basileu" outo" egennhqh A E: basileu" egennhqh outo" Syr a (b) Georg: basileu" outo" mega" egennhqh F G N

101 epi thn kefalhn Z c-p Syr a b Arm a b Georg: epi thn quran M: epanw A B N Eth: ekei F

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

The Proto-Gospel of James 65

faithlessness. For I have put the living God to the test, and see, my hand is

burning, falling away from me.” (2) She kneeled before the Master and said,

“O God of my fathers, remember that I am a descendant of Abraham, Isaac,

and Jacob. Do not make me an example to the sons of Israel, but deliver me

over to the poor. For you know, O Master, that I have performed my services

in your name and have received my wages from you.”

(3) And behold, an angel of the Lord appeared and said to her, “Salome,

Salome, the Master of all has heard your prayer. Bring your hand to the child

and lift him up; and you will find salvation and joy.” (4) Salome joyfully came

and lifted the child, saying, “I will worship him, for he has been born as a great

king to Israel.” Salome was immediately cured, and she went out of the cave

justified. And behold a voice came saying, “Salome, Salome, do not report all

the miraculous deeds you have seen until the child enters Jerusalem.”

The Visit of the Magi and the Slaughter of the Innocents

(1) And behold, Joseph was ready to go into Judea. But there was a great

disturbance in Bethlehem of Judea. For magi came saying, “Where is the king

of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and we have come to worship

him.”32 (2) When Herod heard, he was troubled; and he sent servants to the

magi. He then summoned the high priests and asked them in the praetorium,

“What does Scripture say about where the messiah is to be born?” They

replied, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for that is what is found in Scripture.” He

then released them and asked the magi, “What sign did you see concerning

the king who has been born?” The magi said, “We saw a magnificent star

shining among these stars and overshadowing them, so that the other stars

disappeared. And thus we knew that a king had been born in Israel, and we

came to worship him.” Herod replied, “Go and look for him. If you find him,

let me know, that I too may come to worship him.”

(3) The magi then left, and behold, the star they had seen in the east

preceded them until they entered the cave, and it stood over the entrance of

32. Cf. Matt. 2:1–12

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

66 Infancy Gospels

tou' sphlaivou.102 Kai; ijdovnte" aujto;n oiJ mavgoi103 meta; th'" mhtro;" aujtou' Mariva",104 ejxevbalon ajpo; th'" phvra" aujtw'n dw'ra, cruso;n kai; livbanon kai; smuvrnan.105 4 Kai; crhmatisqevnte" uJpo; tou' ajggevlou mh; eijselqei'n eij" th;n !Ioudaivan, dia; a[llh" oJdou' ajnecwvrhsan eij" th;n cwvran aujtw'n.

1 Tovte @Hrwvdh" ijdw;n o{ti ejnepaivcqh uJpo; tw'n mavgwn ojrgisqei;" e[pemyen aujtou' tou'" foneuta;" levgwn aujtoi'" ajnelei'n pavnta ta; brevfh ajpo; dietiva" kai; kavtw.106 2 Kai; ajkouvsasa hJ Mariva o{ti ta; brevfh ajnairei'tai, fobhqei'sa e[laben to;n pai'da kai; ejspargavnwsen aujto;n kai; e[balen ejn pavqnh/ bow'n. 3 @H de; !Elisavbed ajkouvsasa o{ti !Iwavnh" zhtei'tai, labomevnh aujto;n ajnevbh ejn th/' ojreinh/': kai; perieblevpeto pou' aujto;n ajpokruvyh/, kai; oujk e[ni tovpo" ajpovkrufo". Tovte stenavxasa !Elisavbed107 levgei: Æ#Oro" Qeou', devxai108 mhtevra meta; tevknou.Æ Ouj ga;r ejduvnato hJ @Elisavbed ajnabh'nai.109 Kai; paracrh'ma ejdicavsqh to; o[ro" kai; ejdevxato aujthvn. Kai; h\n to; o[ro" ejkei'no diafai'non aujth/' fw'":110 a[ggelo" ga;r Kurivou h\n met! aujtw'n diafulavsswn aujtouv".

1 @O de; @Hrwvdh" ejzhvtei to;n !Iwavnnhn, kai; ajpevsteilen uJphrevta"111 pro;" Zacarivan levgwn aujtw/: ÆPou' ajpevkruya" to;n uiJovn sou;Æ @O de; ajpekrivnato levgwn aujtoi'": Æ!Egw; leitourgo;" uJpavrcw Qeou' kai; prosedreuvw tw/' naw/' aujtou'. Tiv ginwvskw pou' ejstin oJ uiJov" mou;Æ 2 Kai; ajphvlqwsan oiJ uJphrevtai aujtou' kai; ajnhvggeilan tw/' @Hrwvdh/ pavnta tau'ta. Kai; ojrgisqei;" oJ @Hrwvdh"

102 tou sphlaiou B I M R: tou paidiou Z C D H Syr a b Arm a b Georg Eth: ou hn to paidion A E N: tou sphlaiou ou hn to paidion L: om. F

103 magoi c-p Syr a b Arm a Georg: add. estwta Z E Arm b 104 maria" rell: add. pesonte" prosekunhsan autw kai A C D (G H) Syr a b 105 smurnan rell: add. kai proshnegkan autw A B E I Arm b: add. kai prosekunhsan

autw F Arm a (Georg) 106 katw rell: add. tou" en bhqleem (Y?) B D F I R: add. tou" en bhqleem kai en pasi

toi" orioi" auth" N (Arm a) Eth: add. kata ton cronon tou fainomenou astero" on hkribwse para twn magwn G H (N Syr a b)

107 elisabed Z C E Syr a b d Arm a b: add. fwnh megalh (Y A) c-p Eth 108 dexai c-o Syr a b d Arm a b: add. me Z 109 anabhnai c-p Syr. a: add. dia thn deilian Z (Y?) Sah a: add. to oro" dia ton fobon D 110 kai hn to oro" ekeino diafainon auth fw" Z Y c-p: kai hn fw" mega en tw orei

ekeinw wste fainein autoi" A D Syr a b d Arm b: om. Arm a 111 uphreta" c-p Syr d Eth: add. en tw qusiasthriw Z H: add. ei" to qusiasthrion

kuriou C Arm a b: add. in templum Syr a b Sah a

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

The Proto-Gospel of James 67

the cave. The magi saw the child with its mother, Mary, and they took from

their packs gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (4) When they were warned

by a revelation from an angel not to enter Judea, they went home another way.

(1) When Herod realized that he had been duped by the magi, he grew angry

and sent his murderers, saying to them, “Kill every infant, two years and

under.”33

(2) When Mary heard that the infants were being killed, out of fear she took

her child and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and placed him in a cattle

manger.34 (3) But when Elizabeth heard that they were looking for John, she

took him and went up into the hill country looking for a place to hide him.

But there was no hiding place. Then Elizabeth moaned and said, “Mountain

of God, receive a mother with her child.” For Elizabeth was not able to climb

the mountain. And straight away the mountain split open and received her.

And the mountain was shining a light on her, for an angel of the Lord was

with them, protecting them.

The Death of Zacharias

(1) Herod was looking for John, and he sent servants to Zacharias, saying,

“Where have you hidden your son?” He answered them, “I am a minister of

God, constantly attending his Temple. How could I know where my son is?”

(2) The servants left and reported everything to Herod. Herod became angry

33. Cf. Matt. 2:16–18.

34. Cf. Luke 2:7.

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

68 Infancy Gospels

ei\pen: Æ@O uiJo;" aujtou' mevllei basileuvein tou' !Israhvl;Æ Kai; e[pemyen pavlin tou;" uJphrevta" levgwn aujtw/': ÆEi\povn moi ta; ajlhqh': pou' ejstin oJ uiJov" sou; Oi\da" ga;r o{ti to; ai|mav sou uJpo; th;n cei'ravn mouv ejstin;Æ Kai; ajphvlqosan oiJ uJphrevtai kai; ajnhvggeilan aujtw/' tau'ta. 3 Kai; ei\pen Zacariva": ÆMavrtu" eijmi; tou' Qeou',112 eij ejkcevei"113 mou to; ai|ma. To; ga;r pneu'mav mou oJ Despovth" devxetai, o{ti ajqw/'on ai|ma ejkcuvnei" eij" ta; provqura tou' naou' Kurivou.Æ Kai; peri; to; diavfauma ejfoneuvqh Zacariva", kai; oujk h/[deisan oiJ uiJoi; !Israh;l o{ti114 ejfoneuvqh.115

1 !Alla; th;n w{ran tou' ajspasmou' ajphvlqasin oiJ iJerei'", kai; oujk hjphvnthsen aujtoi'" kata; to; e[qo" hJ eujlogiva tou' Zacarivou. Kai; e[sthsan oiJ iJerei'" prosdokw'nte" to;n Zacarivan tou' ajspavsasqai aujto;n ejn eujch/'; kai; doxavsai to;n $Uyiston Qeovn. 2 Cronivsanto" de; aujtou' ejfobhvqhsan pavnte". Tolmhvsa" dev ti" ejx aujtw'n eijsh'lqen eij" to; aJgivasma kai; ei\den para; to; qusiasthvrion Kurivou ai|ma pephgo;" kai; fwnh;n levgousan: ÆZacariva" ejfovneutai, kai; oujk ejxaleifqhvsetai to; ai|ma aujtou' e{w" e[lqh/ oJ e[kdiko".Æ Kai; ajkouvsa" to;n lovgon tou'ton ejfobhvqh kai; ejxh'lqen kai; ajnhvggeilen toi'" iJereu'sin a} ei\den kai; h[kousen.116 3 Kai; tolmhvsante" eijsh'lqan kai; ei\dan to; gegonov". Kai; ta; paqnwvmata tou' naou' wjlovluxan, kai; aujtoi; periescivsanto ejpavnwqen e{w" kavtw. Kai; to; ptw'ma aujtou' oujc eu{rwsan, ajll! eu|ron to; ai|ma117 aujtou' livqon118 gegenhmevnon. Kai; fobhqevnte" ejxh'lqan kai; ajnhvggeilan panti; tw/' law/'119 o{ti Zacariva" pefovneutai. Kai; h[kousan pa'sai aiJ fulai; tou' laou' kai; ejpevnqhsan aujto;n kai; ejkovyanto trei'" hJmevra" kai; trei'" nuvkta". 4 Meta; de; ta;" trei'" hJmevra" ejbouleuvsanto oiJ iJerei'" tivna ajnasthvsousin eij" to;n tovpon tou' Zacarivou. Kai; ajnevbh oJ klh'ro" ejpi; Sumewvn: ou|to" ga;r h\n oJ crhmatisqei;" uJpo; tou' aJgivou Pneuvmato" mh; ijdei'n qavnaton e{w" a]n to;n Cristo;n ejn sarki; i[dh/.

112 martu" eimi tou qeou Z c-p Arm b (Sah a): martu" o qeo" oti ou ginwskw pou estin o uio" mou (B I Eth): deus testis est quod effudisti sanguinem meum intra limina templi domini (om. the following sentence) Syr a b d

113 ei ekceei" A (C) D E R: kai ean ekcehte Arm (a) b Eth: ekceou H: oti ekceei L M: su men oun ekceei" B (I): ekcee N: ece Z Sah a (for Syr a b d see preceding note)

114 oti A E: pw" Z C F H Syr a b Arm b Sah b 115 kai ouk hdeisan oi uioi Israhl pw" efoneuqh Z A C E F H Syr (a) b d Arm b Eth:

om. B D L R Arm a

116 hkousen rell: add. hnewxen de ta" pula" tou naou tou kuriou G H Eth 117 aima c-p Syr a d Eth: ptwma Z: swma A 118 liqon Z c-p: w" liqon B (C) L R Syr a d Arm a 119 panti tw law B (D) H L R: add. tw law C E: om. Z A F Q Syr a d

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

The Proto-Gospel of James 69

and said, “His son is about to rule Israel.” He sent his servants back to him

to say, “Tell me the truth: where is your son? For you know that I can shed

your blood with my hand.” The servants went to report these things to him.

(3) Zacharias responded, “I am God’s witness if you shed my blood. For the

Master will receive my spirit, since you will be shedding innocent blood in the

forecourt of the Lord’s Temple.”35 Zacharias was murdered around dawn, but

the sons of Israel did not know that he was murdered.

(1) But the priests came out at the time of greeting, and Zacharias did not

come out to meet them with his blessing, as was the custom. The priests stood,

waiting to greet Zacharias with a prayer and to glorify the Most High God.

(2) When he did not come, everyone grew afraid. One of them took courage,

entered the sanctuary, and saw blood congealed beside the altar of the Lord.

He then heard a voice, “Zacharias has been murdered, and his blood will not

be wiped away until the avenger comes.” When he heard this word he was

afraid and went outside to report to the priests what he had seen and heard.

(3) Taking courage they entered and saw what had happened. The paneling

around the Temple cried out and they ripped their clothes from top to bottom.

They did not find his corpse, but they found his blood turned to stone. They

left in fear, and reported to all the people that Zacharias had been murdered.

All the tribes of the people heard and grieved for him, mourning for three

days and nights. (4) After three days the priests deliberated whom to appoint

in Zacharias’s place, and the lot fell to Simeon. For this is the one who learned

from a revelation of the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he

should see the Christ in the flesh.36

35. Cf. Matt. 23:35.

36. Cf. Luke 2:26.

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

70 Infancy Gospels

1 !Egw; de; !Iavkwbo" oJ gravya" th;n iJstorivan tauvthn ejn @Ierosoluvmoi", qoruvbou genamevnou o{te ejteleuvthsen @Hrwvdh",120 sunevstellon eJmauto;n ejn th/' ejrhvmw/ e{w" pauvshtai oJ qovrubo" !Ierousalhvm, doxavzwn to;n Despovthn Qeo;n121 to;n dovnta moi th;n sofivan tou' gravyai th;n iJstorivan tauvthn. Kai; e[stai hJ cavri" meta; pavntwn tw'n foboumevnwn to;n Kuvrion. !Amhvn.122

120 hrwdh" rell: add. pikrw qanatw G H Syr a b 121 despothn qeon C F H N: despothn criston D G Arm b: qeon D L O P R Syr b:

despothn Z A E M Syr a Sah b 122 amhn rell: add. genesi" maria" apokaluyi" iakwb eirhnh tw grayanti kai tw

anaginwskonti Z

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

The Proto-Gospel of James 71

Epilogue

(1) But I James, the one who has written this account in Jerusalem, hid myself

away in the wilderness when there was a disturbance at the death of Herod,

until the disturbance in Jerusalem came to an end. There I glorified God, the

Master, who gave me the wisdom to write this account.

(2) Grace be with all those who fear the Lord. Amen.

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .

This page intentionally left blank

C o p yr

ig h t ©

2 0 1 1 . O

xf o rd

U n iv

e rs

ity P

re ss

, In

co rp

o ra

te d . A

ll ri g

h ts

r e se

rv e d .