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I
1 In the histories
of the twelve tribes of Israel it is written that there was one Ioacim, exceeding
rich: and he offered his gifts twofold, saying: That which is of my superfluity
shall be for the whole people, and that which is for my forgiveness shall
be for tile Lord, for a propitiation unto me.
2 Now the great day of the Lord drew nigh and the children of Israel offered
their gifts. And Reuben stood over against him saying: It is not lawful for
thee to offer thy gifts first,-forasmuch as thou hast gotten no seed in Israel.
3 And Ioacim was sore grieved, and went unto the record of the twelve tribes
of the people, saying: I will look upon the record of the twelve tribes of
Israel, whether I only have not gotten seed in Israel. And he searched, and
found concerning all the righteous that they had raised up seed in Israel.
And he remembered the patriarch Abraham, how in the last days God gave him
a son, even Isaac.
4 And Ioacim was sore grieved, and showed not himself to his wife, but betook
himself into the wilderness, and pitched his tent there, and fasted forty
days and forty nights, saying within himself: I will not go down either for
meat or for drink until the Lord my God visit me, and my prayer shall be
unto me meat and drink.
II
1 Now his wife
Anna lamented with two lamentations, and bewailed herself with two bewailings,
saying: I will bewail my widowhood, and I will bewail my childlessness.
2 And the great day of the Lord drew nigh, and Judith her handmaid said unto
her: How long humblest thou thy soul? The great day of the Lord hath come,
and it is not lawful for thee to mourn: but take this headband, which the
mistress of my work gave me, and it is not lawful for me to put it on, forasmuch
as I am an handmaid, and it hath a mark of royalty. And Anna said: Get thee
from me. Lo! I have not done such things and the Lord hath greatly
humbled me: peradventure one gave it to thee in subtilty, and thou art come
to make me partaker in thy sin. And Judith said: How shall I curse thee,
seeing the Lord hath shut up thy womb, to give thee no fruit in Israel?
3 And Anna was sore grieved and mourned with a great mourning because she
was reproached by all the tribes of Israel. And coming to herself she said:
What shall I do? I will pray with weeping unto the Lord my God that he visit
me. And she put off her mourning garments and adorned her head and put on
her bridal garments: and about the ninth hour she went down into the garden
to walk there. And she saw a laurel-tree and sat down underneath it and besought
the Lord saying: O God of our fathers, bless me, and hearken unto my prayer,
as thou didst bless the womb of Sarah, and gavest her a son, even Isaac.
III
1 And looking up
to the heaven she espied a nest of sparrows in the laurel-tree, and made
a lamentation within herself, saying: Woe unto me, who begat me? And what
womb brought me forth for I am become a curse before the children of Israel,
and I am reproached, and they have mocked me forth out of the temple of the
Lord?
2 Woe unto me, unto what am I likened? I am not likened unto the fowls of
the heaven, for even the fowls of the heaven are fruitful before thee, O
Lord. Woe unto me, unto what am I likened? I am not likened unto the beasts
of the earth, for even the beasts of the earth are fruitful before thee,
O Lord. Woe unto me, unto what am I likened? I am not likened unto these
waters, for even these waters are fruitful before thee, O Lord.
3 Woe unto me, unto what am I likened ? I am not likened unto this earth,
for even this earth bringeth forth her fruits in due season and blesseth
thee, O Lord.
IV
1 And behold an
angel of the Lord appeared, saying unto her: Anna, Anna, the Lord hath hearkened
unto thy prayer, and thou shalt conceive and bear, and thy seed shall be
spoken of in the whole world. And Anna said: As the Lord my God liveth, if
I bring forth either male or female, I will bring it for a gift unto the
Lord my God, and it shall be ministering unto him all the days of its life.
2 And behold there came two messengers saying unto her: Behold Ioacim thy
husband cometh with his flocks: for an angel of the Lord came down unto him
saying: Ioacim, Ioacim, the Lord God hath hearkened unto thy prayer. Get
thee down hence, for behold thy wife Anna hath conceived.
3 And Ioacim sat him down and called his herdsmen saying: Bring me hither
ten lambs without blemish and without spot, and they shall be for the Lord
my God; and bring me twelve tender calves, and they shall be for the priests
and for the assembly of the elders; and an hundred kids for the whole people.
4 And behold Ioacim came with his flocks, and Anna stood at the gate and
saw Ioacim coming, and ran and hung upon his neck, saying: Now know I that
the Lord God hath greatly blessed me: for behold the widow is no more a widow,
and she that was childless shall conceive. And Ioacim rested the first day
in his house.
V
1 And on the morrow
he offered his gifts, saying in himself: If the Lord God be reconciled unto
me, the plate that is upon the forehead of the priest will make it manifest
unto me. And Ioacim offered his gifts and looked earnestly upon the plate
of the priest when he went up unto the altar of tile Lord, and he saw no
sin in himself. And Ioacim said: Now know I that the Lord is become propitious
unto me and hath forgiven all my sins. And he went down from the temple of
the Lord justified, and went unto his house.
2 And her months were fulfilled, and in the ninth month Anna brought forth.
And she said unto the midwife: what have I brought forth? And she said: A
female. And Anna said: My soul is magnified this day, and she laid herself
down. And when the days were fulfilled, Anna purified herself and gave suck
to the child and called her name Mary.
VI
1 And day by day
the child waxed strong, and when she was six months old her mother stood
her upon the ground to try if she would stand; and she walked seven steps
and returned unto her bosom. And she caught her up, saying: As the Lord my
God liveth, thou shalt walk no more upon this ground, until I bring thee
into the temple of the Lord. And she made a sanctuary in her bed chamber
and suffered nothing common or unclean to pass through it. And she called
for the daughters of the Hebrews that were undefiled, and they carried her
hither and thither.
2 And the first year of the child was fulfilled, and Ioacim made a great
feast and bade the priests and the scribes and the assembly of the elders
and the whole people of Israel. And Ioacim brought the child to the priests,
and they blessed her, saying: O God of our fathers, bless this child and
give her a name renowned for ever among all generations. And all the people
said: So be it, so be it. Amen. And he brought her to the high priests, and
they blessed her, saying: O God of the high places, look upon this child,
and bless her with the last blessing which hath no successor.
3 And her mother caught her up into the sanctuary of her bed chamber and
gave her suck.
And Anna made a song unto the Lord God, saying:
I will sing an hymn unto the Lord my God, because he hath visited me and
taken away from me the reproach of mine enemies, and the Lord hath given
me a fruit of his righteousness, single and manifold before him. Who shall
declare unto the sons of Reuben that Anna giveth suck? Hearken, hearken,
ye twelve tribes of Israel, that Anna giveth suck. And she laid the child
to rest in the bed chamber of her sanctuary, and went forth and ministered
unto them. And when the feast was ended, they gat them down rejoicing, and
glorifying the God of Israel.
VII
1 And unto the
child her months were added: and the child became two years old. And Ioacim
said: Let us bring her up to the temple of the Lord that we may pay the promise
which we promised; lest the Lord require it of us, and our gift become
unacceptable. And Anna said: Let us wait until the third year, that the child
may not long after her father or mother. And Ioacim said: Let us wait.
2 And the child became three years old, and Ioacim said: Call for the daughters
of the Hebrews that are undefiled, and let them take every one a lamp, and
let them be burning, that the child turn not backward and her heart be taken
captive away from the temple of the Lord. And they did so until they were
gone up into the temple of the Lord.
And the priest received her and kissed her and blessed her and said: The
Lord hath magnified thy name among all generations: in thee in the latter
days shall the Lord make manifest his redemption unto the children of Israel.
And he made her to sit upon the third step of the altar. And the Lord put
grace upon her and she danced with her feet and all tile house of Israel
loved her.
VIII
1 And her parents
gat them down marveling, and praising the Lord God because tile child was
not turned away backward.
And Mary was in the temple of the Lord as a dove that is nurtured: and she
received food from the hand of an angel.
2 And when she was twelve years old, there was a council of the priests,
saying: Behold Mary is become twelve years old in the temple of the Lord.
What then shall we do with her ? lest she pollute the sanctuary of the Lord.
And they said unto the high priest: Thou standest over the altar of the Lord.
Enter in and pray concerning her: And whatsoever the Lord shall reveal to
thee, that let us do.
3 And the high priest took the vestment with the twelve bells and went in
unto the Holy of Holies and prayed concerning her. And lo, an angel of tile
Lord appeared saying unto him: Zacharias, Zacharias~ go forth and assemble
them that are widowers of the people, and let them bring every man a rod,
and to whomsoever the Lord shall show a sign, his wife shall she be. And
the heralds went forth over all the country round about Judaea, and the trumpet
of the Lord sounded, and all men ran thereto.
IX
1 And Joseph cast
down his axe and ran to meet them, and when they were gathered together they
went to the high priest and took their rods with them. And he took the rods
of them all and went into the temple and prayed. And when he had finished
the prayer he took the rods and went forth and gave them back to them: and
there was no sign upon them. But Joseph received the last rod: and lo, a
dove came forth of the rod and flew upon the bead of Joseph. And the priest
said unto Joseph: Unto thee hath it fallen to take the virgin of the Lord
and keep her for thyself.
2 And Joseph refused, saying: I have sons, and I am an old man, but she is
a girl: lest I became a laughing-stock to the children of Israel. And the
priest said unto Joseph: Year the Lord thy God, and remember what things
God did unto Dathan and Abiram and Korah, how the earth clave and they were
swallowed up because of their gainsaying. And now fear thou, Joseph, lest
it be so in thine house. And Joseph was afraid, and took her to keep her
for himself. And Joseph said unto Mary: Lo, I have received thee out of the
temple of the Lord: and now do I leave thee in my house, and I go away to
build my buildings and I will come again unto thee. The Lord shall watch
over thee.
X
1 Now there was
a council of the priests, and they said: Let us make a veil for the temple
of the Lord. And the priest said: Call unto me pure virgins of the tribe
of David. And the officers departed and sought and found seven virgins. And
the priests called to mind the child Mary, that she was of the tribe of avid
and was undefiled before God: and the officers went and fetched her. And
they brought them into the temple of the Lord, and the priest said: Cast
me lots, which of you shah weave the gold and the undefiled (the white) and
tile fine linen and the silk and the hyacinthine, and the scarlet and the
true purple. And the lot of the true purple and the scarlet fell unto Mary,
and she took them and went unto her house.
And at that season Zacharias became dumb, and Samuel was in his stead until
the time when Zacharias spake again. But Mary took the scarlet and began
to spin it.
XI
1 And she took
the pitcher and went forth to fill it with water: and lo a voice saying:
Hail, thou that art highly favoured; the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou
among women.
And she looked about her upon the right hand and upon the left, to see whence
this voice should be: and being filled with trembling she~ went to her house
and set down the pitcher, and took the purple and sat down upon her seat
and drew out the thread.
2 And behold an angel of the Lord stood before her saying: Fear not, Mary,
for thou hast found grace before the Lord of all things, and thou shalt conceive
of his word. And she, when she heard it, questioned in herself, saying: Shall
I verily conceive of the living God, and bring forth after the manner of
all women? And the angel of the Lord said: Not so, Mary, for a power of the
Lord shall overshadow thee: wherefore also that holy thing which shall be
born of thee shall be called the Son of the Highest. And thou shalt call
his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. And Mary said:
Behold the handmaid of the Lord is before him: be it unto me according to
thy word.
XII
1 And she made
the purple and the scarlet and brought them unto the priest. And the priest
blessed her and said: Mary, the Lord God hath magnified thy name, and thou
shalt be blessed among all generations of the earth.
2 And Mary rejoiced and went away unto Elizabeth her kinswoman: and she knocked
at the door. And Elizabeth when she heard it cast down the scarlet and ran
to the door and opened it, and when she saw Mary she blessed her and said:
Whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come unto me? for
behold that which is in me leaped and blessed thee. And Mary forgot the mysteries
which Gabriel the archangel had told her, and she looked up unto the heaven
and said: Who am I, Lord, that all the generations of the earth do bless
me?
3 And she abode three months with Elizabeth, and day by day her womb grew:
and Mary was afraid and departed unto her house and hid herself from the
children of Israel. Now she was sixteen years old when these mysteries came
to pass.
XIII
1 Now it was the
sixth month with her, and behold Joseph came from his building, and he entered
into his house and found her great with child. And he smote his face, and
cast himself down upon the ground on sackcloth and wept bitterly, saying:
With what countenance shall I look unto the Lord my God? and what prayer
shall I make concerning this maiden? for I received her out of the temple
of the Lord my God a virgin, and have not kept her safe. Who is he that hath
ensnared me? Who hath done this evil in mine house and hath defiled the virgin?
Is not the story of Adam repeated in me ? for as at the hour of his giving
thanks the serpent came and found Eve alone and deceived her, so hath it
befallen me also.
2 And Joseph arose from off the sackcloth and called Mary and said unto her
O thou that wast cared for by God, why hast thou done this? thou hast forgotten
the Lord thy God. Why hast thou humbled thy soul, thou that wast nourished
up in the Holy of Holies and didst receive food at the hand of an angel?
3 But she wept bitterly, saying: I am pure and I know not a man. And Joseph
said unto her: Whence then is that which is in thy womb ? and she said: As
the Lord my God liveth, I know not whence it is come unto me.
XIV
I And Joseph was
sore afraid and ceased from speaking unto her (or left her alone), and pondered
what he should do with her. And Joseph said: If I hide her sin, I shall be
found fighting against the law of the Lord: and if I manifest her unto the
children of Israel, I fear lest that which is in her be the seed of an angel,
and I shall be found delivering up innocent blood to the judgement of death.
What then shall I do ? I will let her go from me privily. And the night came
upon him.
2 And behold an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying: Fear
not this child, for that which is in her is of the Holy Ghost, and she shall
bear a son and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people
from their sins. And Joseph arose from sleep and glorified the God of Israel
which had shown this favour unto her: and he watched over her.
XV
I Now Annas the
scribe came unto him and said to him: Wherefore didst thou not appear in
our assembly? and Joseph said unto him: I was weary with the journey, and
I rested the first day. And Annas turned him about and saw Mary great with
child.
2 And he went hastily to the priest and said unto him: Joseph, to whom thou
bearest witness [that he is righteous] hath sinned grievously. And the priest
said: Wherein ? And he said: The virgin whom he received out of the temple
of the Lord, he hath defiled her, and married her by stealth (lit. stolen
her marriage), and hath not declared it to the children of Israel. And the
priest answered and said: Hath Joseph done this? And Annas the scribe said:
Send officers, and thou shalt find the virgin great with child. And the officers
went and found as he had said, and they brought her together with Joseph
unto the place of judgement.
3 And the priest said: Mary, wherefore hast thou done this, and wherefore
hast thou humbled thy soul and forgotten the Lord thy God, thou that wast
nurtured in the Holy of Holies and didst receive food at the hand of an angel
and didst hear the hymns and didst dance before the Lord, wherefore hast
thou done this?
But she wept bitterly, saying: As the Lord my God liveth I am pure before
him and I know not a man.
4 And the priest said unto Joseph: Wherefore hast thou done this? And Joseph
said: As the Lord my God liveth I am pure as concerning her. And the priest
said: Bear no false witness but speak the truth: thou hast married her by
stealth and hast not declared it unto the children of Israel, and hast not
bowed thine head under the mighty hand that thy seed should be blessed. And
Joseph held his peace.
XVI
1 And the priest
said: Restore the virgin whom thou didst receive out of the temple of the
Lord. And Joseph was full of weeping. And the priest said: I will give you
to drink of the water of the conviction of the Lord, and it will make manifest
your sins before your eyes.
2 And the priest took thereof and made Joseph drink and sent him into the
hill-country. And he returned whole. He made Mary also drink and sent her
into the hill-country. And she returned whole. And all the people marvelled,
because sin appeared not in them.
3 And the priest said: If the Lord God hath not made your sin manifest, neither
do I condemn you. And he let them go. And Joseph took Mary and departed unto
his house rejoicing, and glorifying the God of Israel.
XVII
1 Now there went
out a decree from Augustus the king that all that were in Bethlehem of Judaea
should be recorded. And Joseph said: I will record my sons: but this child,
what shall I do with her? how shall I record her? as my wife? nay, I am ashamed.
Or as my daughter? but all the children of Israel know that she is not my
daughter. This day of the Lord shall do as the Lord willeth.
2 And he saddled the she-ass, and set her upon it, and his son led it and
Joseph followed after. And they drew near (unto Bethlehem) within three miles:
and Joseph turned himself about and saw her of a sad countenance and said
within himself: Peradventure that which is within her paineth her. And again
Joseph turned himself about and saw her laughing, and said unto her: Mary,
what aileth thee that I see thy face at one time laughing and at another
time sad? And Mary said unto Joseph: It is because I behold two peoples with
mine eyes, the one weeping and lamenting and the other rejoicing and exulting.
3 And they came to the midst of the way, and Mary said unto him: Take me
down from the ass, for that which is within me presseth me, to come forth.
And he took her down from the ass and said unto her: Whither shall I take
thee to hide thy shame? for the place is desert.
XVIII
I And he found
a cave there and brought her into it, and set his sons by her: and he went
forth and sought for a midwife of the Hebrews in the country of Bethlehem.
2 Now I Joseph was walking, and I walked not. And I looked up to the air
and saw the air in amazement. And I looked up unto the pole of the heaven
and saw it standing still, and the fowls of the heaven without motion. And
I looked upon the earth and saw a dish set, and workmen lying by it, and
their hands were in the dish: and they that were chewing chewed not, and
they that were lifting the food lifted it not, and they that put it to their
mouth put it not thereto, but the faces of all of them were looking upward.
And behold there were sheep being driven, and they went not forward but stood
still; and the shepherd lifted his hand to smite them with his staff, and
his hand remained up. And I looked upon the stream of the river and saw the
mouths of the kids upon the water and they drank not. And of a sudden all
things moved onward in their course.
XIX
I And behold a
woman coming down from the hillcountry, and she said to me: Man, whither
goest thou? And I said: I seek a midwife of the Hebrews. And she answered
and said unto me: Art thou of Israel? And I said unto her: Yea. And she said:
And who is she that bringeth forth in the cave? And I said: She that is betrothed
unto me. And she said to me: Is she not thy wife? And I said to her: It is
Mary that was nurtured up in the temple of the Lord: and I received her to
wife by lot: and she is not my wife, but she hath conception by the Holy
Ghost. And the midwife said unto him: Is this the truth? And Joseph said
unto her: Come hither and see. And the midwife went with him.
2 And they stood in the place of the cave: and behold a bright cloud
overshadowing the cave. And the midwife said: My soul is magnified this day,
because mine eyes have seen marvellous things: for salvation is born unto
Israel. And immediately the cloud withdrew itself out of the cave, and a
great light appeared in the cave so that our eyes could not endure it. And
by little and little that light withdrew itself until the young child appeared:
and it went and took the breast of its mother Mary. And the midwife cried
aloud and said: Great unto me to-day is this day, in that I have seen this
new sight.
3 And the midwife went forth of the cave and Salome met her. And she said
to her: Salome, Salome, a new sight have I to tell thee. A virgin hath brought
forth, which her nature alloweth not. And Salome said: As the Lord my God
liveth, if I make not trial and prove her nature I will not believe that
a virgin hath brought forth.
XX
1 And the midwife
went in and said unto Mary: Order thyself, for there is no small contention
arisen concerning thee. Arid Salome made trial and cried out and said: Woe
unto mine iniquity and mine unbelief, because I have tempted the living God,
and lo, my hand falleth away from me in fire. And she bowed her knees unto
the Lord, saying: O God of my fathers, remember that I am the seed of Abraham
and Isaac and Jacob: make me not a public example unto the children of Israel,
but restore me unto the poor, for thou knowest, Lord, that in thy name did
I perform my cures, and did receive my hire of thee.
3 And lo, an angel of the Lord appeared, saying unto her: Salome, Salome,
the Lord hath hearkened to thee: bring thine hand near unto the young child
and take him up, and there shall be unto thee salvation and joy.
4 And Salome came near and took him up, saying: I will do him worship, for
a great king is born unto Israel. And behold immediately Salome was healed:
and she went forth of the cave justified. And Io, a voice saying: Salome,
Salome, tell none of the marvels which thou hast seen, until the child enter
into Jerusalem.
XXI
1 And behold, Joseph
made him ready to go forth into Judaea. And there came a great tumult in
Bethlehem of Judaea; for there came wise men, saying: Where is he that is
born king of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east and arc come
to worship him.
2 And when Herod heard it he was troubled and sent officers unto the wise
men. And he sent for the high priests and examined them, saying: How is it
written concerning the Christ, where he is born? They say unto him: In Bethlehem
of Judaea: for so it is written. And he let them go. And he examined the
wise men, saying unto them: What sign saw ye concerning the king that is
born? And the wise men said: We saw a very great star shining among those
stars and dimming them so that the stars appeared not: and thereby knew we
that a king was born unto Israel, and we came to worship him. And Herod said:
Go and seek for him, and if ye find him, tell me, that I also may come and
worship him.
3 And the wise men went forth. And lo, the star which they saw in the east
went before them until they entered into the cave: and it stood over the
head of the cave. And the wise men saw the young child with Mary, his mother:
and they brought out of their scrip gifts, gold-and frankincense and myrrh.
4 And being warned by the angel that they should not enter into Judaea, they
went into their own country by another way.
XXII
1 But when Herod
perceived that he was mocked by the wise men, he was wroth, and sent murderers,
saying unto them: Slay the children from two years old and under.
2 And when Mary heard that the children were being slain, she was afraid,
and took the young child and wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid him in
an ox-manger.
3 But Elizabeth when she heard that they sought for John, took him and went
up into the hill-country and looked about her where she should hide him:
and there was no hiding-place. And Elizabeth groaned and said with a loud
voice: O mountain of God, receive thou a mother with a child. For Elizabeth
was not able to go up. And immediately the mountain clave asunder and took
her in. And there was a light shining alway for them: for an angel of the
Lord was with them, keeping watch over them.
XXIII
I Now Herod sought
for John, and sent officers to Zacharias, saying: Where hast thou hidden
thy son? And he answered and said unto them: I am a minister of God and attend
continually upon the temple of the Lord: I know not where my son is.
2 And the officers departed and told Herod all these things. And Herod was
wroth and said: His son is to be king over Israel. And he sent unto him again,
saying: Say the truth: where is thy son? for thou knowest that thy blood
is under my hand. And the officers departed and told him all these things.
3 And Zacharias said: I am a martyr of God if thou sheddest my blood: for
my spirit the Lord shah receive, because thou sheddest innocent blood in
the fore-court of the temple of the Lord. And about the dawning of the day
Zacharias was slain. And the children of Israel knew not that he was slain.
XXIV
1 But the priests
entered in at the hour of the salutation, and the blessing of Zacharias met
them not according to the manner. And the priests stood waiting for Zacharias,
to salute him with the prayer, and to glorify the Most High.
2 But as he delayed to come, they were all afraid: and one of them took courage
and entered in: and he saw beside the altar congealed blood: and a voice
saying: Zacharias hath been slain, and his blood shall not be wiped out until
his avenger come. And when he heard that word he was afraid, and went forth
and told the priests.
3 And they took courage and went in and saw that which was done: and the
panels of the temple did wail: and they rent their clothes from the top to
the bottom. And his body they found not, but his blood they found turned
into stone. And they feared, and went forth and told all the people that
Zacharias was slain. And all tile tribes of the people heard it, and they
mourned for him and lamented him three days and three nights. And after the
three days the priests took counsel whom they should set in his stead: and
the lot came up upon Symeon. Now he it was which was warned by the Holy Ghost
that he should not see death until he should see the Christ in the flesh.
XXV
1 Now I, James,
which wrote this history in Jerusalem, when there arose a tumult when Herod
died, withdrew myself into the wilderness until the tumult ceased in Jerusalem.
Glorifying the Lord God which gave me the gift, and the wisdom to write this
history.
2 And grace shall be with those that fear our Lord Jesus Christ: to whom
be glory for ever and ever. Amen. |
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