Protevangelium of James (complete)

The Birth of Mary, the holy Mother of God and glorious mother of Jesus Christ.

… [Joachim] was very rich, and he used to bring his gifts double, saying: "What comes from my abundance shall be for the whole people, and what is for my forgiveness shall be for the Lord, as an atonement for me." Now the great day of the Lord drew near, and the sons of Israel were bringing their gifts. And Reuben stood before him, saying: "It is not lawful for you to bring your gifts first, since you have raised up no offspring in Israel." And Joachim was greatly grieved, and went away to the record of the twelve tribes of the people, saying: "I will look in the record of the twelve tribes of Israel …" And he remembered the patriarch Abraham, that in his last days God gave him a son, Isaac. And Joachim was greatly grieved, and did not show himself to his wife, but gave himself to the wilderness, and pitched his tent there, and fasted forty days and forty nights, saying within himself: "I will not go down, either for food or for drink, until the Lord my God visits me; and my prayer shall be my food and drink."

But his wife Anna was mourning with two laments and beating her breast with two lamentations, saying: "I will lament my widowhood, and I will lament my childlessness." And the great day of the Lord drew near, and Judith her maidservant said to her: "How long will you humble your soul? See, the great day of the Lord has drawn near, and it is not lawful for you to mourn. But take this headband, which the mistress of the workshop gave me; it is not right for me to bind it on, since I am a servant, and it bears a royal mark." And Anna said: "Get away from me! I have not done these things, and the Lord has humbled me greatly. Perhaps some wicked person gave you this, and you have come to make me share in your sin." And Judith said: "Why should I curse you, since the Lord has shut up your womb so as not to give you fruit in Israel?" And Anna was greatly grieved, and she took off her mourning garments, and washed her head, and put on her bridal garments, and about the ninth hour she went down into the garden to walk. And she saw a laurel tree, and sat down under it, and prayed to the Master, saying: "O God of our fathers, bless me and hear my prayer, just as you blessed the womb of Sarah and gave her a son, Isaac." [3] And looking intently into the sky she saw a nest of sparrows in the laurel tree, and she made a lament within herself, saying: "Woe is me, who begot me? What womb brought me forth? For I was born a curse before the sons of Israel, and I have been reproached, and they have mocked me and driven me out of the temple of the Lord. Woe is me, what am I like? I am not like the birds of the sky, for even the birds of the sky are fruitful before you, O Lord. Woe is me, what am I like? I am not like the beasts of the earth, for even the beasts of the earth are fruitful before you, O Lord. Woe is me, what am I like? I am not like these waters, for even these waters are fruitful before you, O Lord. Woe is me, what am I like? I am not like this earth, for even this earth brings forth its fruits in its season and blesses you, O Lord."

And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by her, saying: "Anna, Anna, the Lord has heard your prayer, and you will conceive and bear, and your offspring will be spoken of in the whole inhabited world." And Anna said: "As the Lord my God lives, if I bear either male or female, I will bring it as a gift to the Lord my God, and it shall minister to him all the days of its life." And behold, two angels came, saying to her: "See, Joachim your husband is coming with his flocks." For an angel of the Lord had gone down to him, saying: "Joachim, Joachim, the Lord God has heard your prayer. Go down from here; for see, your wife Anna will conceive in her womb." And Joachim went down, and called his shepherds, saying: "Bring me here ten lambs without spot and without blemish, and they shall be for the Lord my God; and bring me twelve tender calves, and they shall be for the priests and the council of elders; and a hundred kids for the whole people." And behold, Joachim came with his flocks, and Anna stood at the gate and saw Joachim coming, and she ran and hung upon his neck, saying: "Now I know that the Lord God has blessed me greatly; for see, the widow is no longer a widow, and I, the childless, will conceive in my womb." And Joachim rested the first day in his house. [5] And on the next day he offered his gifts, saying within himself: "…" and he looked intently at the plate of the priest as he went up to the altar of the Lord, and he saw no sin in himself. And Joachim said: "Now I know that the Lord has been gracious to me and has forgiven all my sins." And he went down from the temple of the Lord justified, and went to his house. And her months were fulfilled, and in the ninth month Anna gave birth. And she said to the midwife: "What have I borne?" And she said: "A female." And Anna said: "My soul is magnified on this day." And she laid her down. And when the days were fulfilled, Anna purified herself, and gave the breast to the child, and called her name Mary.

Day by day the child grew strong. When she was six months old, her mother stood her on the ground to test whether she could stand. And she walked seven steps and came to her mother's lap. And her mother snatched her up, saying: "As the Lord my God lives, you shall not walk on this ground until I bring you into the temple of the Lord." And she made a sanctuary in her bedroom, and allowed nothing common or unclean to pass through it. And she called the undefiled daughters of the Hebrews, and they kept her amused. And when the child had her first birthday, Joachim made a great feast, and invited the priests and the scribes and the council of elders and the whole people of Israel. And Joachim brought the child to the priests, and they blessed her, saying: "O God of our fathers, bless this child and give her a name renowned forever in all generations." And all the people said: "So be it, so be it. Amen." And he brought her to the chief priests, and they blessed her, saying: "O God of the heights, look upon this child and bless her with a final blessing, which has no successor." And her mother snatched her up into the sanctuary of her bedroom and gave her the breast. And Anna made a song to the Lord God, saying: "I will sing a song to the Lord my God, for he has visited me and taken away from me the reproach of my enemies; and the Lord has given me a fruit of his righteousness, single in essence and manifold before him. Who will announce to the sons of Reuben that Anna is nursing a child? Hear, hear, you twelve tribes of Israel: Anna is nursing a child." And she laid her to rest in the bedroom of her sanctuary, and went out and served them. And when the dinner was finished they went down rejoicing and glorifying the God of Israel.

Month after month was added to the child. And when the child was two years old, Joachim said: "Let us take her up to the temple of the Lord, so that we may fulfil the promise we promised, lest the Master send to us and our gift be unacceptable." … so that the child may not long for father or mother." And Joachim said: "Let us wait." And the child became three years old, and Joachim said: "Call the undefiled daughters of the Hebrews, and let each take a lamp, and let them stand with the lamps burning, so that the child may not turn back and her heart be drawn away captive from the temple of the Lord." And they did so until they had gone up into the temple of the Lord. And the priest received her, and kissed her and blessed her and said: "The Lord has magnified your name among all generations; in you, at the end of the days, the Lord will make manifest his redemption to the sons of Israel." And he set her on the third step of the altar, and the Lord God cast grace upon her, and she danced with her feet, and the whole house of Israel loved her.

And her parents went down marvelling and praising the Master God, because the child had not turned back. And Mary was in the temple of the Lord like a dove being nurtured, and she received food from the hand of an angel. And when she was twelve years old, there was a council of the priests, who said: "See, Mary has become twelve years old in the temple of the Lord. What then shall we do with her, lest she defile the sanctuary of the Lord?" And they said to the high priest: "You stand at the altar of the Lord; go in and pray concerning her, and whatever the Lord reveals to you, that we will do." And the high priest went in, taking the robe with the twelve bells, into the Holy of Holies, and prayed concerning her. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by, saying to him: "Zacharias, Zacharias, go out and assemble the widowers of the people, and let them each bring a rod; and to whomever the Lord shows a sign, his wife she shall be." And the heralds went out through the whole surrounding region of Judea, and the trumpet of the Lord sounded, and all ran. [9] And Joseph, throwing down his adze, went out to meet them; and when they had gathered together they went away to the high priest, taking their rods. And he took the rods of all, went into the temple, and prayed. And having finished the prayer he took the rods and … to the sons of Israel." And the priest said to Joseph: "Fear the Lord your God, and remember what God did to Dathan and Abiram and Korah, how the earth was split open and they were swallowed up because of their rebellion. And now fear, Joseph, lest these things happen in your house." And Joseph, being afraid, took her into his keeping. And Joseph said to Mary: "See, I have received you from the temple of the Lord, and now I leave you in my house, and I am going away to build my buildings, and I will come back to you. The Lord will guard you." [10] And there was a council of the priests, who said: "Let us make a veil for the temple of the Lord." And the priest said: "Call to me … Cast lots for me, to see who will spin the gold and the undefiled and the fine linen and the silk and the blue and the scarlet and the true purple." And the true purple and the scarlet fell by lot to Mary, and taking them she went away to her house. And at that time Zacharias became silent, and Samuel took his place until Zacharias spoke. But Mary, taking the scarlet, spun it.

And she took the pitcher and went out to fill it with water; and behold, a voice saying: "Hail, favored one; the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women." And she looked around to the right and to the left, to see where this voice came from. And trembling she went into her house, and set down the pitcher, and taking the purple she sat down on her seat and drew out the thread. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before her, saying: "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor before the Master of all, and you will conceive from his Word." And when she heard, she was doubtful within herself, saying: "Shall I conceive from the Lord, the living God, and give birth as every woman gives birth?" And the angel of the Lord said: "Not so, Mary; for the power of the Lord will overshadow you; therefore also the holy one born of you shall be called Son of the Most High. And you shall call his name Jesus; for he will save his people from their sins." And Mary said: "See, the servant of the Lord is before him; let it be to me according to your word." [12] And she made the purple and the scarlet, and brought them to the priest. And the priest blessed her and said: "Mary, the Lord God has magnified your name, and you shall be blessed among all the generations of the earth." And Mary, filled with joy, went away to Elizabeth her kinswoman. And she knocked at the door. And when Elizabeth heard, she threw down the scarlet and ran to the door and opened it, and seeing Mary she blessed her and said: "Whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For see, the one in me leaped and blessed you." But Mary forgot the mysteries that Gabriel the archangel had spoken to her, and she gazed into heaven and said: "Who am I, Lord, that all the generations of the earth bless me?" And she spent three months with Elizabeth. And day by day her womb grew larger; and being afraid, Mary went away to her house and hid herself from the sons of Israel. She was sixteen years old when these mysteries took place.

Her sixth month came, and behold, Joseph came from his building work, and entering his house he found her with child. And he struck his face, and threw himself on the ground on sackcloth, and wept bitterly, saying: "With what face shall I look to the Lord my God? And what shall I pray concerning this girl? For I received her a virgin from the temple of the Lord my God, and I did not guard her. Who has hunted me down? Who has done this evil thing in my house and defiled the virgin? Has the story of Adam been repeated in me? For just as in the hour of his giving glory the serpent came and found Eve alone and deceived her, so it has happened to me also." And Joseph rose up from the sackcloth, and called Mary and said to her: "You who were cared for by God, why have you done this? Have you forgotten the Lord your God? Why have you humbled your soul, you who were brought up in the Holy of Holies and received food from the hand of an angel?" But she wept bitterly, saying: "I am pure, and I do not know a man." And Joseph said to her: "Where then does this in your womb come from?" And she said: "As the Lord my God lives, I do not know where it comes from." [14] And Joseph was greatly afraid, and left her in peace, and considered what he should do with her. And Joseph said: "If I hide her sin, I am found fighting against the law of the Lord; and if I make her known to the sons of Israel, I fear that what is in her may be from an angel, and I shall be found handing over innocent blood to the judgment of death. What then shall I do with her? I will put her away from me secretly." And night overtook him. And behold, an angel of the Lord appears to him in a dream, saying: "Do not be afraid of this girl; for what is in her is from the Holy Spirit; and she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus; for he will save his people from their sins." And Joseph rose up from sleep, and glorified the God of Israel who had given him this grace, … to the sons of Israel." And the priest answered and said: "Has Joseph done this?" And Annas the scribe said: "Send officers, and you will find the virgin with child." And the officers went away and found it as he had said, and they brought her together with Joseph to the court. And the priest said: "Mary, why have you done this? Why have you humbled your soul and forgotten the Lord your God? You who were brought up in the Holy of Holies and received food from the hand of an angel, and heard the hymns and danced before him, why have you done this?" But she wept bitterly, saying: "As the Lord my God lives, I am pure before him, and I do not know a man." And the priest said to Joseph: "Why have you done this?" And Joseph said: "As the Lord my God lives, I am pure in regard to her." And the priest said: "Do not bear false witness, but speak the truth: you have stolen your marriage with her and have not made it known to the sons of Israel, and you have not bowed your head under the mighty hand so that your offspring might be blessed." … And the people [marvelled] that sin was not revealed in them. And the priest said: "If the Lord God has not revealed your sins, neither do I judge you." And he released them. And Joseph took Mary … not my daughter. This day of the Lord will do as the Lord wills." And he saddled the donkey and set her on it, and his son led it, and Joseph followed. And they drew near to the third mile, and Joseph turned and saw her sad, and said within himself: "Perhaps what is in her is troubling her." And again Joseph turned and saw her laughing. And he said to her: "Mary, what is this with you, that I see your face now laughing and now sad?" And Mary said to Joseph: "It is because I see two peoples with my eyes, one weeping and mourning, and one rejoicing and exulting." And they came halfway along the road, and Mary said to him: "Take me down from the donkey, for what is in me presses me to come forth." And he took her down from the donkey, and said to her: "Where shall I take you and shelter your shame? For the place is desert." [18] And he found a cave there and brought her in, and set his sons beside her, and went out and sought a Hebrew midwife in the region of Bethlehem. … I looked up into the air, and saw the air in amazement; and I looked up at the vault of heaven, and saw it standing still, and the birds of heaven at rest; and I looked down on the earth, and saw a bowl lying there and workmen reclining, and their hands in the bowl; and those chewing did not chew, and those lifting food did not bring it up, and those bringing it to their mouths did not bring it, but the faces of all were looking upward. And behold, sheep were being driven, and they did not go forward but stood still; and the shepherd raised his hand to strike them with his staff, and his hand stayed up. And I looked at the torrent of the river, and saw the mouths of the kids laid upon it and not drinking; and all things in a moment were held back from their course.

And behold, a woman was coming down from the hill country, and she said to me: "Man, where are you going?" And I said: "I am looking for a Hebrew midwife." And she answered and said to me: "Are you from Israel?" And I said to her: "Yes." And she said: "And who is the one giving birth in the cave?" And I said: "The one betrothed to me." And she said to me: "Is she not your wife?" And I said to her: "She is Mary, who was brought up in the temple of the Lord, and I received her by lot as my wife; and she is not my wife, but she has conceived from the Holy Spirit." And the midwife said to him: "Is this true?" And Joseph said to her: "Come and see." And the midwife went with him. And they stood at the place of the cave, and behold, a bright cloud overshadowing the cave. And the midwife said: "My soul is magnified today, for my eyes have seen wonders: salvation has been born to Israel." And immediately the cloud withdrew from the cave, and a great light appeared in the cave, so that our eyes could not bear it. And little by little that light withdrew until the infant appeared, and it came and took the breast from its mother Mary. And the midwife cried out and said: "How great this day is for me today, for I have seen this new sight." And the midwife went out of the cave, and Salome met her. And she said to her: "Salome, Salome, I have a new sight to tell you: a virgin has given birth, which her nature does not allow." And Salome said: "As the Lord my God lives, unless I put in my finger and examine her nature, I will not believe that a virgin has given birth."

And the midwife went in and said to Mary: "Position yourself; for no small contest is set about you." And Salome put her finger into her nature, and cried out and said: "Woe for my lawlessness and my unbelief, for I have put the living God to the test; and see, my hand is falling away from me, burned with fire." And she bent her knees to the Master, saying: "O God of my fathers, remember me, that I am offspring of Abraham …" "Bring your hand to the child and lift him up, and it will be salvation and joy to you." And Salome came near and lifted him, saying: "I will worship him, for a great king has been born to Israel." And behold, at once Salome was healed, and she went out of the cave justified. And behold, a voice saying: "Salome, Salome, do not announce the wonders you have seen until the child comes into Jerusalem." [21] And behold, Joseph made ready to go out into Judea. And a great commotion arose in Bethlehem of Judea; for magi came, saying: "Where is the one born king of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and have come to worship him." And when Herod heard, he was troubled, and sent officers to the magi; and he summoned the chief priests and questioned them, saying: "How is it written concerning the Christ? Where is he born?" They say to him: "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written." And he released them. And he questioned the magi, saying to them: "What sign did you see concerning the king who has been born?" And the magi said: "We saw a star of very great size shining among these stars and dimming them, so that the stars did not appear; and so we knew that a king had been born to Israel, and we came to worship him." And Herod said: "Go and seek; and if you find him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship him." And the magi went out. And behold, the star which they had seen in the east went before them until they came to the cave, and it stood over the head of the cave. And the magi saw the child with his mother Mary, and they brought out gifts from their bag: gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned by the angel not to go into Judea, they went into their own country by another way.

And when Herod realized that he had been mocked by the magi, he was angry, and sent murderers, saying to them: "… the infants from two years old …" And Mary, hearing that the infants were being killed, was afraid, and she took the child and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in an ox manger. But Elizabeth, hearing that John was being sought, took him and went up into the hill country, and looked around for where she might hide him; and there was no hiding place. And Elizabeth groaned and said with a loud voice: "Mountain of God, receive a mother with her child." For Elizabeth was not able to go up. And immediately the mountain was split open and received her. And a light was shining through for them; for an angel of the Lord was with them, guarding them.

And Herod was seeking John, and he sent officers to Zacharias, saying: "Where have you hidden your son?" And he answered them, saying: "I am a minister of God and serve continually in the temple of the Lord; I do not know where my son is." And the officers went away and reported all these things to Herod. And Herod was angry and said: "His son is going to be king over Israel." And he sent to him again, saying: "Tell the truth: where is your son? For you know that your blood is under my hand." And the officers went away and reported these things to him. And Zacharias said: "I am a witness of God if you shed my blood; for the Master will receive my spirit, because you are shedding innocent blood at the forecourt of the temple of the Lord." And about daybreak Zacharias was murdered. And the sons of Israel did not know that he had been murdered.

But at the hour of the greeting the priests went away, and the blessing of Zacharias did not meet them as was the custom. And the priests stood waiting for Zacharias, to greet him with prayer and to glorify the Most High. But when he delayed, they were all afraid; and one of them took courage and went in, and he saw beside the altar congealed blood, and a voice saying: "Zacharias has been murdered, and his blood shall not be wiped away until his avenger comes." And when he heard the word he was afraid, and went out and reported it to the priests. And they took courage and went in and saw what had happened; and the panelled ceilings of the temple wailed, and they tore their garments from top to bottom. And they did not find his body, but they found his blood turned to stone. And being afraid they went out and reported to all the people that Zacharias had been murdered. And all the tribes of the people heard, and they mourned him and lamented for three days and three nights. And after the three days the priests took counsel whom they should appoint in his place, and the lot fell upon Simeon; for he was the one who had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he saw the Christ in the flesh. [25] And I, James, who wrote this history in Jerusalem, when a commotion arose at the death of Herod, withdrew into the wilderness until the commotion in Jerusalem ceased, glorifying the Master God who gave me the gift and the wisdom to write this history. And grace shall be with those who fear our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.