scholars place it later, in the second half of the century.
In its present form the Protevangelium narrates the child- lessness of Joachim and Anna, the shame and reproach that fell upon them on that account, and the birth of Mary in answer to their prayer (chs. 1-5). When Mary is three years old, slie is taken to the temple, where she lives until her twelfth year, being fed by the hand of an angel (chs. 7. 8). The priests then consult as to what they should do with her, und are instructed by an angel, in answer to prayer, to summon the widowers of tple, eacli with a rod in his hand, that God may give ? she should be (ch. 8). Joseph attends in unmions, and is marked out for the charge of ' the virgin of the Lord ' by a dove coming out of his rod and alighting on his head. Joseph would fain refuse, because he has children and is an old man ; but, being solemnly charged by the priest, he takes Mary to his house and immediately leaves home on business (ch. 9). Thereafter, the priests, desirous of having a veil made for the temple, summon ' the undeflled virgins of the family ot David,' and among them Mary, who is chosen by lot to spin the true pun>le and the scarlet. With these she returns home (ch. 10). While drawing water at the well, she hears a voice pronouncing her blessed. When she returns, trembling, to the house, an angel appears to her as she sits spinning, and announces that she will conceive by the power of the Lord (ch. 11). Then follows the narrative of the visit to Elisabeth, at the close of which it is stated that ' she was sixteen years old when these mysteries happened ' (ch. 12). Joseph now returns from his work of building, and, on seeing her state, reproaches her (ch. 13). An angel of the Lord appears to him and informs him of the mystery (ch. 14). Joseph is accused of defiling the virgin of the Lord ; and when both he and Mary proclaim their innocence, they are compelled to drink the water ' ' ■ ' ■ (chs^ 15. 16). When the impel ' '
ith Mary. On the way, near to Bethlehem, her days are ful- filled ; Joseph leads her into a cave, and, leaving his two sons with her, goes to seek a woman to attend her (ch. 17). [At this point the narrative changes suddenly from the third person to the first : * And I, Joseph, was walking, and was not walking'!. Joseph sees the whole of Nature standing still ; birds and sheep and men are motionless, a sudden arrest having been put upon their movements (ch. IS). A woman is found, who enters the cave, which is illumined by a dazzling light ; the light gradu- ally decreases, and the infant is seen, who takes the breast from his mother. Another woman, Salome, appears, and is incredu- lous when she is told of the virgin-birth ; she seeks a proof, and her hand burns as with fire, but is restored when she touches the infant (chs. 19. 20). [The unpersonal narrative is now resumed]. The visit of the Magi is next described in language very similar to that in Matthew (ch. 21). Herod, learning that he has been mocked by the Magi, orders the massacre of children under two years. Mary hides her child in an ox-stall (ch. 22). The rest of the narrative deals with John the Baptist and Zacharias. Zacharias, becai son IS concealed is murdered it lously disappears but his bkod is found turned (chs 22 24) The narrative ends with a thanks^iMng of James for ha\m„ ic eived the j,ift and wisdom to write the history
I neral agreement that the Proteiangchum as it
to us, is not in its original shape The group of
^ with /achaiias and John the Baptist are in no
I ) the author s purpose thc\ are indeed irrele
I t ibing An ancient apo( rvphal wilting of which
/i 1 Ills was the subject, is known to have existed, and it
seems highly probable that part of this was awkwardly ap
pended to the original Book of James This happened, there is
ithe I seph
That It did
fact that Origen who refers to
different account of the death of /
able difference of opinion as to w 1
the work of one author The al i
speaking in the hrst person (eh 1 i rT e\i
the Gospel, although that b\ no means implies that it was in troducecl into his histoiy by another Harnaok belicxes that the original Pook of Tames did not contain this narratn c 1 \ Joseph but If so it was a sin„ularl\ aimless piei e ofwritin„ stopping short of the consumnjation which gi\ts the wh 1(» early history of Mary Bif,niflcance and to which that history manifestly looks nameh her gM m^ birth to Jesus in \ irf,init\ We conclude that tho l/o njM m Icpphx (is Harna k calls
oneeption took 1 I durinp, loseph 9 ll in probable that telling ot Mar) s Ker residence there
6^2 GOSPELS (APOCUYPIlAL)
GOSPELS (APOCRYPHAL)
temple veil, because she was of the family of David. There is no reason, however, for supposinj; that these different traditions were combined by any one else than the author of the history.