The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew
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Text edited by Rev. Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson and
first published by T&T Clark in Edinburgh in 1867. Additional
introductionary material and notes provided for the American
edition by A. Cleveland Coxe, 1886.
Here beginneth the book of the Birth of the Blessed Mary and the
Infancy of the Saviour. Written in Hebrew by the Blessed Evangelist
Matthew, and translated into Latin by the Blessed Presbyter Jerome.
To their well-beloved brother Jerome the Presbyter, Bishops Cromatius
and Heliodorus in the Lord, greeting.
The birth of the Virgin Mary, and the nativity and infancy of our Lord
Jesus Christ, we find in apocryphal books. But considering that in
them many things contrary to our faith are written, we have believed
that they ought all to be rejected, lest perchance we should transfer
the joy of Christ to Antichrist. [1613]While, therefore, we were
considering these things, there came holy men, Parmenius and Varinus,
who said that your Holiness had found a Hebrew volume, written by the
hand of the most blessed Evangelist Matthew, in which also the birth
of the virgin mother herself, and the infancy of our Saviour, were
written. And accordingly we entreat your affection by our Lord Jesus
Christ Himself, to render it from the Hebrew into Latin, [1614] not so
much for the attainment of those things which are the insignia of
Christ, as for the exclusion of the craft of heretics, who, in order
to teach bad doctrine, have mingled their own lies with the excellent
nativity of Christ, that by the sweetness of life they might hide the
bitterness of death. It will therefore become your purest piety,
either to listen to us as your brethren entreating, or to let us have
as bishops exacting, the debt of affection which you may deem due.
Reply to Their Letter by Jerome.
To my lords the holy and most blessed Bishops Cromatius and
Heliodorus, Jerome, a humble servant of Christ, in the Lord greeting.
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He who digs in ground where he knows that there is gold, [1615] does
not instantly snatch at whatever the uptorn trench may pour forth;
but, before the stroke of the quivering spade raises aloft the
glittering mass, he meanwhile lingers over the sods to turn them over
and lift them up, and especially he who has not added to his gains.
An arduous task is enjoined upon me, since what your Blessedness has
commanded me, the holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew himself did not
write for the purpose of publishing. For if he had not done it
somewhat secretly, he would have added it also to his Gospel which he
published. But he composed this book in Hebrew; and so little did he
publish it, that at this day the book written in Hebrew by his own
hand is in the possession of very religious men, to whom in successive
periods of time it has been handed down by those that were before
them. And this book they never at any time gave to any one to
translate. And so it came to pass, that when it was published by a
disciple of Manichæus named Leucius, who also wrote the falsely styled
Acts of the Apostles, this book afforded matter, not of edification,
but of perdition; and the opinion of the Synod in regard to it was
according to its deserts, that the ears of the Church should not be
open to it. Let the snapping of those that bark against us now cease;
for we do not add this little book to the canonical writings, but we
translate what was written by an Apostle and Evangelist, that we may
disclose the falsehood of heresy. In this work, then, we obey the
commands of pious bishops as well as oppose impious heretics. It is
the love of Christ, therefore, which we fulfil, believing that they
will assist us by their prayers, who through our obedience attain to a
knowledge of the holy infancy of our Saviour.
There is extant another letter to the same bishops, attributed to
Jerome:--
You ask me to let you know what I think of a book held by some to be
about the nativity of St. Mary. And so I wish you to know that there
is much in it that is false. For one Seleucus, who wrote the
Sufferings of the Apostles, composed this book. But, just as he wrote
what was true about their powers, and the miracles they worked, but
said a great deal that was false about their doctrine; so here too he
has invented many untruths out of his own head. I shall take care to
render it word for word, exactly as it is in the Hebrew, since it is
asserted that it was composed by the holy Evangelist Matthew, and
written in Hebrew, and set at the head of his Gospel. Whether this be
true or not, I leave to the author of the preface and the
trustworthiness of the writer: as for myself, I pronounce them
doubtful; I do not affirm that they are clearly false. But this I say
freely--and I think none of the faithful will deny it--that, whether
these stories be true or inventions, the sacred nativity of St. Mary
was preceded by great miracles, and succeeded by the greatest; and so
by those who believe that God can do these things, they can be
believed and read without damaging their faith or imperilling their
souls. In short, so far as I can, following the sense rather than the
words of the writer, and sometimes walking in the same path, though
not in the same footsteps, sometimes digressing a little, but still
keeping the same road, I shall in this way keep by the style of the
narrative, and shall say nothing that is not either written there, or
might, following the same train of thought, have been written.
Footnotes
[1613] [This introduction is, of itself, an evidence of late
origin.--R.]
[1614] Lit., to Latin ears.
[1615] Lit., conscious of gold.
Chapter 1. [1616]
In those days there was a man in Jerusalem, Joachim by name, of the
tribe of Judah. He was the shepherd of his own sheep, fearing the
Lord in integrity and singleness of heart. He had no other care than
that of his herds, from the produce of which he supplied with food all
that feared God, offering double gifts in the fear of God to all who
laboured in doctrine, and who ministered unto Him. Therefore his
lambs, and his sheep, and his wool, and all things whatsoever he
possessed, he used to divide into three portions: one he gave to the
orphans, the widows, the strangers, and the poor; the second to those
that worshipped God; and the third he kept for himself and all his
house. [1617]And as he did so, the Lord multiplied to him his
herds, so that there was no man like him in the people of Israel.
This now he began to do when he was fifteen years old. And at the age
of twenty he took to wife Anna, the daughter of Achar, of his own
tribe, that is, of the tribe of Judah, of the family of David. And
though they had lived together for twenty years, he had by her neither
sons nor daughters. [1618]
Footnotes
[1616] Two of themss. have this prologue: I James, the son of Joseph,
living in the fear of God, have written all that with my own eyes I
saw coming to pass in the time of the nativity of the holy virgin
Mary, or of the Lord the Saviour: giving thanks to God, who has given
me wisdom in the accounts of His Advent, showing His abounding grace
to the twelve tribes of Israel.
[1617] Tobit i. 7.
[1618] One of themss. has: Only they vowed that, if God should give
them offspring, they would devote it to the service of the temple; and
because of this, they were wont to go to the temple of the Lord at
each of the yearly festivals.
Chapter 2.
And it happened that, in the time of the feast, among those who were
offering incense to the Lord, Joachim stood getting ready his gifts in
the sight of the Lord. And the priest, Ruben by name, coming to him,
said: It is not lawful for thee to stand among those who are doing
sacrifice to God, because God has not blessed thee so as to give thee
seed in Israel. Being therefore put to shame in the sight of the
people, he retired from the temple of the Lord weeping, and did not
return to his house, but went to his flocks, taking with him his
shepherds into the mountains to a far country, so that for five months
his wife Anna could hear no tidings of him. And she prayed with
tears, saying: O Lord, most mighty God of Israel, why hast Thou,
seeing that already Thou hast not given me children, taken from me my
husband also? Behold, now five months that I have not seen my
husband; and I know not where he is tarrying; [1619] nor, if I knew
him to be dead, could I bury him. And while she wept excessively, she
entered into the court of His house; and she fell on her face in
prayer, and poured out her supplications before the Lord. After this,
rising from her prayer, and lifting her eyes to God, she saw a
sparrow's nest in a laurel tree, [1620] and uttered her voice to the
Lord with groaning, and said: Lord God Almighty, who hast given
offspring to every creature, to beasts wild and tame, to serpents, and
birds, and fishes, and they all rejoice over their young ones, Thou
hast shut out me alone from the gift of Thy benignity. For Thou, O
God, knowest my heart, that from the beginning of my married life I
have vowed that, if Thou, O God, shouldst give me son or daughter, I
would offer them to Thee in Thy holy temple. And while she was thus
speaking, suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared before her, saying:
Be not afraid, Anna, for there is seed for thee in the decree of God;
and all generations even to the end shall wonder at that which shall
be born of thee. And when he had thus spoken, he vanished out of her
sight. But she, in fear and dread because she had seen such a sight,
and heard such words, at length went into her bed-chamber, and threw
herself on the bed as if dead. And for a whole day and night she
remained in great trembling and in prayer. And after these things she
called to her her servant, and said to her: Dost thou see me deceived
in my widowhood and in great perplexity, and hast thou been unwilling
to come in to me? Then she, with a slight murmur, thus answered and
said: If God hath shut up thy womb, and hath taken away thy husband
from thee, what can I do for thee? And when Anna heard this, she
lifted up her voice, and wept aloud.
Footnotes
[1619] Another reading is: Where he has died--reading mortuus for
moratus.
[1620] Comp. Tobit ii. 10.
Chapter 3.
At the same time there appeared a young man on the mountains to
Joachim while he was feeding his flocks, and said to him: Why dost
thou not return to thy wife? And Joachim said: I have had her for
twenty years, and it has not been the will of God to give me children
by her. I have been driven with shame and reproach from the temple of
the Lord: why should I go back to her, when I have been once cast off
and utterly despised? Here then will I remain with my sheep; and so
long as in this life God is willing to grant me light, I shall
willingly, by the hands of my servants, bestow their portions upon the
poor, and the orphans, and those that fear God. And when he had thus
spoken, the young man said to him: I am an angel of the Lord, and I
have to-day appeared to thy wife when she was weeping and praying, and
have consoled her; and know that she has conceived a daughter from thy
seed, and thou in thy ignorance of this hast left her. She will be in
the temple of God, and the Holy Spirit shall abide in her; and her
blessedness shall be greater than that of all the holy women, so that
no one can say that any before her has been like her, or that any
after her in this world will be so. Therefore go down from the
mountains, and return to thy wife, whom thou wilt find with child.
For God hath raised up seed in her, and for this thou wilt give God
thanks; and her seed shall be blessed, and she herself shall be
blessed, and shall be made the mother of eternal blessing. Then
Joachim adored the angel, and said to him: If I have found favour in
thy sight, sit for a little in my tent, and bless thy servant. [1621]
And the angel said to him: Do not say servant, but fellow-servant;
for we are the servants of one Master. [1622]But my food is
invisible, and my drink cannot be seen by a mortal. Therefore thou
oughtest not to ask me to enter thy tent; but if thou wast about to
give me anything, [1623] offer it as a burnt-offering to the Lord.
Then Joachim took a lamb without spot, and said to the angel: I
should not have dared to offer a burnt-offering to the Lord, unless
thy command had given me the priest's right of offering. [1624]And
the angel said to him: I should not have invited thee to offer unless
I had known the will of the Lord. And when Joachim was offering the
sacrifice to God, the angel and the odour of the sacrifice went
together straight up to heaven with the smoke. [1625]
Then Joachim, throwing himself on his face, lay in prayer from the
sixth hour of the day even until evening. And his lads and hired
servants who were with him saw him, and not knowing why he was lying
down, thought that he was dead; and they came to him, and with
difficulty raised him from the ground. And when he recounted to them
the vision of the angel, they were struck with great fear and wonder,
and advised him to accomplish the vision of the angel without delay,
and to go back with all haste to his wife. And when Joachim was
turning over in his mind whether he should go back or not, it happened
that he was overpowered by a deep sleep; and, behold, the angel who
had already appeared to him when awake, appeared to him in his sleep,
saying: I am the angel appointed by God as thy guardian: go down
with confidence, and return to Anna, because the deeds of mercy which
thou and thy wife Anna have done have been told in the presence of the
Most High; and to you will God give such fruit as no prophet or saint
has ever had from the beginning, or ever will have. And when Joachim
awoke out of his sleep, he called all his herdsmen to him, and told
them his dream. And they worshipped the Lord, and said to him: See
that thou no further despise the words of the angel. But rise and let
us go hence, and return at a quiet pace, feeding our flocks.
And when, after thirty days occupied in going back, they were now near
at hand, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Anna, who was
standing and praying, and said: [1626]Go to the gate which is
called Golden, [1627] and meet thy husband in the way, for to-day he
will come to thee. She therefore went towards him in haste with her
maidens, and, praying to the Lord, she stood a long time in the gate
waiting for him. And when she was wearied with long waiting, she
lifted up her eyes and saw Joachim afar off coming with his flocks;
and she ran to him and hung on his neck, giving thanks to God, and
saying: I was a widow, and behold now I am not so: I was barren, and
behold I have now conceived. And so they worshipped the Lord, and
went into their own house. And when this was heard of, there was
great joy among all their neighbours and acquaintances, so that the
whole land of Israel congratulated them.
Footnotes
[1621] Gen. xviii. 3.
[1622] Rev. xix. 10.
[1623] Judg. xiii. 16.
[1624] Faustus the Manichæan said that Joachim was of the tribe of
Levi (August. xxiii. 4, Contra Faustum). As belonging to the tribe of
Judah, he had not the right of sacrifice.
[1625] Comp. Judg. xiii. 20.
[1626] Comp. Acts ix. 11.
[1627] This is the Beautiful gate of Acts iii. 2, to which, according
to Josephus, there was an ascent by many steps from the valley of
Kedron.
Chapter 4.
After these things, her nine months being fulfilled, Anna brought
forth a daughter, and called her Mary. And having weaned her in her
third year, Joachim, and Anna his wife, went together to the temple of
the Lord to offer sacrifices to God, and placed the infant, Mary by
name, in the community of virgins, in which the virgins remained day
and night praising God. And when she was put down before the doors of
the temple, she went up the fifteen steps [1628] so swiftly, that she
did not look back at all; nor did she, as children are wont to do,
seek for her parents. Whereupon her parents, each of them anxiously
seeking for the child, were both alike astonished, until they found
her in the temple, and the priests of the temple themselves wondered.
Footnotes
[1628] Corresponding with the fifteen Songs of Degrees, Ps.
cxx.-cxxxiv. See Smith's Dict.--art. Songs of Degrees. Another
reading is: And there were about the temple, according to the fifteen
Psalms of Degrees, fifteen steps of ascent: the temple was on a
mountain, and there had been there built the altar of burnt-offering,
which could not be reached but by steps.
Chapter 5.
Then Anna, filled with the Holy Spirit, said before them all: The
Lord Almighty, the God of Hosts, being mindful of His word, hath
visited His people with a good and holy visitation, to bring down the
hearts of the Gentiles who were rising against us, and turn them to
Himself. He hath opened His ears to our prayers: He hath kept away
from us the exulting of all our enemies. The barren hath become a
mother, and hath brought forth exultation and gladness to Israel.
Behold the gifts which I have brought to offer to my Lord, and mine
enemies have not been able to hinder me. For God hath turned their
hearts to me, and Himself hath given me everlasting joy.
Chapter 6.
And Mary was held in admiration by all the people of Israel; and when
she was three years old, she walked with a step so mature, she spoke
so perfectly, and spent her time so assiduously in the praises of God,
that all were astonished at her, and wondered; and she was not
reckoned a young infant, but as it were a grown-up person of thirty
years old. She was so constant in prayer, and her appearance was so
beautiful and glorious, that scarcely any one could look into her
face. And she occupied herself constantly with her wool-work, so that
she in her tender years could do all that old women were not able to
do. And this was the order that she had set for herself: [1629]
From the morning to the third hour she remained in prayer; from the
third to the ninth she was occupied with her weaving; and from the
ninth she again applied herself to prayer. She did not retire from
praying until there appeared to her the angel of the Lord, from whose
hand she used to receive food; and thus she became more and more
perfect in the work of God. Then, when the older virgins rested from
the praises of God, she did not rest at all; so that in the praises
and vigils of God none were found before her, no one more learned in
the wisdom of the law of God, more lowly in humility, more elegant in
singing, more perfect in all virtue. She was indeed stedfast,
immoveable, unchangeable, and daily advancing to perfection. No one
saw her angry, nor heard her speaking evil. All her speech was so
full of grace, that her God was acknowledged to be in her tongue. She
was always engaged in prayer and in searching the law, and she was
anxious lest by any word of hers she should sin with regard to her
companions. Then she was afraid lest in her laughter, or the sound of
her beautiful voice, she should commit any fault, or lest, being
elated, she should display any wrong-doing or haughtiness to one of
her equals. [1630]She blessed God without intermission; and lest
perchance, even in her salutation, she might cease from praising God;
if any one saluted her, she used to answer by way of salutation:
Thanks be to God. And from her the custom first began of men saying,
Thanks be to God, when they saluted each other. She refreshed herself
only with the food which she daily received from the hand of the
angel; but the food which she obtained from the priests she divided
among the poor. The angels of God were often seen speaking with her,
and they most diligently obeyed her. If any one who was unwell
touched her, the same hour he went home cured.
Footnotes
[1629] For the hours of prayer, see Apost. Const., ch. xl.; Jerome's
letters to Læta, Demetrias, etc.
[1630] One of themss. has: She was anxious about her companions, lest
any of them should sin even in one word, lest any of them should raise
her voice in laughing, lest any of them should be in the wrong, or
proud to her father or her mother.
Chapter 7.
Then Abiathar the priest offered gifts without end to the high
priests, in order that he might obtain her as wife to his son. But
Mary forbade them, saying: It cannot be that I should know a man, or
that a man should know me. For all the priests and all her relations
kept saying to her: God is worshipped in children and adored in
posterity, as has always happened among the sons of Israel. But Mary
answered and said unto them: God is worshipped in chastity, as is
proved first of all. [1631]For before Abel there was none righteous
among men, and he by his offerings pleased God, and was without mercy
slain by him who displeased Him. Two crowns, therefore, he
received--of oblation and of virginity, because in his flesh there was
no pollution. Elias also, when he was in the flesh, was taken up in
the flesh, because he kept his flesh unspotted. Now I, from my
infancy in the temple of God, have learned that virginity can be
sufficiently dear to God. And so, because I can offer what is dear to
God, I have resolved in my heart that I should not know a man at all.
Footnotes
[1631] Or, by the first of all.
Chapter 8.
Now it came to pass, when she was fourteen [1632] years old, and on
this account there was occasion for the Pharisees' saying that it was
now a custom that no woman of that age should abide in the temple of
God, they fell upon the plan of sending a herald through all the
tribes of Israel, that on the third day all should come together into
the temple of the Lord. And when all the people had come together,
Abiathar the high priest rose, and mounted on a higher step, that he
might be seen and heard by all the people; and when great silence had
been obtained, he said: Hear me, O sons of Israel, and receive my
words into your ears. Ever since this temple was built by Solomon,
there have been in it virgins, the daughters of kings and the
daughters of prophets, and of high priests and priests; and they were
great, and worthy of admiration. But when they came to the proper age
they were given in marriage, and followed the course of their mothers
before them, and were pleasing to God. But a new order of life has
been found out by Mary alone, who promises that she will remain a
virgin to God. Wherefore it seems to me, that through our inquiry and
the answer of God we should try to ascertain to whose keeping she
ought to be entrusted. Then these words found favour with all the
synagogue. And the lot was cast by the priests upon the twelve
tribes, and the lot fell upon the tribe of Judah. And the priest
said: To-morrow let every one who has no wife come, and bring his rod
in his hand. Whence it happened that Joseph [1633] brought his rod
along with the young men. And the rods having been handed over to the
high priest, he offered a sacrifice to the Lord God, and inquired of
the Lord. And the Lord said to him: Put all their rods into the holy
of holies of God, and let them remain there, and order them to come to
thee on the morrow to get back their rods; and the man from the point
of whose rod a dove shall come forth, and fly towards heaven, and in
whose hand the rod, when given back, shall exhibit this sign, to him
let Mary be delivered to be kept.
On the following day, then, all having assembled early, and an
incense-offering having been made, the high priest went into the holy
of holies, and brought forth the rods. And when he had distributed
the rods, [1634] and the dove came forth out of none of them, the high
priest put on the twelve bells [1635] and the sacerdotal robe; and
entering into the holy of holies, he there made a burnt-offering, and
poured forth a prayer. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him,
saying: There is here the shortest rod, of which thou hast made no
account: thou didst bring it in with the rest, but didst not take it
out with them. When thou hast taken it out, and hast given it him
whose it is, in it will appear the sign of which I spoke to thee. Now
that was Joseph's rod; and because he was an old man, he had been cast
off, as it were, that he might not receive her, but neither did he
himself wish to ask back his rod. [1636]And when he was humbly
standing last of all, the high priest cried out to him with a loud
voice, saying: Come, Joseph, and receive thy rod; for we are waiting
for thee. And Joseph came up trembling, because the high priest had
called him with a very loud voice. But as soon as he stretched forth
his hand, and laid hold of his rod, immediately from the top of it
came forth a dove whiter than snow, beautiful exceedingly, which,
after long flying about the roofs of the temple, at length flew
towards the heavens. Then all the people congratulated the old man,
saying: Thou hast been made blessed in thine old age, O father
Joseph, seeing that God hath shown thee to be fit to receive Mary.
And the priests having said to him, Take her, because of all the tribe
of Judah thou alone hast been chosen by God; Joseph began bashfully to
address them, saying: I am an old man, and have children; why do you
hand over to me this infant, who is younger than my grandsons? Then
Abiathar the high priest said to him: Remember, Joseph, how Dathan
and Abiron and Core perished, because they despised the will of God.
So will it happen to thee, if thou despise this which is commanded
thee by God. Joseph answered him: I indeed do not despise the will
of God; but I shall be her guardian until I can ascertain concerning
the will of God, as to which of my sons can have her as his wife. Let
some virgins of her companions, with whom she may meanwhile spend her
time, be given for a consolation to her. Abiathar the high priest
answered and said: Five virgins indeed shall be given her for
consolation, until the appointed day come in which thou mayst receive
her; for to no other can she be joined in marriage.
Then Joseph received Mary, with the other five virgins who were to be
with her in Joseph's house. These virgins were Rebecca, Sephora,
Susanna, Abigea, and Cael; to whom the high priest gave the silk, and
the blue, [1637] and the fine linen, and the scarlet, and the purple,
and the fine flax. For they cast lots among themselves what each
virgin should do, and the purple for the veil of the temple of the
Lord fell to the lot of Mary. And when she had got it, those virgins
said to her: Since thou art the last, and humble, and younger than
all, thou hast deserved to receive and obtain the purple. And thus
saying, as it were in words of annoyance, they began to call her queen
of virgins. While, however, they were so doing, the angel of the Lord
appeared in the midst of them, saying: These words shall not have
been uttered by way of annoyance, but prophesied as a prophecy most
true. They trembled, therefore, at the sight of the angel, and at his
words, and asked her to pardon them, and pray for them.
Footnotes
[1632] Or, twelve.
[1633] One of themss. adds: Seeing that he had not a wife, and not
wishing to slight the order of the high priest.
[1634] One of themss. inserts: To the number of three thousand.
[1635] See Protev. James 8.
[1636] Another and more probable reading is: And this was Joseph's
rod; and he was of an abject appearance, seeing that he was old, and
he would not ask back his rod, lest perchance he might be forced to
receive her.
[1637] Or, hyacinth.
Chapter 9.
And on the second day, while Mary was at the fountain to fill her
pitcher, the angel of the Lord appeared to her, saying: Blessed art
thou, Mary; for in thy womb thou hast prepared an habitation for the
Lord. For, lo, the light from heaven shall come and dwell in thee,
and by means of thee will shine over the whole world.
Again, on the third day, while she was working at the purple with her
fingers, there entered a young man of ineffable beauty. And when Mary
saw him, she exceedingly feared and trembled. And he said to her:
Hail, Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou
among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. [1638]And when
she heard these words, she trembled, and was exceedingly afraid. Then
the angel of the Lord added: Fear not, Mary; for thou hast found
favour with God: Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt
bring forth a King, who fills not only the earth, but the heaven, and
who reigns from generation to generation.
Footnotes
[1638] Luke i. 28.
Chapter 10.
While these things were doing, Joseph was occupied with his work,
house-building, in the districts by the sea-shore; for he was a
carpenter. And after nine months he came back to his house, and found
Mary pregnant. Wherefore, being in the utmost distress, he trembled
and cried out, saying: O Lord God, receive my spirit; for it is
better for me to die than to live any longer. And the virgins who
were with Mary said to him: Joseph, what art thou saying? We know
that no man has touched her; we can testify that she is still a
virgin, and untouched. We have watched over her; always has she
continued with us in prayer; daily do the angels of God speak with
her; daily does she receive food from the hand of the Lord. We know
not how it is possible that there can be any sin in her. But if thou
wishest us to tell thee what we suspect, nobody but the angel of the
Lord [1639] has made her pregnant. Then said Joseph: Why do you
mislead me, to believe that an angel of the Lord has made her
pregnant? But it is possible that some one has pretended to be an
angel of the Lord, and has beguiled her. And thus speaking, he wept,
and said: With what face shall I look at the temple of the Lord, or
with what face shall I see the priests of God? What am I to do? And
thus saying, he thought that he would flee, and send her away.
Footnotes
[1639] Another reading is: The Holy Spirit.
Chapter 11.
And when he was thinking of rising up and hiding himself, and dwelling
in secret, behold, on that very night, the angel of the Lord appeared
to him in sleep, saying: Joseph, thou son of David, fear not; receive
Mary as thy wife: for that which is in her womb is of the Holy
Spirit. And she shall bring forth a son, and His name shall be called
Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. And Joseph,
rising from his sleep, gave thanks to God, and spoke to Mary and the
virgins who were with her, and told them his vision. And he was
comforted about Mary, saying: I have sinned, in that I suspected thee
at all.
Chapter 12.
After these things there arose a great report that Mary was with
child. And Joseph was seized by the officers of the temple, and
brought along with Mary to the high priest. And he with the priests
began to reproach him, and to say: Why hast thou beguiled so great
and so glorious a virgin, who was fed like a dove in the temple by the
angels of God, who never wished either to see or to have a man, who
had the most excellent knowledge of the law of God? If thou hadst not
done violence to her, she would still have remained in her virginity.
And Joseph vowed, and swore that he had never touched her at all. And
Abiathar the high priest answered him: As the Lord liveth, I will
give thee to drink of the water of drinking of the Lord, and
immediately thy sin will appear.
Then was assembled a multitude of people which could not be numbered,
and Mary was brought to the temple. And the priests, and her
relatives, and her parents wept, and said to Mary: Confess to the
priests thy sin, thou that wast like a dove in the temple of God, and
didst receive food from the hands of an angel. And again Joseph was
summoned to the altar, and the water of drinking of the Lord was given
him to drink. And when any one that had lied drank this water, and
walked seven times round the altar, God used to show some sign in his
face. When, therefore, Joseph had drunk in safety, and had walked
round the altar seven times, no sign of sin appeared in him. Then all
the priests, and the officers, and the people justified him, saying:
Blessed art thou, seeing that no charge has been found good against
thee. And they summoned Mary, and said: And what excuse canst thou
have? or what greater sign can appear in thee than the conception of
thy womb, which betrays thee? This only we require of thee, that
since Joseph is pure regarding thee, thou confess who it is that has
beguiled thee. For it is better that thy confession should betray
thee, than that the wrath of God should set a mark on thy face, and
expose thee in the midst of the people. Then Mary said, stedfastly
and without trembling: O Lord God, King over all, who knowest all
secrets, if there be any pollution in me, or any sin, or any evil
desires, or unchastity, expose me in the sight of all the people, and
make me an example of punishment to all. Thus saying, she went up to
the altar of the Lord boldly, and drank the water of drinking, and
walked round the altar seven times, and no spot was found in her.
And when all the people were in the utmost astonishment, seeing that
she was with child, and that no sign had appeared in her face, they
began to be disturbed among themselves by conflicting statements:
some said that she was holy and unspotted, others that she was wicked
and defiled. Then Mary, seeing that she was still suspected by the
people, and that on that account she did not seem to them to be wholly
cleared, said in the hearing of all, with a loud voice, As the Lord
Adonai liveth, the Lord of Hosts before whom I stand, I have not known
man; but I am known by Him to whom from my earliest years I have
devoted myself. And this vow I made to my God from my infancy, that I
should remain unspotted in Him who created me, and I trust that I
shall so live to Him alone, and serve Him alone; and in Him, as long
as I shall live, will I remain unpolluted. Then they all began to
kiss her feet and to embrace her knees, asking her to pardon them for
their wicked suspicions. And she was led down to her house with
exultation and joy by the people, and the priests, and all the
virgins. And they cried out, and said: Blessed be the name of the
Lord for ever, because He hath manifested thy holiness to all His
people Israel.
Chapter 13.
And it came to pass some little time after, that an enrolment was made
according to the edict of Cæsar Augustus, that all the world was to be
enrolled, each man in his native place. This enrolment was made by
Cyrinus, the governor of Syria. [1640]It was necessary, therefore,
that Joseph should enrol with the blessed Mary in Bethlehem, because
to it they belonged, being of the tribe of Judah, and of the house and
family of David. When, therefore, Joseph and the blessed Mary were
going along the road which leads to Bethlehem, Mary said to Joseph: I
see two peoples before me, the one weeping, and the other rejoicing.
And Joseph answered: Sit still on thy beast, and do not speak
superfluous words. Then there appeared before them a beautiful boy,
clothed in white raiment, who said to Joseph: Why didst thou say that
the words which Mary spoke about the two peoples were superfluous?
For she saw the people of the Jews weeping, because they have departed
from their God; and the people of the Gentiles rejoicing, because they
have now been added and made near to the Lord, according to that which
He promised to our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for the time is
at hand when in the seed of Abraham all nations shall be blessed.
[1641]
And when he had thus said, the angel ordered the beast to stand, for
the time when she should bring forth was at hand; and he commanded the
blessed Mary to come down off the animal, and go into a recess under a
cavern, in which there never was light, but always darkness, because
the light of day could not reach it. And when the blessed Mary had
gone into it, it began to shine with as much brightness as if it were
the sixth hour of the day. The light from God so shone in the cave,
that neither by day nor night was light wanting as long as the blessed
Mary was there. And there she brought forth a son, and the angels
surrounded Him when He was being born. And as soon as He was born, He
stood upon His feet, and the angels adored Him, saying: Glory to God
in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good pleasure. [1642]
Now, when the birth of the Lord was at hand, Joseph had gone away to
seek midwives. And when he had found them, he returned to the cave,
and found with Mary the infant which she had brought forth. And
Joseph said to the blessed Mary: I have brought thee two
midwives--Zelomi [1643] and Salome; and they are standing outside
before the entrance to the cave, not daring to come in hither, because
of the exceeding brightness. And when the blessed Mary heard this,
she smiled; and Joseph said to her: Do not smile; but prudently allow
them to visit thee, in case thou shouldst require them for thy cure.
Then she ordered them to enter. And when Zelomi had come in, Salome
having stayed without, Zelomi said to Mary: Allow me to touch thee.
And when she had permitted her to make an examination, the midwife
cried out with a loud voice, and said: Lord, Lord Almighty, mercy on
us! It has never been heard or thought of, that any one should have
her breasts full of milk, and that the birth of a son should show his
mother to be a virgin. But there has been no spilling of blood in his
birth, no pain in bringing him forth. A virgin has conceived, a
virgin has brought forth, and a virgin she remains. And hearing these
words, Salome said: Allow me to handle thee, and prove whether Zelomi
have spoken the truth. And the blessed Mary allowed her to handle
her. And when she had withdrawn her hand from handling her, it dried
up, and through excess of pain she began to weep bitterly, and to be
in great distress, crying out, and saying: O Lord God, Thou knowest
that I have always feared Thee, and that without recompense I have
cared for all the poor; I have taken nothing from the widow and the
orphan, and the needy have I not sent empty away. And, behold, I am
made wretched because of mine unbelief, since without a cause I wished
to try Thy virgin.
And while she was thus speaking, there stood by her a young man in
shining garments, saying: Go to the child, and adore Him, and touch
Him with thy hand, and He will heal thee, because He is the Saviour of
the world, and of all that hope in Him. And she went to the child
with haste, and adored Him, and touched the fringe of the cloths in
which He was wrapped, and instantly her hand was cured. And going
forth, she began to cry aloud, and to tell the wonderful things which
she had seen, and which she had suffered, and how she had been cured;
so that many through her statements believed.
And some shepherds also affirmed that they had seen angels singing a
hymn at midnight, praising and blessing the God of heaven, and
saying: There has been born the Saviour of all, who is Christ the
Lord, in whom salvation shall be brought back to Israel. [1644]
Moreover, a great star, larger than any that had been seen since the
beginning of the world, shone over the cave from the evening till the
morning. And the prophets who were in Jerusalem said that this star
pointed out the birth of Christ, who should restore the promise not
only to Israel, but to all nations.
Footnotes
[1640] Luke ii. 1-6.
[1641] Gen. xii. 3.
[1642] See Alford's Greek Testament on Luke ii. 14. [So Rev. Version,
following the weight of manuscript authority.--R.]
[1643] Or Zelemi.
[1644] Luke ii. 8-12.
Chapter 14.
And on the third day after the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
most blessed Mary went forth out of the cave, and entering a stable,
placed the child in the stall, and the ox and the ass adored Him.
Then was fulfilled that which was said by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib. [1645]The
very animals, therefore, the ox and the ass, having Him in their
midst, incessantly adored Him. Then was fulfilled that which was said
by Abacuc the prophet, saying: [1646]Between two animals thou art
made manifest. In the same place Joseph remained with Mary three
days.
Footnotes
[1645] Isa. i. 3.
[1646] Hab. iii. 2, according to the LXX. reading, M%J+J+iuX+a
M%J+iN+aSh two living creatures, for W+uH+J+J+iuX+a" M%J+iN+aSho,
years make alive.
Chapter 15.
And on the sixth day they entered Bethlehem, where they spent the
seventh day. And on the eighth day they circumcised the child, and
called His name Jesus; for so He was called by the angel before He was
conceived in the womb. [1647]Now, after the days of the
purification of Mary were fulfilled according to the law of Moses,
then Joseph took the infant to the temple of the Lord. And when the
infant had received parhithomus, [1648] --parhithomus, that is,
circumcision--they offered for Him a pair of turtle-doves, or two
young pigeons. [1649]
Now there was in the temple a man of God, perfect and just, whose name
was Symeon, a hundred and twelve years old. He had received the
answer from the Lord, that he should not taste of death till he had
seen Christ, the Son of God, living in the flesh. And having seen the
child, he cried out with a loud voice, saying: God hath visited His
people, and the Lord hath fulfilled His promise. And he made haste,
and adored Him. And after this he took Him up into his cloak and
kissed His feet, and said: Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart
in peace, according to Thy word: for mine eyes have seen Thy
salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples, to
be a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people
Israel. [1650]
There was also in the temple of the Lord, Anna, a prophetess, the
daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, who had lived with her
husband seven years from her virginity; and she had now been a widow
eighty-four years. And she never left the temple of the Lord, but
spent her time in fasting and prayer. She also likewise adored the
child, saying: In Him is the redemption of the world. [1651]
Footnotes
[1647] Luke ii. 21-24.
[1648] This shows the extent of the writer's, or transcriber's
knowledge of Greek.
[1649] Lev. xii. 8.
[1650] Luke ii. 22-35.
[1651] Luke ii. 36-38.
Chapter 16.
And when the second year was past, [1652] Magi came from the east to
Jerusalem, bringing great gifts. And they made strict inquiry of the
Jews, saying: Where is the king who has been born to you? for we have
seen his star in the east, and have come to worship him. And word of
this came to King Herod, and so alarmed him that he called together
the scribes and the Pharisees, and the teachers of the people, asking
of them where the prophets had foretold that Christ should be born.
And they said: In Bethlehem of Judah. For it is written: And thou
Bethelehem, in the land of Judah, art by no means the least among the
princes of Judah; for out of thee shall come forth a Leader who shall
rule my people Israel. [1653]Then King Herod summoned the magi to
him, and strictly inquired of them when the star appeared to them.
Then, sending them to Bethlehem, he said: Go and make strict inquiry
about the child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that
I may come and worship him also. And while the magi were going on
their way, there appeared to them the star, which was, as it were, a
guide to them, going before them until they came to where the child
was. And when the magi saw the star, they rejoiced with great joy;
and going into the house, they saw the child Jesus sitting in His
mother's lap. Then they opened their treasures, and presented great
gifts to the blessed Mary and Joseph. And to the child Himself they
offered each of them a piece of gold. [1654]And likewise one gave
gold, another frankincense, and the third myrrh. [1655]And when
they were going to return to King Herod, they were warned by an angel
in their sleep not to go back to Herod; and they returned to their own
country by another road. [1656]
Footnotes
[1652] One ms. has: When two days were past. Another: On the
thirteenth day.
[1653] Mic. v. 2.
[1654] The siclus aureus, or gold shekel, was worth £1, 16s. 6d.
[1655] One ms. has: Gaspar gave Myrrh, Melchior frankincense,
Balthusar gold.
[1656] Matt. ii. 1-12.
Chapter 17.
And when Herod [1657] saw that he had been made sport of by the magi,
his heart swelled with rage, and he sent through all the roads,
wishing to seize them and put them to death. But when he could not
find them at all, he sent anew to Bethlehem and all its borders, and
slew all the male children whom he found of two years old and under,
according to the time that he had ascertained from the magi. [1658]
Now the day before this was done Joseph was warned in his sleep by the
angel of the Lord, who said to him: Take Mary and the child, and go
into Egypt by the way of the desert. And Joseph went according to the
saying of the angel. [1659]
Footnotes
[1657] One ms. has: And when Herod, coming back from Rome the year
after, saw.
[1658] Matt. ii. 16.
[1659] Matt. ii. 14.
Chapter 18.
And having come to a certain cave, and wishing to rest in it, the
blessed [1660] Mary dismounted from her beast, and sat down with the
child Jesus in her bosom. And there were with Joseph three boys, and
with Mary a girl, going on the journey along with them. And, lo,
suddenly there came forth from the cave many dragons; and when the
children saw them, they cried out in great terror. Then Jesus went
down from the bosom of His mother, and stood on His feet before the
dragons; and they adored Jesus, and thereafter retired. Then was
fulfilled that which was said by David the prophet, saying: Praise
the Lord from the earth, ye dragons; ye dragons, and all ye deeps.
[1661]And the young child Jesus, walking before them, commanded
them to hurt no man. But Mary and Joseph were very much afraid lest
the child should be hurt by the dragons. And Jesus said to them: Do
not be afraid, and do not consider me to be a little child; for I am
and always have been perfect; and all the beasts of the forest must
needs be tame before me.
Footnotes
[1660] One of themss. has: Then Joseph put the blessed virgin and the
boy upon a beast, and himself mounted another, and took the road
through the hill country and the desert, that he might get safe to
Egypt; for they did not want to go by the shore, for fear of being
waylaid.
[1661] Ps. cxlviii. 7.
Chapter 19.
Lions and panthers adored Him likewise, and accompanied them in the
desert. Wherever Joseph and the blessed Mary went, they went before
them showing them the way, and bowing their heads; and showing their
submission by wagging their tails, they adored Him with great
reverence. Now at first, when Mary saw the lions and the panthers,
and various kinds of wild beasts, coming about them, she was very much
afraid. But the infant Jesus looked into her face with a joyful
countenance, and said: Be not afraid, mother; for they come not to do
thee harm, but they make haste to serve both thee and me. With these
words He drove all fear from her heart. And the lions kept walking
with them, and with the oxen, and the asses, and the beasts of burden
which carried their baggage, and did not hurt a single one of them,
though they kept beside them; but they were tame among the sheep and
the rams which they had brought with them from Judæa, and which they
had with them. They walked among wolves, and feared nothing; and no
one of them was hurt by another. Then was fulfilled that which was
spoken by the prophet: Wolves shall feed with lambs; the lion and the
ox shall eat straw together. [1662]There were together two oxen
drawing a waggon with provision for the journey, and the lions
directed them in their path.
Footnotes
[1662] Isa. lxv. 25.
Chapter 20.
And it came to pass on the third day of their journey, while they were
walking, that the blessed Mary was fatigued by the excessive heat of
the sun in the desert; and seeing a palm tree, she said to Joseph:
Let me rest a little under the shade of this tree. Joseph therefore
made haste, and led her to the palm, and made her come down from her
beast. And as the blessed Mary was sitting there, she looked up to
the foliage of the palm, and saw it full of fruit, and said to
Joseph: I wish it were possible to get some of the fruit of this
palm. And Joseph said to her: I wonder that thou sayest this, when
thou seest how high the palm tree is; and that thou thinkest of eating
of its fruit. I am thinking more of the want of water, because the
skins are now empty, and we have none wherewith to refresh ourselves
and our cattle. Then the child Jesus, with a joyful countenance,
reposing in the bosom of His mother, said to the palm: O tree, bend
thy branches, and refresh my mother with thy fruit. And immediately
at these words the palm bent its top down to the very feet of the
blessed Mary; and they gathered from it fruit, with which they were
all refreshed. And after they had gathered all its fruit, it remained
bent down, waiting the order to rise from Him who had commanded it to
stoop. Then Jesus said to it: Raise thyself, O palm tree, and be
strong, and be the companion of my trees, which are in the paradise of
my Father; and open from thy roots a vein of water which has been hid
in the earth, and let the waters flow, so that we may be satisfied
from thee. And it rose up immediately, and at its root there began to
come forth a spring of water exceedingly clear and cool and
sparkling. And when they saw the spring of water, they rejoiced with
great joy, and were satisfied, themselves and all their cattle and
their beasts. Wherefore they gave thanks to God.
Chapter 21.
And on the day after, when they were setting out thence, and in the
hour in which they began their journey, Jesus turned to the palm, and
said: This privilege I give thee, O palm tree, that one of thy
branches be carried away by my angels, and planted in the paradise of
my Father. And this blessing I will confer upon thee, that it shall
be said of all who conquer in any contest, You have attained the palm
of victory. And while He was thus speaking, behold, an angel of the
Lord appeared, and stood upon the palm tree; and taking off one of its
branches, flew to heaven with the branch in his hand. And when they
saw this, they fell on their faces, and became as it were dead. And
Jesus said to them: Why are your hearts possessed with fear? Do you
not know that this palm, which I have caused to be transferred to
paradise, shall be prepared for all the saints in the place of
delights, as it has been prepared for us in this place of the
wilderness? And they were filled with joy; and being strengthened,
they all rose up.
Chapter 22.
After this, while they were going on their journey, Joseph said to
Jesus: Lord, it is a boiling heat; if it please Thee, let us go by
the sea-shore, that we may be able to rest in the cities on the
coast. Jesus said to him: Fear not, Joseph; I will shorten the way
for you, so that what you would have taken thirty days to go over, you
shall accomplish in this one day. And while they were thus speaking,
behold, they looked forward, and began to see the mountains and cities
of Egypt.
And rejoicing and exulting, they came into the regions of Hermopolis,
and entered into a certain city of Egypt which is called Sotinen;
[1663] and because they knew no one there from whom they could ask
hospitality, they went into a temple which was called the Capitol of
Egypt. And in this temple there had been set up three hundred and
fifty-five idols, [1664] to each of which on its own day divine
honours and sacred rites were paid. For the Egyptians belonging to
the same city entered the Capitol, in which the priests told them how
many sacrifices were offered each day, according to the honour in
which the god was held.
Footnotes
[1663] Or, Sotrina.
[1664] No nation was so given to idolatry, and worshipped such a
countless number of monsters, as the Egyptians.--Jerome on Isaiah.
Chapter 23.
And it came to pass, when the most blessed Mary went into the temple
with the little child, that all the idols prostrated themselves on the
ground, so that all of them were lying on their faces shattered and
broken to pieces; [1665] and thus they plainly showed that they were
nothing. Then was fulfilled that which was said by the prophet
Isaiah: Behold, the Lord will come upon a swift cloud, and will enter
Egypt, and all the handiwork of the Egyptians shall be moved at His
presence. [1666]
Footnotes
[1665] Cf. 1 Sam. v. 3.
[1666] Isa. xix. 1.
Chapter 24.
Then Affrodosius, that governor of the city, when news of this was
brought to him, went to the temple with all his army. And the priests
of the temple, when they saw Affrodosius with all his army coming into
the temple, thought that he was making haste only to see vengeance
taken on those on whose account the gods had fallen down. But when he
came into the temple, and saw all the gods lying prostrate on their
faces, he went up to the blessed Mary, who was carrying the Lord in
her bosom, and adored Him, and said to all his army and all his
friends: Unless this were the God of our gods, our gods would not
have fallen on their faces before Him; nor would they be lying
prostrate in His presence: wherefore they silently confess that He is
their Lord. Unless we, therefore, take care to do what we have seen
our gods doing, we may run the risk of His anger, and all come to
destruction, even as it happened to Pharaoh king of the Egyptians,
who, not believing in powers so mighty, was drowned in the sea, with
all his army. [1667]Then all the people of that same city believed
in the Lord God through Jesus Christ.
Footnotes
[1667] Ex. xv. 4.
Chapter 25.
After no long time the angel said to Joseph: Return to the land of
Judah, for they are dead who sought the child's life. [1668]
Footnotes
[1668] Matt. ii. 26. One of the mss. here has: And Joseph and Mary
went to live in the house of a certain widow, and spent a year there;
and for the events of the year it gives a number of the miracles
recorded in the early Chapters of the Latin Gospel of Thomas.
Chapter 26.
And it came to pass, after Jesus had returned out of Egypt, when He
was in Galilee, and entering on the fourth year of His age, that on a
Sabbath-day He was playing with some children at the bed of the
Jordan. And as He sat there, Jesus made to Himself seven pools of
clay, and to each of them He made passages, through which at His
command He brought water from the torrent into the pool, and took it
back again. Then one of those children, a son of the devil, moved
with envy, shut the passages which supplied the pools with water, and
overthrew what Jesus had built up. Then said Jesus to him: Woe unto
thee, thou son of death, thou son of Satan! Dost thou destroy the
works which I have wrought? And immediately he who had done this
died. Then with great uproar the parents of the dead boy cried out
against Mary and Joseph, saying to them: Your son has cursed our son,
and he is dead. And when Joseph and Mary heard this, they came
forthwith to Jesus, on account of the outcry of the parents of the
boy, and the gathering together of the Jews. But Joseph said
privately to Mary: I dare not speak to Him; but do thou admonish Him,
and say: Why hast Thou raised against us the hatred of the people;
and why must the troublesome hatred of men be borne by us? And His
mother having come to Him, asked Him, saying: My Lord, what was it
that he did to bring about his death? And He said: He deserved
death, because he scattered the works that I had made. Then His
mother asked Him, saying: Do not so, my Lord, because all men rise up
against us. But He, not wishing to grieve His mother, with His right
foot kicked the hinder parts of the dead boy, and said to him: Rise,
thou son of iniquity for thou art not worthy to enter into the rest of
my Father, because thou didst destroy the works which I had made.
Then he who had been dead rose up, and went away. And Jesus, by the
word of His power, brought water into the pools by the aqueduct.
Chapter 27.
And it came to pass, after these things, that in the sight of all
Jesus took clay from the pools which He had made, and of it made
twelve sparrows. And it was the Sabbath when Jesus did this, and
there were very many children with Him. When, therefore, one of the
Jews had seen Him doing this, he said to Joseph: Joseph, dost thou
not see the child Jesus working on the Sabbath at what it is not
lawful for him to do? for he has made twelve sparrows of clay. And
when Joseph heard this, he reproved him, saying: Wherefore doest thou
on the Sabbath such things as are not lawful for us to do? And when
Jesus heard Joseph, He struck His hands together, and said to His
sparrows: Fly! And at the voice of His command they began to fly.
And in the sight and hearing of all that stood by, He said to the
birds: Go and fly through the earth, and through all the world, and
live. And when those that were there saw such miracles, they were
filled with great astonishment. And some praised and admired Him, but
others reviled Him. And certain of them went away to the chief
priests and the heads of the Pharisees, and reported to them that
Jesus the son of Joseph had done great signs and miracles in the sight
of all the people of Israel. And this was reported in the twelve
tribes of Israel.
Chapter 28.
And again the son of Annas, a priest of the temple, who had come with
Joseph, holding his rod in his hand in the sight of all, with great
fury broke down the dams which Jesus had made with His own hands, and
let out the water which He had collected in them from the torrent.
Moreover, he shut the aqueduct by which the water came in, and then
broke it down. And when Jesus saw this, He said to that boy who had
destroyed His dams: O most wicked seed of iniquity! O son of death!
O workshop of Satan! verily the fruit of thy seed shall be without
strength, and thy roots without moisture, and thy branches withered,
bearing no fruit. And immediately, in the sight of all, the boy
withered away, and died.
Chapter 29.
Then Joseph trembled, and took hold of Jesus, and went with Him to his
own house, and His mother with Him. And, behold, suddenly from the
opposite direction a boy, also a worker of iniquity, ran up and came
against the shoulder of Jesus, wishing to make sport of Him, or to
hurt Him, if he could. And Jesus said to him: Thou shalt not go back
safe and sound from the way that thou goest. And immediately he fell
down, and died. And the parents of the dead boy, who had seen what
happened, cried out, saying: Where does this child come from? It is
manifest that every word that he says is true; and it is often
accomplished before he speaks. And the parents of the dead boy came
to Joseph, and said to him: Take away that Jesus from this place, for
he cannot live with us in this town; or at least teach him to bless,
and not to curse. And Joseph came up to Jesus, and admonished Him,
saying: Why doest thou such things? For already many are in grief
and against thee, and hate us on thy account, and we endure the
reproaches of men because of thee. And Jesus answered and said unto
Joseph: No one is a wise son but he whom his father hath taught,
according to the knowledge of this time; and a father's curse can hurt
none but evil-doers. Then they came together against Jesus, and
accused him to Joseph. When Joseph saw this, he was in great terror,
fearing the violence and uproar of the people of Israel. And the same
hour Jesus seized the dead boy by the ear, and lifted him up from the
earth in the sight of all: and they saw Jesus speaking to him like a
father to his son. And his spirit came back to him, and he revived.
And all of them wondered.
Chapter 30.
Now a certain Jewish schoolmaster named Zachyas [1669] heard Jesus
thus speaking; and seeing that He could not be overcome, from knowing
the power that was in Him, [1670] he became angry, and began rudely
and foolishly, and without fear, to speak against Joseph. And he
said: Dost thou not wish to entrust me with thy son, that he may be
instructed in human learning and in reverence? But I see that Mary
and thyself have more regard for your son than for what the elders of
the people of Israel say against him. You should have given more
honour to us, the elders of the whole church of Israel, both that he
might be on terms of mutual affection with the children, and that
among us he might be instructed in Jewish learning. Joseph, on the
other hand, said to him: And is there any one who can keep this
child, and teach him? But if thou canst keep him and teach him, we by
no means hinder him from being taught by thee those things which are
learned by all. And Jesus, having heard what Zachyas had said,
answered and said unto him: The precepts of the law which thou hast
just spoken of, and all the things that thou hast named, must be kept
by those who are instructed in human learning; but I am a stranger to
your law-courts, because I have no father after the flesh. Thou who
readest the law, and art learned in it, abidest in the law; but I was
before the law. But since thou thinkest that no one is equal to thee
in learning, thou shalt be taught by me, that no other can teach
anything but those things which thou hast named. But he alone can who
is worthy. [1671]For when I shall be exalted on earth, I will cause
to cease all mention of your genealogy. For thou knowest not when
thou wast born: I alone know when you were born, and how long your
life on earth will be. Then all who heard these words were struck
with astonishment, and cried out: Oh! oh! oh! this marvellously great
and wonderful mystery. Never have we heard the like! Never has it
been heard from any one else, nor has it been said or at any time
heard by the prophets, or the Pharisees, or the scribes. We know
whence he is sprung, and he is scarcely five years old; and whence
does he speak these words? The Pharisees answered: We have never
heard such words spoken by any other child so young. And Jesus
answered and said unto them: At this do ye wonder, that such things
are said by a child? Why, then, do ye not believe me in those things
which I have said to you? And you all wonder because I said to you
that I know when you were born. I will tell you greater things, that
you may wonder more. I have seen Abraham, whom you call your father,
and have spoken with him; and he has seen me. [1672]And when they
heard this they held their tongues, nor did any of them dare to
speak. And Jesus said to them: I have been among you with children,
and you have not known me; I have spoken to you as to wise men, and
you have not understood my words; because you are younger than I am,
[1673] and of little faith.
Footnotes
[1669] Other forms of the name are: Zachias, Zachameus, Zacheus,
Zachæus.
[1670] Or, seeing that there was in Him an insuperable knowledge of
virtue.
[1671] Tischendorf thinks that the text is corrupt. But the meaning
seems to be: You are not a whit better than your neighbours; for all
of you teach what you have named, and you can teach nothing else. But
he alone (ipse, i.e., Christ) can teach more who is worthy.
[1672] Comp. John viii. 56-58.
[1673] Or, literally, inferior to me.
Chapter 31.
A second time the master Zachyas, doctor of the law, said to Joseph
and Mary: Give me the boy, and I shall hand him over to master Levi,
who shall teach him his letters and instruct him. Then Joseph and
Mary, soothing Jesus, took Him to the schools, that He might be taught
His letters by old Levi. And as soon as He went in He held His
tongue. And the master Levi said one letter to Jesus, and, beginning
from the first letter Aleph, said to Him: Answer. But Jesus was
silent, and answered nothing. Wherefore the preceptor Levi was angry,
and seized his storax-tree rod, and struck Him on the head. And Jesus
said to the teacher Levi: Why dost thou strike me? Thou shalt know
in truth, that He who is struck can teach him who strikes Him more
than He can be taught by him. For I can teach you those very things
that you are saying. But all these are blind who speak and hear, like
sounding brass or tinkling cymbal, in which there is no perception of
those things which are meant by their sound. [1674]And Jesus in
addition said to Zachyas: Every letter from Aleph even to Thet [1675]
is known by its arrangement. Say thou first, therefore, what Thet is,
and I will tell thee what Aleph is. And again Jesus said to them:
Those who do not know Aleph, how can they say Thet, the hypocrites?
Tell me what the first one, Aleph, is; and I shall then believe you
when you have said Beth. And Jesus began to ask the names of the
letters one by one, and said: Let the master of the law tell us what
the first letter is, or why it has many triangles, gradate, subacute,
mediate, obduced, produced, erect, prostrate, curvistrate. [1676]
And when Levi heard this, he was thunderstruck at such an arrangement
of the names of the letters. Then he began in the hearing of all to
cry out, and say: Ought such a one to live on the earth? Yea, he
ought to be hung on the great cross. For he can put out fire, and
make sport of other modes of punishment. I think that he lived before
the flood, and was born before the deluge. For what womb bore him? or
what mother brought him forth? or what breasts gave him suck? I flee
before him; I am not able to withstand the words from his mouth, but
my heart is astounded to hear such words. I do not think that any man
can understand what he says, except God were with him. Now I,
unfortunate wretch, have given myself up to be a laughing-stock to
him. For when I thought I had a scholar, I, not knowing him, have
found my master. What shall I say? I cannot withstand the words of
this child: I shall now flee from this town, because I cannot
understand them. An old man like me has been beaten by a boy, because
I can find neither beginning nor end of what he says. For it is no
easy matter to find a beginning of himself. [1677]I tell you of a
certainty, I am not lying, that to my eyes the proceedings of this
boy, the commencement of his conversation, and the upshot of his
intention, seem to have nothing in common with mortal man. Here then
I do not know whether he be a wizard or a god; or at least an angel of
God speaks in him. Whence he is, or where he comes from, or who he
will turn out to be, I know not. Then Jesus, smiling at him with a
joyful countenance, said in a commanding voice to all the sons of
Israel standing by and hearing: Let the unfruitful bring forth fruit,
and the blind see, and the lame walk right, and the poor enjoy the
good things of this life, and the dead live, that each may return to
his original state, and abide in Him who is the root of life and of
perpetual sweetness. And when the child Jesus had said this,
forthwith all who had fallen under malignant diseases were restored.
And they did not dare to say anything more to Him, or to hear anything
from Him.
Footnotes
[1674] 1 Cor. xiii. 1, xiv. 7.
[1675] Tau, and not Teth, is the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
[1676] The original--triangulos gradatos, subacutos, mediatos,
obductos, productos, erectos, stratos, curvistratos--is hopelessly
corrupt. Compare the passages in the following Apocrypha. [The
Gospel of Thomas, first Greek form, chaps. 6, 7, and parallel
passages.--R.] It obviously, however, refers to the Pentalpha,
Pentacle, or Solomon's Seal, celebrated in the remains of the magical
books that have come down to us under the names of Hermas and the
Pythagoreans. The Pentalpha was formed by joining by straight lines
the alternate angles of a regular pentagon, and thus contained
numerous triangles. The Pythagoreans called it the Hygiea or symbol
of health, and it was frequently engraved on amulets and coins. It is
still, if the books are to be trusted, a symbol of power in the higher
grades of freemasonry.
[1677] i.e., It is not wonderful that we do not understand what he
says, for we do not know what he is.
Chapter 32.
After these things, Joseph and Mary departed thence with Jesus into
the city of Nazareth; and He remained there with His parents. And on
the first of the week, when Jesus was playing with the children on the
roof of a certain house, it happened that one of the children pushed
another down from the roof to the ground, and he was killed. And the
parents of the dead boy, who had not seen this, cried out against
Joseph and Mary, saying: Your son has thrown our son down to the
ground, and he is dead. But Jesus was silent, and answered them
nothing. And Joseph and Mary came in haste to Jesus; and His mother
asked Him, saying: My lord, tell me if thou didst throw him down.
And immediately Jesus went down from the roof to the ground, and
called the boy by his name, Zeno. And he answered Him: My lord. And
Jesus said to him: Was it I that threw thee down from the roof to the
ground? And he said: No, my lord. And the parents of the boy who
had been dead wondered, and honoured Jesus for the miracle that had
been wrought. And Joseph and Mary departed thence with Jesus to
Jericho.
Chapter 33.
Now Jesus was six years old, and His mother sent Him with a pitcher to
the fountain to draw water with the children. And it came to pass,
after He had drawn the water, that one of the children came against
Him, and struck the pitcher, and broke it. But Jesus stretched out
the cloak which He had on, and took up in His cloak as much water as
there had been in the pitcher, and carried it to His mother. And when
she saw it she wondered, and reflected within herself, and laid up all
these things in her heart. [1678]
Footnotes
[1678] Luke ii. 19.
Chapter 34.
Again, on a certain day, He went forth into the field, and took a
little wheat from His mother's barn, and sowed it Himself. And it
sprang up, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly. And at last it came
to pass that He Himself reaped it, and gathered as the produce of it
three kors, [1679] and gave it to His numerous acquaintances. [1680]
Footnotes
[1679] The kor or chomer was, according to Jahn, equal to 32 pecks 1
pint.
[1680] Multiplicibus suis.
Chapter 35.
There is a road going out of Jericho and leading to the river Jordan,
to the place where the children of Israel crossed: and there the ark
of the covenant is said to have rested. And Jesus was eight years
old, and He went out of Jericho, and went towards the Jordan. And
there was beside the road, near the bank of the Jordan, a cave where a
lioness was nursing her cubs; and no one was safe to walk that way.
Jesus then, coming from Jericho, and knowing that in that cave the
lioness had brought forth her young, went into it in the sight of
all. And when the lions saw Jesus, they ran to meet Him, and adored
Him. And Jesus was sitting in the cavern, and the lion's cubs ran
hither and thither round His feet, fawning upon Him, and sporting.
And the older lions, with their heads bowed down, stood at a distance,
and adored Him, and fawned upon Him with their tails. Then the people
who were standing afar off, not seeing Jesus, said: Unless he or his
parents had committed grievous sins, he would not of his own accord
have offered himself up to the lions. And when the people were thus
reflecting within themselves, and were lying under great sorrow,
behold, on a sudden, in the sight of the people, Jesus came out of the
cave, and the lions went before Him, and the lion's cubs played with
each other before His feet. And the parents of Jesus stood afar off,
with their heads bowed down, and watched; likewise also the people
stood at a distance, on account of the lions; for they did not dare to
come close to them. Then Jesus began to say to the people: How much
better are the beasts than you, seeing that they recognise their Lord,
and glorify Him; while you men, who have been made after the image and
likeness of God, do not know Him! Beasts know me, and are tame; men
see me, and do not acknowledge me.
Chapter 36.
After these things Jesus crossed the Jordan, in the sight of them all,
with the lions; and the water of the Jordan was divided on the right
hand and on the left. [1681]Then He said to the lions, in the
hearing of all: Go in peace, and hurt no one; but neither let man
injure you, until you return to the place whence you have come forth.
And they, bidding Him farewell, not only with their gestures but with
their voices, went to their own place. But Jesus returned to His
mother.
Footnotes
[1681] Josh. iii. 16; 2 Kings ii. 8.
Chapter 37.
Now Joseph [1682] was a carpenter, and used to make nothing else of
wood but ox-yokes, and ploughs, and implements of husbandry, and
wooden beds. And it came to pass that a certain young man ordered him
to make for him a couch six cubits long. And Joseph commanded his
servant [1683] to cut the wood with an iron saw, according to the
measure which he had sent. But he did not keep to the prescribed
measure, but made one piece of wood shorter than the other. And
Joseph was in perplexity, and began to consider what he was to do
about this. And when Jesus saw him in this state of cogitation,
seeing that it was a matter of impossibility to him, He addresses him
with words of comfort, saying: Come, let us take hold of the ends of
the pieces of wood, and let us put them together, end to end, and let
us fit them exactly to each other, and draw to us, for we shall be
able to make them equal. Then Joseph did what he was bid, for he knew
that He could do whatever He wished. And Joseph took hold of the ends
of the pieces of wood, and brought them together against the wall next
himself, and Jesus took hold of the other ends of the pieces of wood,
and drew the shorter piece to Him, and made it of the same length as
the longer one. And He said to Joseph: Go and work, and do what thou
hast promised to do. And Joseph did what he had promised. [1684]
Footnotes
[1682] One of the mss. tells the story, not of Joseph, but of a
certain builder, a worker in wood.
[1683] Lit., boy.
[1684] One of themss. here inserts: And when Jesus was with other
children He repeatedly went up and sat down upon a balcony, and many
of them began to do likewise, and they fell down and broke their legs
and arms. And the Lord Jesus healed them all.
Chapter 38.
And it came to pass a second time, that Joseph and Mary were asked by
the people that Jesus should be taught His letters in school. They
did not refuse to do so; and according to the commandment of the
elders, they took Him to a master to be instructed in human learning.
Then the master began to teach Him in an imperious tone, saying: Say
Alpha. [1685]And Jesus said to him: Do thou tell me first what
Betha is, and I will tell thee what Alpha is. And upon this the
master got angry and struck Jesus; and no sooner had he struck Him,
than he fell down dead.
And Jesus went home again to His mother. And Joseph, being afraid,
called Mary to him, and said to her: Know of a surety that my soul is
sorrowful even unto death on account of this child. For it is very
likely that at some time or other some one will strike him in malice,
and he will die. But Mary answered and said: O man of God! do not
believe that this is possible. You may believe to a certainty that He
who has sent him to be born among men will Himself guard him from all
mischief, and will in His own name preserve him from evil.
Footnotes
[1685] Note that the letters are Greek here.
Chapter 39.
Again the Jews asked Mary and Joseph a third time to coax Him to go to
another master to learn. And Joseph and Mary, fearing the people, and
the overbearing of the princes, and the threats of the priests, led
Him again to school, knowing that He could learn nothing from man,
because He had perfect knowledge from God only. And when Jesus had
entered the school, led by the Holy Spirit, He took the book out of
the hand of the master who was teaching the law, and in the sight and
hearing of all the people began to read, not indeed what was written
in their book; but He spoke in the Spirit of the living God, as if a
stream of water were gushing forth from a living fountain, and the
fountain remained always full. And with such power He taught the
people the great things of the living God, that the master himself
fell to the ground and adored Him. And the heart of the people who
sat and heard Him saying such things was turned into astonishment.
And when Joseph heard of this, he came running to Jesus, fearing that
the master himself was dead. And when the master saw him, he said to
him: Thou hast given me not a scholar, but a master; and who can
withstand his words? Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by the
Psalmist: The river of God is full of water: Thou hast prepared them
corn, for so is the provision for it. [1686]
Footnotes
[1686] Ps. lxv. 9.
Chapter 40.
After these things Joseph departed thence with Mary and Jesus to go
into Capernaum by the sea-shore, on account of the malice of his
adversaries. And when Jesus was living in Capernaum, there was in the
city a man named Joseph, exceedingly rich. But he had wasted away
under his infirmity, and died, and was lying dead in his couch. And
when Jesus heard them in the city mourning, and weeping, and lamenting
over the dead man, He said to Joseph: Why dost thou not afford the
benefit of thy favour to this man, seeing that he is called by thy
name? And Joseph answered him: How have I any power or ability to
afford him a benefit? And Jesus said to him: Take the handkerchief
which is upon thy head, and go and put it on the face of the dead man,
and say to him: Christ heal thee; and immediately the dead man will
be healed, and will rise from his couch. And when Joseph heard this,
he went away at the command of Jesus, and ran, and entered the house
of the dead man, and put the handkerchief which he was wearing on his
head upon the face of him who was lying in the couch, and said: Jesus
heal thee. And forthwith the dead man rose from his bed, and asked
who Jesus was. [1687]
Footnotes
[1687] In place of this Chapter, one of the mss. has a number of
miracles copied from the canonical Gospels--the walking on the sea,
the feeding of the five thousand, the healing of a blind man, the
raising of Lazarus, and the raising of a certain young man.
Chapter 41.
And they went away from Capernaum into the city which is called
Bethlehem; and Joseph lived with Mary in his own house, and Jesus with
them. And on a certain day Joseph called to him his first-born son
James, [1688] and sent him into the vegetable garden to gather
vegetables for the purpose of making broth. And Jesus followed His
brother James into the garden; but Joseph and Mary did not know this.
And while James was collecting the vegetables, a viper suddenly came
out of a hole and struck his hand, [1689] and he began to cry out from
excessive pain. And, becoming exhausted, he said, with a bitter cry:
Alas! alas! an accursed viper has struck my hand. And Jesus, who was
standing opposite to him, at the bitter cry ran up to James, and took
hold of his hand; and all that He did was to blow on the hand of
James, and cool it: and immediately James was healed, and the serpent
died. And Joseph and Mary did not know what had been done; but at the
cry of James, and the command of Jesus, they ran to the garden, and
found the serpent already dead, and James quite cured.
Footnotes
[1688] According to the tradition preserved by Hegesippus and
Tertullian, James and Judas were husbandmen. See Apost. Const., ch.
lxvii.
[1689] Comp. Acts xxviii.
Chapter 42.
And Joseph having come to a feast with his sons, James, Joseph, and
Judah, and Simeon and his two daughters, Jesus met them, with Mary His
mother, along with her sister Mary of Cleophas, whom the Lord God had
given to her father Cleophas and her mother Anna, because they had
offered Mary the mother of Jesus to the Lord. And she was called by
the same name, Mary, for the consolation of her parents. [1690]And
when they had come together, Jesus sanctified and blessed them, and He
was the first to begin to eat and drink; for none of them dared to eat
or drink, or to sit at table, or to break bread, until He had
sanctified them, and first done so. And if He happened to be absent,
they used to wait until He should do this. And when He did not wish
to come for refreshment, neither Joseph nor Mary, nor the sons of
Joseph, His brothers, came. And, indeed, these brothers, keeping His
life as a lamp before their eyes, observed Him, and feared Him. And
when Jesus slept, whether by day or by night, the brightness of God
shone upon Him. To whom be all praise and glory for ever and ever.
Amen, amen.
Footnotes
[1690] One of themss. has: And when Joseph, worn out with old age,
died and was buried with his parents, the blessed Mary lived with her
nephews, or with the children of her sisters; for Anna and Emerina
were sisters. Of Emerina was born Elizabeth, the mother of John the
Baptist. And as Anna, the mother of the blessed Mary, was very
beautiful, when Joachim was dead she was married to Cleophas, by whom
she had a second daughter. She called her Mary, and gave her to
Alphæus to wife; and of her was born James the son of Alphæus, and
Philip his brother. And her second husband having died, Anna was
married to a third husband named Salome, by whom she had a third
daughter. She called her Mary likewise, and gave her to Zebedee to
wife; and of her were born James the son of Zebedee, and John the
Evangelist. Another passage to the same effect is prefixed to the
Gospel. It reads Emeria for Emerina, and Joseph for Philip. It ends
with a quotation from Jerome's sermon upon Easter:--We read in the
Gospels that there were four Mary's--first, the mother of the Lord the
Saviour; second, His maternal aunt, who was called Mary of Cleophas;
third, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, fourth, Mary
Magdalene--though some maintain that the mother of James and Joseph
was His aunt. The same ms. thus concludes: The holy Apostle and
Evangelist John with his own hand wrote this little book in Hebrew,
and the learned doctor Jerome rendered it from Hebrew into Latin.
Also, see links to 3500 other Manuscripts:
/believe/txv/earlych5.htm
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