Read Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament Online
Authors: [edited by] Bart D. Ehrman
Tags: #Biblical Reference, #Bible Study Guides, #Bibles, #Other Translations, #Apocryphal books (New Testament), #New Testament, #Christianity, #Religion, #Biblical Commentary, #Biblical Studies, #General, #History
to his house.
Anna, the Lord has heard your prayer.
2
Some six months came to comple
You will conceive a child and give birth,
tion for Anna; and in the seventh month
and your offspring will be spoken of
she gave birth. She asked the midwife,
throughout the entire world.” Anna re
“What is it?” The midwife replied, “A
plied, “As the Lord God lives, whether
girl.” Anna said, “My soul is exalted tomy child is a boy or a girl, I will offer it day.” And she laid the child down. And
as a gift to the Lord my God, and it will
when the days came to completion, Anna
minister to him its entire life.”
washed off the blood of her impurity,
2
Behold, two angels came to her, saygave her breast to the child, and named ing, “See, your husband Joachim is comher Mary.
ing with his flocks.” For an angel of the
Lord had descended to him and said,
“Joachim, Joachim, the Lord God has
The child grew stronger every day.
heard your prayer. Go down from here;
6 When she was six months old, her
for see, your wife Anna has conceived a
mother set her on the ground, to see if
child.”
3
Joachim immediately went
she could stand. She walked seven steps
down and called his shepherds and said,
and came to her arms. She lifted her up
“Bring me here ten lambs without spot
and said, “As the Lord my God lives, you
or blemish, and they will be for the Lord
will not walk at all on this ground until I
God; and bring me twelve young calves,
have taken you up to the temple of the
and they will be for the priests and the
Lord.” Then she made a sanctuary in her
council leaders; and bring a hundred
bedroom and did not allow anything immale goats, and they will be for all the pure or unclean into it. And she called
people.”
the undefiled daughters of the Hebrews
4
And behold, Joachim came with his
and they entertained her.
flocks and Anna stood beside the gate
2
When the child had her first birthday,
and saw him coming; and running up to
Joachim held a great feast and invited the
him she hung on his neck and said, “Now
chief priests, priests, scribes, council
I know that the Lord God has blessed me
leaders, and all the people of Israel. Joaabundantly. For see, the widow is no chim brought the child out to the priests
longer a widow and the one who is childand they blessed her, saying, “May the less has conceived a child.” Then Joachim
God of our fathers bless this child and
rested that first day in his home.
give her a name that will be famous forever, to all generations.” And all the peo
On the next day he brought his gifts
5
ple replied, “Let it be so! Amen.” They
as an offering, saying to himself,
brought her to the chief priests, and they
“If the Lord is gracious to me, the leafed
blessed her, saying, “May the Most High
plate of the priest’s mitrea will make it
known to me.” And Joachim offered his
gifts and looked closely at the priest’s
aLiterally:
the
priest’s
leaf
66
NON-CANONICAL GOSPELS
God look upon this child and bless her
down upon her. She danced on her feet,
with an ultimate blessing, equal to none.”
and the entire house of Israel loved her.
3
Her mother lifted her up and took
her back to the sanctuary in her bedroom,
Her parents went away, amazed
8
and nursed her. And Anna made a song
and praising God, the Master, that
to the Lord God, saying, “I sing a holy
the child did not turn back. Mary was in
song to the Lord my God, for he has
the temple of the Lord, cared for like a
visited me and removed from me the redove, receiving her food from the hand proach of my enemies. The Lord God has
of an angel.
given me his righteous fruit, unique and
2
But when she reached her twelfth
abundant before him. Who will report to
birthday, the priests held a council and
the sons of Reuben that Anna is now
said, “See, Mary has become twelve
nursing a child? Listen closely, you
years old in the Lord’s temple. What then
twelve tribes of Israel: Anna is nursing a
shall we do with her, to keep her from
child!” And she laid her down in the
defiling the sanctuary of the Lord our
sanctuary of her bedroom and went out
God?” They said to the chief priest, “You
to serve the others. When the feast ended
have stood on the Lord’s altar. Go in and
they descended happy, giving glory to the
pray about her, and we will do whatever
God of Israel.
the Lord God reveals to you.”
3
The chief
priest went in, taking the robe with
7 Months passed for the child. When twelve bells into the Holy of Holies; and she turned two, Joachim said,
he prayed about her. And behold, an an
“Now we should take her up to the temple
gel of the Lord appeared and said to him,
of the Lord, to fulfill the promise we
“Zacharias, Zacharias, go out and gather
made; otherwise the Master may send
the widowers of the people, and have
some harm our way and our gift be
each of them bring a rod; she will become
deemed unacceptable.” Anna replied,
the wife of the one to whom the Lord
“Let’s wait until she is three; otherwise
God gives a sign.” And the heralds went
she may be homesick for her father and
out to all the countryside of Judea and
mother.” Joseph agreed, “We will wait.”
the trumpet of the Lord was blown, and
2
When the child turned three, Joachim
everyone came running.
said, “We should call the undefiled
daughters of the Hebrews and have them
9
take torches; let them set them up, blaz
Joseph cast aside his carpenter’s
axe and went to their meeting.
ing, that the child not turn back and her
When they had gathered together they
heart be taken captive away from the
went to the chief priest, bringing their
temple of the Lord.” They did this, until
rods. And when he had taken everyone’s
they had gone up to the Lord’s temple.
rods he went into the temple and prayed.
And the priest of the Lord received her
When he finished his prayer, he took the
and gave her a kiss, blessing her and
rods, went outside, and gave them back.
saying, “The Lord has made your name
And no sign appeared among them. But
great for all generations. Through you
Joseph took the last rod, and behold! A
will the Lord reveal his redemption to the
dove came out of the rod and flew onto
sons of Israel at the end of time.”
Joseph’s head. The priest said to Joseph,
3
He set her on the third step of the
“You have been called to take the Lord’s
altar, and the Lord God cast his grace
virgin into your safe-keeping.”
2
But
THE PROTO-GOSPEL OF JAMES
67
Joseph refused, saying, “I have sons and
with you. You are blessed among
am an old man; she is but a child. I do
women.” Mary looked around, right and
not want to become a laughingstock to
left, to see where the voice was coming
the sons of Israel.” The priest replied,
from. She then entered her house fright
“Fear the Lord your God, and remember
ened and set the pitcher down. Taking up
everything that he did to Dathan, Abiram,
the purple she sat on her chair and began
and Korah, how the earth split open and
to draw it out.
2
And behold, an angel of
they were all devoured because of their
the Lord stood before her and said, “Do
dispute. Now, Joseph, you should be
not fear, Mary. For you have found favor
afraid of this happening to your house as
before the Master of all, and you will
well.
conceive a child by his Word.” But as she
3
Joseph was afraid and took her into
listened she was asking herself, “Am I to
his safe-keeping. And he said to Mary,
conceive from the living Lord God and
“See, I have received you from the temple
give birth like every other woman?”
of the Lord. Now I am leaving you at
3
The angel of the Lord said to her, “Not
home, while I go out to construct my
so, Mary. For the power of God will
buildings; later I will come back to you.
overshadow you. Therefore the one born
The Lord will watch over you.”
from you will be called holy, the Son of
the Highest. And you will name him Je
Then the priests held a council
10
sus, for he will save his people from their
and said, “We should make a
sins.” Mary replied, “Behold the slave of
curtain for the Lord’s temple.” And the
the Lord is before you. May it happen to
priest said, “Call to me the undefiled virme as you have said.”
gins from the tribe of David.” The servants went out looking for them and She made the purple and the
12
found seven virgins. The priest then rescarlet, and brought them to the membered that the child Mary was from
temple. The priest took them and blessed
the tribe of David, and that she was unher, “Mary, the Lord God has made your defiled before God. The servants went
name great; you will be blessed among
out and led her back and brought her into
all the generations of earth.”
the Lord’s temple. And the priest said,
2
Full of joy, Mary went off to her
“Cast lots before me to see who will spin
relative Elizabeth. She knocked on the
the gold, the asbestos, the fine linen, the
door; and when Elizabeth heard, she cast
silk, the sapphire blue, the scarlet, and
aside the scarlet and ran to the door.
the true purple.” Mary drew the lot for
When she opened it she blessed Mary
the true purple and the scarlet, and taking
and said, “How is it that the mother of
them she returned home. At that time
my Lord should come to me? For see,
Zacharias became silent. Samuel took his
the child in me leapt up and blessed you.”
place, until Zacharias spoke again. But
But Mary forgot the mysteries that the
Mary took the scarlet and began to
archangel Gabriel had spoken to her, and
spin it.
gazed at the sky and said, “Who am I,
Lord, that all the women of earth will
11 Mary took a pitcher and went bless me?”
out to fetch some water. And
3
She stayed with Elizabeth for three
behold, she heard a voice saying, “Greetmonths. Day by day her own belly grew.
ings, you who are favored. The Lord is
Mary then returned home in fear, and hid
68
NON-CANONICAL GOSPELS
herself from the sons of Israel. She was
is in her comes from the Holy Spirit. She
sixteen when these mysteries happened.
will give birth to a son, and you will name
him Jesus. For he will save his people
When she was in her sixth
13
from their sins.” Joseph rose up from his
month, Joseph returned from
sleep and glorified the God of Israel who
his buildings. As he came into the house
had bestowed such favor on him; and he
he saw that she was pregnant. Striking
watched over her.
his face he cast himself to the ground on
sackcloth, weeping bitterly and saying,
“How can I look upon the Lord God?
But Annas the scribe came to
15
How can I utter a prayer for this young
see Joseph and said, “Why have
girl? For I received her from the temple
you not appeared before our council?”
of the Lord God as a virgin, but I did not
Joseph replied, “I was tired from my jourwatch over her. Who has preyed upon ney and rested on my first day back.”
me? Who has done this wicked deed in
Annas then turned and saw that Mary
my home and defiled the virgin? Has not
was pregnant.
2
He left and ran off to the
the entire history of Adam been summed
priest and said to him, “Joseph, the one
up in me? For just as Adam was singing