THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW
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(Gospel of the Birth of Mary)
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. (1) 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, (2) 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.
He who digs in ground where he knows that there is gold, (3) 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 Manichaeus 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.
(1) — 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.
(2) 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.
(3)
— 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 lsrael. 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; (4) 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, (5)
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.
— 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. (1) And the angel said to him: Do not say servant,
but fellow-servant; for we are the servants of one Master. (2) 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, (3) 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. (4) 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. (5)
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: (6) Go to the gate which is called
Golden, (7) 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 lsrael congratulated them.
—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 (1) 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.
— 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 lsrael. 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.
— 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: (2) 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. (3) 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.
— 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. (4) 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.
— Now it came to pass, when she was fourteen s 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
lsrael, 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 east 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 (1) 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 ho-lies, and brought forth the rods. And when he had distributed the
rods, (2) and the dove came forth out of none of them, the high priest
put on the twelve bells (3) 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. (4) 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, (5) 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.
—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. [1] 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.
—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 [2] 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.
— 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.
—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.
—And it came to pass some little time after, that an enrolment was
made according to the edict of Caesar 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, [1] 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. [2]
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. [3] 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 [4] and Salome;
and they are standing
r 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. [1]
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.
—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. [2] 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: [3] Between two animals thou art made manifest. In the
same place Joseph remained with Mary three days.
—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. [4] Now, after the days of the purifiation 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, [5]—parhithomus, that is, circumcision—they offered for
Him a pair of turtle-doves, or two young pigeons. [6]
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. [7]
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. [8]
—And when the second year was past, [9] 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. [1] 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. [2] And likewise one gave gold, another
frankincense, and the third myrrh. [3] 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. [4]
—And when Herod [5] 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. [6]
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. [7]
—And having come to a certain cave, and wishing to rest in it, the
blessed [8] 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 [9] 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.
—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 Judaea, 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. [10] There were together two oxen drawing a waggon with
provision for the journey, and the lions directed them in their path.
— 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 bad 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.
— 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.
—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; [1] 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, [2] 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.
—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; [3] 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.
[4]
—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. [5] Then all the
people of that same city believed in the Lord God through Jesus Christ.
—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. [1]
—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.
—And it came to pass, after these
things, that in the sight of all Jesus took clay froth 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.
—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.
—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 shall 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.
—Now a certain Jewish schoolmaster named Zachyas[1] heard Jesus thus
speaking; and seeing that He could not be overcome, from knowing the
power that was in Him,[2] 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.[3] 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.[4] 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,[5] and of little faith.
—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 shall 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 yon 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.[6] And Jesus in addition said to
Zachyas: Every letter from Aleph even to Thet[7] 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.[1] And when Levi heard this, he was
thunderstruck at such an arrangement of the names of the letters. Then
he began in the heating 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.[2] 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.
—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.
—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.[3]
—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,[4] and gave it to His numerous acquaintances.[5]
—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 bad
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.
—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.[1] 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.
—Now Joseph[2] 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[3] 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.[4]
—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.[5]
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.
—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.[1]
—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.[2]
—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,[3] 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,[4] 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.
—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.[5] 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.