Mury's lot to THE PROTEVANGELION. 9 After the high-priest had received their rods, he went into the temple to pray; 10 And when he had finished spin the purple. tells her she shall conceive by the Holy Ghost, 17 she submits, 19 visits her cousin Elizabeth, whose child in her womb leaps. ND it came to pass, in a council of the priests, it was said, Let us make a new veil for the temple of the Lord. his prayer, he took the rods, and A 11 The last rod was taken by Joseph, and behold a dove proceeded out of the rod, and flew upon the head of Joseph. 12 And the high-priest said, Joseph, Thou art the person chosen to take the Virgin of the Lord, to keep her for him: 13 But Joseph refused, saying, I am an old man, and have children, but she is young, and I fear lest I should appear ridiculous in Israel. 14 Then the high-priest replied, Joseph, Fear the Lord thy God, and remember how God dealt with Dathan, Korah, and Abiram, how the earth opened and swallowed them up, because of their contradiction. 15 Now therefore, Joseph, fear God, lest the like things should happen in your family. 16 Joseph then being afraid, took her unto his house, and Joseph said unto Mary, Behold, I have taken thee from the temple of the Lord, and now I will leave thee in my house; I must go to mind my trade of building. The Lord be with thee. CHAP. IX. 2 And the high-priest said, Call together to me seven undefiled virgins of the tribe of David. 3 And the servants went and brought them into the temple of the Lord, and the high-priest said unto them Cast lots before me now, who of you shall spin the golden thread, who the blue, who the scarlet, who the fine linen, and who the true purple. 4 Then the high-priest knew Mary, that she was of the tribe of David; and he called her, and the true purple fell to her lot to spin, and she went away to her own house. 5 But from that time Zacharias the high-priest became dumb, and Samuel was placed in his room till Zacharias spoke again. 6 But Mary took the true purple, and did spin it. 7 ¶ And she took a pot, and went out to draw water, and heard a voice saying unto her, Hail thou who art full of grace, 'the Lord is with thee; thou art blessed among women. 8 And she looked round to the right and to the left (to see) whence that voice came, and then trembling went into her house, and laying down the water-pot she took the purple, and sat down in her seat to work it. 1 The priests desire a new veil for the temple, 3 seren virgins cast lots for making different parts of it, 4 the lot to spin the true purple falls to Mary. 5 Zacharias, the high-priest, 9 And behold the angel of te becomes dumb. 7 Mary takes a pot Lord stood by her, and said, Fear to draw water, and hears a voice, 8 trembles and begins to work, 9 an not, Mary, for thou hast found anyel appeurs, and salutes her, and favour in the sight of God; 'Luke i 28, &c. Joseph's jealousy. THE PROTEVANGELION. 10 Which when she hcard, she reasoned with herself what that sort of salutation meant. 11 And the angel said unto her The Lord is with thee, and thou shalt conceive: 12 To which she replied, What! shall I conceive by the living God, and bring forth as all other women do? 13 But the angel returned answer, Not so, O Mary, but the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee; 14 Wherefore that which shall be born of thee shall be holy, and shall be called the Son of the Liv-1 ing God, and thou shalt call his name Jesus; for he shall save his people from their sins. 15 And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age. 16 And this now is the sixth month with her, who was called He is warned. that which is in me leaped and blessed thee. 22 But Mary, being ignorant of all those mysterious things which the archangel Gabriel had spoken to her, lifted up her eyes to heaven, and said, Lord! What am I, that all the generations of the earth should call me blessed?1 23 But perceiving herself daily to grow big, and being afraid, she went home, and hid herself from the children of Israel; and was fourteen years old when all these things happened. CHAP. X. Joseph returns from building houses, finds the Virgin grown big, being six months' gone with child, 2 is jealous and troubled, 8 reproaches her, 10 she affirms her innocence, 13 he leaves her, 16 determines to dismiss her privately, 17 is warned in a dream that Mary is with child by the Holy Ghost, 20 and glorifies God who had shewn him suck favour. barren; for nothing is impossible A with God. 17 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; let it be unto me according to thy word. ND when her sixth month was come, Joseph returned from his building houses abroad, which was his trade, and entering into the house, found the Virgin grown big: 18 And when she had wrought her purple, she carried 2 Then smiting upon his face. it to the high-priest, and the he said, With what face can I high-priest blessed her, saying, look up to the Lord my God or, Mary, the Lord God hath mag-what shall I say concerning this nified thy name, and thou shalt young woman? be blessed in all the ages of the world. 19 Then Mary, filled with joy, went away to her cousin Elizabeth, and knocked at the door. 20 Which when Elizabeth heard, she ran and opened to her, and blessed her, and said, Whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come unto me? 21 For lo! as soon as the voice of thy salutation reached my ears, 3 For I received her a Virgin out of the temple of the Lord my God, and have not preserved her such! 4 Who has thus deceived met Who has committed this evil in my house, and seducing the Virgin from me, hath defiled her? 5 Is not the history of Adam exactly accomplished in me? 6 For in the very instant of his glory, the serpent came and found Eve alone, and seduced her. • Luke ii.39, &c. Joseph and Mary's THE PROTEVANGELION. chastity proved. ? Just after the same manner it has happened to me. 8 Then Joseph arising from the ground, called hor, and said, O thou who hast been so much favoured by God, why hast thou done this? 9 Why hast thou thus debased thy soul, who wast educated in the Holy of Holies, and received thy food from the hand of angels ? 10 But she, with a flood of tears, replied, I am innocent, and have known no man. 11 Then said Joseph, How comes it to pass you are with child? 12 Mary answered, As the Lord my God liveth, I know not by what means. sleep, and glorified the God of Israel, who had shown him such favour, and preserved the Virgin. CHAP. XI. 3 Annas visits Joseph, perceives the Virgin big with child, 4 injorms the high priest that Joseph had privately married her. 8 Joseph and Mary brought to trial on the charge. 17 Joseph drinks the water of the Lord as an ordeal, and receiving no harm, returns home. THE THEN came Annas the scribe, and said to Joseph, Wherefore have we not seen you since your return } 2 And Joseph replied, Because I was weary after my journey, and rested the first day. child. 3 But Annas turning about 13 Then Joseph was ex-perceived the Virgin big with ceedingly afraid, and went away from her, considering what he should do with her; and he thus reasoned with himself:' 14 If I conceal her crime, I shall be found guilty by the law of the Lord; 15 And if I discover her to the children of Israel, I fear, lest she being with child by an angel, I shall be found to betray the life of an innocent person: 16 What therefore shall I do? I will privately dismiss her. 17 Then the night was come upon him, when behold an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, and said, 18 Be not afraid to take that young woman, for that which is within her is of the Holy Ghost; 19 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. 20 Then Joseph arose from his 4 And went away to the priest, and told him, Joseph in whom you placed so much confidence, is guilty of a notorious crime, in that he hath defiled the Virgin whom he received out of the temple of the Lord, and hath privately married her, not discovering it to the children of Israel. 5 Then said the priest, Hath Joseph done this? 6 Annas replied, If you send any of your servants you will find that she is with child. 7 And the servants went, and found it as he said. 8 Upon this both she and Joseph were brought to their trial, and the priest said unto her, Mary, what hast thou done? 9 Why hast thou debased thy soul, and forgot thy God, seeing thou wast brought up in the Holy of Holies, and didst receive thy See Matt. i. 18. Joseph's trial THE PROTEVANGELION. food from the hands of angels, and heardest their songs ? 10 Why hast thou done this? 11 To which with a flood of tears she answered, As the Lord my God liveth, I am innocent in his sight, seeing I know no man. 12 Then the priest said to Joseph, Why hast thou done this? 13 And Joseph answered, As the Lord my God liveth, I have not been concerned with her. 14 But the priest said, Lie not, but declare the truth; thou hast privately married her, and not discovered it to the children of Israel, and humbled thyself under the mighty hand (of God), that thy seed might be blessed. 15 And Joseph was silent. 16 Then said the priest (to Joseph), You must restore to the temple of the Lord the Virgin which you took thence. 17 But he wept bitterly, and the priest added, I will cause you both to drink the water of the Lord,' which is for trial, and so your iniquity shall be laid open before you. and acquittal. CHAP. XII. 1 A decree from Augustus for taxing the Jews, 5 Joseph puts Mary on an ass, to return to Bethlehem, 6 she looks sorrowful, 7 she laughs, 8 Joseph inquires the cause of each, 9 she tells him she sees two persons, one mourning and the other rejoicing, 10 the delivery he takes her from the ass, being near, and places her in a cave. ND it came to pass, that Athere went forth a decree from the Emperor Augustus, that all the Jews should be taxed, who were of Bethlehem in Judæa: 2 And Joseph said, I will take care that my children be taxed: but what shall I do with this young woman? 3 To have her taxed as my wife I am ashamed; and if I tax her as my daughter, all Israel knows she is not my daughter. 4 When the time of the Lord's appointment shall come, let him do as seems good to him. 5 And he saddled the ass, and put her upon it, and Joseph and Simon followed after her, and arrived at Bethlehem within three miles. 6 Then Joseph turning about saw Mary sorrowful, and said within himself, Perhaps she is in pain through that which is within 18 Then the priest took the water, and made Joseph drink, and sent him to a mountainous her. place. 19 And he returned perfectly well, and all the people wondered that his guilt was not discovered. 20 So the priest said, Since the Lord hath not made your sins evident, neither do I condemn you. 21 So he sent them away. 22 Then Joseph took Mary, and went to his house, rejoicing and praising the God of Israel. Num. v. 18. 7 But when he turned about again he saw her laughing, and said to her, 8 Mary, how happens it, that I sometimes see sorrow, and sometimes laughter and joy in thy countenance? 9 And Mary replied to him, I see two people with mine eyes. the one weeping and mourning, the other laughing and rejoicing. 10 And he went again across the way, and Mary said to Jo 'Luke ii. 1. Miracles ut THE PROTEVANGELION. seph, Take me down from the ass, for that which is in me presses to come forth. 11 But Joseph replied, Whither shall I take thee for the place is desert. 12 Then said Mary again to Joseph, take me down, for that which is within me mightily presses me. 13 And Joseph took her down. 14 And he found there a cave, and let her into it. CHAP. XIII. 1 Joseph seeks a Hebrew midwife, 2 perceives the fowls stopping in their flight, 3 the working people at their food not moving, 8 the sheep standing still, 9 the shepherd fixed and immoveable, 10 and kids with their mouths touching the water but not drinking. A Marys labour. 9 And the shepherd lifted up his hand to smite them, and his hand continued up. 10 And I looked unto a river, and saw the kids with their mouths close to the water, and touching it, but they did not drink. СПАР. XIV. 1 Joseph finds a midwife. 10 A bright cloud overshadows the cave. 11 A great light in the cave, gradually in creases until the infant is born. 13 The midwife goes out, and tells Salome that she has seen a virgin bring forth. 17 Salome doubts it. 20 her hand withers, 22 she sup plicates the Lord, 28 is cured, 30 but warned not to declare what she had seen. TH ND leaving her and his sonsHEN I beheld a woman comin the cave, Joseph went ing down from the mounforth to seek a Hebrew midwife tains, and she said to me, Wherein the village of Bethlehem. art thou going, O man ? 2 But as I was going (said Joseph) I looked up into the air, and I saw the clouds astonished, and the fowls of the air stopping in the midst of their flight. 3 And I looked down towards the earth, and saw a table spread, and working people sitting around it, but their hands were upon the table, and they did not move to eat. 4 They who had meat in their inouths did not eat. 5 They who lifted their hands up to their heads did not draw them back : 6. And they who lifted them up to their mouths did not put anything in ; 2 And I said to her, I go to enquire for a Hebrew midwife. 3 She replied to me, Where is the woman that is to be delivered ? 4 And I answered, In the cave, and she is betrothed to me. 5 Then said the midwife, Is she not thy wife? 6 Joseph answered, It is Mary, who was educated in the Holy of Holies, in the house of the Lord, and she fell to me by lot, and is not my wife, but has conceived by the Holy Ghost. 7 The midwife said, Is this true? 8 He answered, Come and see. 9 And the midwife went along 7 But all their faces were fixed with him, and stood in the cave. upwards. 8 And I beheld the sheep dispersed, and yet the sheep stood till. 10 Then a bright cloud overshadowed the cave, and the midwife said, This day my soul is magnified, for mine eyes have |