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Or, an Historical Account of the BIRTH of CHRIST, and the perpetual

VIRGIN MARY, his Mother, by JAMES THE LESSER, Cousin and Brother

of the Lord Jesus, chief Apostle and first Bishop of the Christians in

Jerusalem.

CHAPTER I.

1 Joachim, a rich man,

2 offers to the Lord,

3 is opposed by Reuben the high priest,

because he has not begotten issue in Israel,

6 retires into the wilderness and fasts

forty days and forty nights.

IN the history of the twelve

tribes of Israel we read there

was a certain person called

Joachim, who being very rich, made

double offerings to the Lord God,

having made this resolution:

My substance shall be for the

benefit of the whole people, that

I may find mercy from the Lord

God for the forgiveness of my sins.

2 But at a certain great feast

of the Lord, when the children of

Israel offered their gifts, and

Joachim also offered his, Reuben the

high-priest opposed him, saying,

it is not lawful for thee to offer

thy gifts, seeing thou hast not

begot any issue in Israel.

3 At this, Joachim being

concerned very much, went away to

consult the registries of the twelve

tribes, to see whether he was the

only person who had begot no

issue.

4 But upon inquiry he found

that all the righteous had raised

up seed in Israel;

5 Then he called to mind the

patriarch Abraham, How that God

in the end of his life had given him

his son Isaac; upon which he was

exceedingly distressed, and would

not be seen by his wife:

6 But retired into the wilderness,

and fixed his tent there, and

fasted forty days and forty nights,

saying to himself,

7 I will not go down either to

eat or drink, till the Lord my

God shall look down upon me, but

prayer shall be my meat and drink.

CHAPTER. II.

1 Anna, the wife of Joachim mourns her Barrenness,

6 is reproached with it by Judith her maid,

9 sits under a laurel tree and prays to the Lord.

IN the mean time his wife Anna

was distressed and perplexed

on a double account, and said,

I will mourn both for my widowhood

and my barrenness.

2 Then drew near a great feast

of the Lord, and Judith her maid,

said, How long will you thus

afflict your soul? The feast of

the Lord is now come, when it is

unlawful for any one to mourn.

3 Take therefore this hood

which was given by one who

makes such things, for it is not

fit that I, who am a servant should

wear it, but it well suits a person

of your greater character.

4 But Anna replied, Depart

from me, I am not used to such

things; besides, the Lord hath

greatly humbled me.

5 I fear some ill-designing person

hath given thee this, and thou

art come to reproach me with my sin.

6 Then Judith her maid answered,

what evil shall I wish you,

when you will not hearken to me?

7 I cannot wish you a greater

curse than you are under, in that

God hath shut up your womb, that

you should not be a mother in

Israel.

8 At this Anna was exceedingly

troubled, and having on her wedding

garment, went about three o'clock

in the afternoon to walk in her

garden.

9 And she saw a laurel-tree and

sat under it, and prayed unto the

Lord, saying,

10 O God of my fathers, bless

me and regard my prayer, as thou

didst bless the womb of Sarah;

and gavest her a son Isaac.

CHAPTER III.

1 Anna perceiving a sparrow's nest in the

laurels bemoans her barrenness.

AND as she was looking towards

heaven she perceive a sparrow's

nest in the laurel,

2 And mourning within herself,

she said, Wo is me, who begat

me? and what womb did bear

me, that I should be thus

accursed before the children of

Israel, and that they should

reproach and deride me in the

temple of my God: Wo is me,

to what can I be compared?

3 I am not comparable to the

very beasts of the earth, for even

the beasts of the earth are fruitful

before thee, O Lord! Wo is me,

to what can I be compared?

4 I am not compared to the

brute animal, for even the brute

animals are fruitful before thee,

O Lord! Wo is me, to what am I

comparable?

5 I cannot be comparable to

these waters, for even the waters

are fruitful before thee, O Lord!

Wo is me, to what can I be compared?

6 I am not comparable to the

waves of the sea; for these,

whether they are calm, or in motion,

with the fishes which are in them,

praise thee, O Lord! Wo is me to

what can I be compared?

7 I am not comparable to the

very earth, for the earth produces

its fruits, and praises thee, O Lord!

CHAPTER IV.

1 An Angel appears to Anna and tells her she shall conceive;

two angels appear on the same errand.

5 Joachim sacrifices.

8 Anna goes to meet him,

9 rejoicing that she shall conceive.

THEN an angel of the Lord

stood by her and said, Anna,

Anna, the Lord hath heard thy

prayer; thou shalt conceive and

bring forth, and thy progeny shall

be spoken of in all the world.

2 And Anna answered, As the

Lord my God liveth, whatever I

bring forth, whether it be male or

female, I will devote it to the Lord

my God and it shall minister to

him in holy things, during its

whole life.

3 And behold there appeared

two angels, saying unto her,

Behold Joachim thy husband is

coming with his shepherds.

4 For an angel of the Lord

hath also come down to him, and

said, The Lord God hath heard

thy prayer, make haste and go

hence, for behold Anna thy wife

shall conceive.

5 And Joachim went down and

called his shepherds, saying, Bring

me hither ten she-lambs without

spot or blemish, and they shall

be for the Lord my God.

6 And bring me twelve calves

without blemish, and the twelve

calves shall be for the priests and

the elders.

7 Bring me also a hundred

goats, and the hundred goats shall

be for the whole people.

8 And Joachim went down with

the shepherds, and Anna stood

by the gate and saw Joachim

coming with the shepherds.

9 And she ran, and hanging

about his neck, said, Now I know

that the Lord hath greatly blessed

me:

10 For behold, I who was as a

widow am no longer as a widow, and

I who was barren shall conceive.

CHAPTER V.

1 Joachim abides the first day in his house but

sacrifices on the morrow.

2 Consults the plate on the priests forehead,

3 and is without sin.

6 Anna brings forth a daughter,

9 whom she calls Mary.

AND Joachim abode the first

day in his house, but on the

morrow he brought his offerings,

and said,

2 If the Lord be propitious to

me let the plate which is on the

priests forehead make it manifest.

3 And he consulted the plate

which the priest wore, and saw it,

and behold sin was not found in

him.

4 And Joachim said, Now I know

that the Lord is propitious

to me, and hath taken away all

my sins.

5 And he went down from the

temple of the Lord justified,

and he went to his own house.

6 And when nine months were

fulfilled to Anna, she brought

forth, and said to the midwife,

What have I brought forth?

7 And she told her, A girl.

8 Then Anna said, The Lord

hath this day magnified my soul;

and she laid her in bed.

9 And when the days of her

purification were accomplished,

she gave suck to the child; and

called her name Mary.

CHAPTER VI.

1 Mary at nine months old, walks nine steps.

3 Anna keeps her holy.

4 When she is a year old, Joachim makes a great feast.

7 Anna gives her the breast, and sings a song to the Lord.

AND the child increased in

strength every day, so that

when she was nine months old, her

mother put her upon the ground,

to try if she could stand; and

when she had walked nine steps,

she came again to her mother's

lap.

2 Then her mother caught her

up, and said, As the Lord my God

liveth, thou shalt not walk again

on this earth, till I bring thee

into the temple of the Lord.

3 Accordingly she made her

chamber a holy place, and suffered

nothing uncommon or unclean to

come near her, but invited certain

undefiled daughters of Israel, and

they drew her aside.

4 But when the child was a year

old, Joachim made a great feast,

and invited the priests, scribes,

elders, and all the people of

Israel;

5 And Joachim then made an

offering of the girl to the chief-

priests, and they blessed her,

saying, The God of our fathers bless

this girl, and give her a name

famous and lasting through all

generations. And all the people

replied, So be it, Amen:

6 Then Joachim a second time

offered her to the priests, and they

blessed her, saying, O most high

God, regard this girl, and bless

her with an everlasting blessing.

7 Upon this her mother took

her up, and gave her the breast,

and sung the following song to the

Lord.

8 I will sing a song unto the

Lord my God, for he hath visited

me, and taken away from me the

reproach of mine enemies, and

hath given me the fruit of his

righteousness, that it may now be

told the sons of Reuben, that Anna

gives suck.

9 Then she put the child to rest

in the room which she had consecrated,

and she went out and ministered unto

them.

10 And when the feast was

ended, they went away rejoicing,

and praising the God of Israel.

CHAPTER VII.

3 Mary being three years old, Joachim causes certain virgins to

light each a lamp, and goes with her to the temple.

5 The high-priest places her on the third step of the altar, and

sits dances with her feet.

BUT the girl grew, and when

she was two years old, Joachim

said to Anna, Let us lead her

to the temple of the Lord,

that we may perform our vow,

which we have vowed unto the

Lord God, lest he should be angry

with us, and our offering be

unacceptable.

2 But Anna said, Let us wait

the third year, lest she should

be at a loss to know her father.

And Joachim said, Let us then

wait.

3 And when the child was

three years old, Joachim said,

Let us invite the daughters of the

Hebrews, who are undefiled, and let

them take each a lamp, and let

them be lighted, that the child

may not turn back again, and her

mind be set against the temple of

the Lord,

4 And they did thus till they

ascended into the temple of the Lord.

And the high-priest received her,

and blessed her, and said, Mary,

the Lord God hath magnified thy

name to all generations, and to the

very end of time by thee will the

Lord shew his redemption to the

children of Israel.

5 And he placed her upon the

third step of the altar, and the

Lord gave unto her grace, and she

dance with her feet, and all the

house of Israel loved her.

CHAPTER VIII.

2 Mary fed in the temple by angels.

3 When twelve years old the priests consult what to do with her.

6 The angel of the Lord warns Zacharias to call together all the

widowers, each bringing a rod.

7 The people meet by sound of trumpet.

8 Joseph throws away his hatchet, and goes to the meeting.

11 A dove comes forth from his rod, and alights on his head.

12 He is chosen to betroth the Virgin,

13 refuses because he is an old man,

14 is compelled,

16 takes her home, and goes to mind his trade of building.

AND her parents went away

filled with wonder, and praising God,

because the girl did not return back

to them.

2 But Mary continued in the

temple as a dove educated there,

and received her food from the

hand of an angel.

3 And when she was twelve

years of age, the priests met in a

council, and said, Behold, Mary is

twelve years of age, what shall we

do with her, for fear lest the holy

place of the Lord our God should

be defiled?

4 Then replied the priests to

Zacharias the high-priest, Do you

stand at the altar of the Lord, and

enter into the holy place, and make

petitions concerning her, and

whatsoever the Lord shall manifest

unto you, that do.

5 Then the high-priest entered

into the Holy of Holies, and taking

away with him the breast-plate of

judgment made prayers concerning her;

6 And behold the angel of the

Lord came to him, and said,

Zacharias, Zacharias, Go forth and

call together all the widowers

among the people, and let every

one of them bring his rod, and

he by whom the Lord shall shew

a sign shall be the husband of

Mary.

7 And the criers went out

through all Judaea, and the trumpet

of the Lord sounded, and all

the people ran and met together.

8 Joseph also throwing away

his hatchet, went out to meet

them; and when they were met,

they went to the high-priest;

taking every man his rod.

9 After the high-priest had

received their rods, he went

into the temple to pray;

10 And when he had finished

his prayer, he took the rods, and

went forth and distributed them,

and there was no miracle attended

them.

11 The last rod was taken by

Joseph, said 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.

CHAPTER IX.

1 The priests desire a new veil for the temple,

3 seven 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, becomes dumb.

7 Mary takes a pot to draw water, and hears a voice,

8 trembles and begins to work,

9 an angel Appears and salutes her, and tells her she

shall conceive by the Holy Ghost,

17 she submits.

19 Visits her cousin Elizabeth, whose child in her womb leaps.

AND 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.

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.

9 And behold the angel of the

Lord stood by her, and said, Fear

not, Mary, for thou hast found

favour in the sight of God.

10 Which when she heard, 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

Living 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

barren: for nothing is impossible

with God.

17 And Mary said, Behold the

handmaid of the Lord; let it be

unto me according to thy word.

18 And when she had wrought

her purple, she carried it to the

high-priest, and the high-priest

blessed her, saying, Mary, the

Lord God hath magnified thy name,

and thou shalt 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,

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?