his barrenness. THE PROTEVANGELION.

Angels

6 Then Judith her maid an- the very beasts of the earth, swered, What evil shall I wish for even the beasts of the earth you, since you will not harken are fruitful before thee, O Lord! Woe is me, to what can I be compared ?

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.

4 I am not comparable to the brute animals, for even the brute animals are fruitful before thee, O Lord! Wo is me, what am I comparable ? 5 I cannot be compared to

8 At this Anna was exceed-to ingly troubled, and having on her wedding garment, went a- these waters, for even the wabout three o'clock in the after-ters are fruitful before thee, O noon to walk in her garden. Lord! Wo is me, to what can 9 And she saw a laurel-tree, I be compared ? and sat under it, and prayed unto the Lord, saying,

6 I am not comparable to the waves of the sea; for these, 10 O God of my fathers, whether they are calm, or in bless me and regard my pray-motion, with the fishes which er, as thou didst bless the womb are in them, praise thee, O of Sarah, and gavest her a son Lord! Wo is me, to what can Isaac.* I be compared ?

CHAP. III. 1 Anna perceiving a sparrow's nest in the laurel bemoans

her barrenness.

7 I am not comparable to the very earth, for the earth produces its fruits, and praises thee, O Lord!

ND as she was looking towards heaven, she 1 perceived a sparrow's nests in the laurel,

2 And mourning within herself, she said, Wo is who me, begat me? and what womb did bare 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

*Gen. xxi. 2.

CHAP. IV.

An angel appears to Anna and tells her she shall conceive; 3 two angels appear to her on the same errand. 8 5 Joachim sacrifices. 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 couceive and bring forth, and thy progeny shall be spo

ken of in all the world.

foretel

THE PROTEVANGELION. Mary's birth.

CHAP. V.

2 And Anna answered, ow, and I who was barren As the Lord my God liveth, shall conceive. whatever I bring forth, whether it be male or female, I will devote it to the Lord my God. 1 and it shall minister to him in holy things, during its whole life.

Joachim abides the first day in his house but sacrifices on the morrow, 2 consults the plate on the priest's forehead, 3 and is without sin. 6 Anna brings forth a daughter, 9 whom she calls Mary.

A

ND Joachim abode the first day in his house,

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 but on the morrow he brought heard thy prayer, make haste his offerings, and said, and go hence, for behold An- 2 If the Lord be propitious na thy wife shall conceive.

to me, let the plate which is on the priest's forehead* make

it manifest.

5 And Joachim went down, and called his shepherds, saying, Bring me hither ten she3 And he consulted the lambs without spot or blem- plate which the priest wore, ish, and they shall be for the and Lord my God.

saw it, and behold sin was not found in him.

6 And bring me twelve 4 And Joachim said, Now calves without blemish, and I know that the Lord is prothe twelve calves shall be for pitious to me, and hath taken the priests and the elders. away all my sins.

7 Bring me also a hund- 5 And he went down from red goats, and the hundred goats the temple of the Lord justifishall be for the whole people. ed, and he went to his own 8 And Joachim went down house.

with the shepherds, and Anna 6 And when nine months stood by the gate, and saw were fulfilled to Anna, she Joachim coming with the shep-brought forth, and said to the herds, midwife, What have I brought forth?

9 And she ran, and hanging about his neck, said, Now I know that the Lord hath greatly blessed me;

7 And she told her, A girl.

*Such an instrument God had appointed the high-priest to wear for such discoveries. See Exod. xxviii. 36, &c., and Spencer de Urim et

10 For behold, I who was a widow am no longer a wid-Thummim.

Joachim makes THE PROTEVANGELION.

a feast.

8 Then Anna said, The priests, scribes, elders, and all Lord hath this day magnified the people of Israel; my soul; and she laid her in bed.

5 And Joachim then made an offering of the girl to the chief-priests, and they blessed

9 And when the days of her purification were accomplish-her, saying, The God of our

ed, she gave suck to the child, and called her name Mary.

CHAP. VI.

fathers bless this girl, and give her a name famous and lasting through all generations.And all the people replied, So

1 Mary at nine months old, be it Amen: walks nine steps, 3 Anna

6 Then Joachim a second keeps her holy, 4 when she time offered her to the priests, is a year old, Joachim and they blessed her, saying, makes a great feast, 7 An- O most high God, regard this na gives her the breast and girl, and bless her with an evsings a song to the Lord. erlasting blessing.

A

ND the child increased

7 Upon this her mother in strength every day, took her up, and gave her the so that when she was nine breast, and sung the following months old, her mother put song to the Lord :*

her upon the ground to try if 8 I will sing a song unto she could stand; and when the Lord my God, for he hath she had walked nine steps, visited me, and taken away she came again to her moth-from me the reproach of mine er's lap. enemies, and hath given me 2 Then her mother caught the fruit of his righteousness, her up, and said, As the Lord that it may now be told to the my God liveth, thou shalt not sons of Reuben, that Anna walk again on this earth, till I gives suck. bring thee into the temple of the Lord.

9 Then she put the child to rest in the room which she 3 Accordingly she made had consecrated, and she went her chamber a holy place,and out and ministered unto them. suffered nothing common or 10 And when the feast was unclean to come near her, but ended, they went away rejoiinvited certain undefiled daugh- cing, and praising the God of ters of Israel, and they drew Israel. her aside.

4 But when the child was a year old, Joachim made a great feast, and invited the

CHAP. VII.

3 Mary being three years old

*Compare 1 Sam. ii. 1, &c. with

Luke, i. 46.

THE PROTEVANGELION.

Joachim causes certain vir- demption to the children of Is-
gins to light each a lamp, rael.

and with her to the 5 And he placed her upon
goes
temple. 5 The high-priest the third step of the altar, and
places her on the third step the Lord gave unto her grace,
of the altar, and she dances and she danced with her feet,
with her feet.
and all the house of Israel lov-
ed her.

way filled with wonder, and praising God, because the 4 And they did thus till girl did not return back to they ascended into the temple them. of the Lord. And the high- 2 But Mary continued in priest received her, and bles- the temple, as a dove educased her, and said, Mary, the ted there, and received her Lord God hath magnified thy food from the hand of an anname to all generations, and gel.

will the Lord shew his re- years of age, the priests met

Is married

THE PROTEVANGELION.

to Joseph. in a council, and said, Behold, received their rods, he went Mary is twelve years of age; into the temple to pray ; what shall we do with her, for 10 And when he had finfear lest the holy place of the ished his prayer, he took the Lord our God should be defil-rods, and went forth and dised? tributed them, and there was

4 Then replied the priests no miracle attended them. to Zacharias the high-priest, 11 The last rod was taken Do you stand at the altar of by Joseph, and behold, a dove the Lord, and enter into the proceeded out of the rod, and holy place, and make petitions flew upon the head of Joseph. concerning her, and whatsoev- 12 And the high-priest said, er the Lord shall manifest un-Joseph, Thou art the person to you, that do. chosen to take the Virgin of

*

5 Then the high-priest en- the Lord, to keep her for tered into the Holy of Holies, him ; and taking away with him the 13 But Joseph refused, saybreast-plate of judgment, ing, I am an old man, and made prayers concerning her; have children,but she is young, 6 And behold the angel of and I fear lest I should apthe Lord came to him, and pear ridiculous in Israel. said, Zacharias, Zacharias, Go 14 Then the high-priest reforth and call together all plied, Joseph, Fear the Lord the widowers among the peo- thy God, and remember how ple, and let every one of them God dealt with Dathan, Kobring his rod, and he by whom rah, and Abiram, how the the Lord shall shew a sign earth opened and swallowed shall be the husband of Mary. them up, because of their con7 And the criers went out tradiction. through all Judæa, and the trumpet of the Lord sounded, and all the people ran and met together.

15 Now therefore, Joseph, fear God, lest the like things should happen in your family. 16 Joseph then being a8 ¶Joseph also throwing a- fraid, took her unto his house, way his hatchet, went out to and Joseph said unto Mary, meet them; and when they Behold, I have taken thee were met, they went to the from the temple of the Lord, high-priest, taking every man and now I will leave thee in my house; I must go to mind The 9 After the high-priest had my trade of building. Lord be with thee.

his rod.

*See Exod. xxviii, 22 &c.