These are all forms of
Christian Apocrypha
Revelation of Paul -
Revelation of John the Theologian -
Gospel of Marcion -
Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew - part 1 -
Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew - part 2 -
Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew - part 3 -
Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew - part 4 -
Gospel of Peter -
Gospel of the Nativity of Mary -
Gospel of Mary of Magdalene -
Gospel of James -
Gospel of Bartholomew -
Gospel of Nicodemus -
Consummation of Thomas the Apostle -
Compilation of Thomas - part 1 -
Compilation of Thomas - part 2 -
Apocalypse of the Virgin -
Apocalypse of Peter -
Apocalypse of Thomas -
Acts of Thomas -
Acts of Phillip -
Acts of Peter -
Acts of Peter and Paul -
Acts of Peter and Andrew -
Acts of Paul -
Acts of John -
Acts of John the Theologian -
Acts of Barnabus -
Acts of Andrew and Matthew -
Acts and Martyrdom of Matthew -
Acts and Martyrdom of Andrew
CHAP. 11.-- 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.
CHAP. 12.--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.
CHAP. 13.--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.
CHAP. 14.--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.
CHAP. 15.--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
CHAP. 16.--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
CHAP. 17--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
CHAP. 18.--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.
CHAP. 19.--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.
Part 3