The Life of Joseph (the earthly father of Jesus or Yeshua)
Much of our historical records and scriptures after 300 AD have many missing information or probably have been adjusted. Some of these probably attributed to the propaganda and hidden agenda of the Roman Empire at the time. So, The Romans may have burnt scriptures from the original Israelites, probably selected, adjusted the original text and white wash all paintings to suit their propaganda agenda ....perhaps using religion to unite the empire.
The person left out in our scriptures today is the life of Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus. This page is dedicated to tell the story of his life, his labors and his passing from this earth.
Joseph was probably born around 95 BC and died around 16 AD when Jesus was about 18 years old. According to "Super Gospel" compiled by Robert Ferrell, Joseph got married at 40 years of age to a woman. Joseph fathered 4 sons (Judas/Joses, Justus, James, and Simon) and 2 daughters (Assia and Lydia) with her. However, Joseph became a widower when his wife passed away after 49 years of marriage. A year later, Joseph at about 90 years old was entrusted the custody of a 12 year-old Mary till she could find a suitable husband. At that time, 4 out of the 6 children of Joseph already married and have families of their own. Only Joses and James were with Joseph when Mary came into the family.
The background of Mary was that she was dedicated to God by her parents. So, the tribe of Judah decided to put Mary into the custody of a just and pious man until she could find a suitable husband. So the elders promptly sent word, and assembled twelve elderly men from the line of Judah. They wrote out the names of the twelve Israelite tribes, and the lot fell upon the elderly, devout, and upright Joseph. Now when at last the priests were resolved, they said to Mary to go with Joseph and remained with him until it’s time for her to wed.
We know that Joseph suffered a lot taking Mary into his household from the time of her pregnancy with Jesus, the hassles of Satan wanting to kill Baby Jesus, Jesus as a toddler and dealing with Jesus childhood till about 18 years of age when Joseph passed away. Imagine a 90-year old man who already had his 6 grown children, had to start all over with a young girl (who was younger than his grandsons) pregnant in his care, being wrongly accused for making her pregnant out of wedlock and the struggles continued till he died at the age of 111 years old on Abib 26. We are attaching relevant passages of the life of Joseph to commemorate Joseph for his long suffering, labor and dedication to the important work of God's salvation to humanity.
Joseph, if you can hear us from Heaven, we remember you and praise God for you and your labor.....Amen.
Happy Reading.....
(Reference: Super Gospel from Robert Ferrell)
MARY GOES TO LIVE AS JOSEPH’S WARD
(HJC 2-4; BMary 6:1)
Bethlehem
(HJC 2-4; BMary 6:1)
Bethlehem
Now there was this elderly man named Joseph who was from the family and city of King David, the Judean town of Bethlehem. This man was trained in all knowledge and wisdom, and had been made a priest in the Lord’s temple. He was skilled in his carpenter’s trade, and he took a wife as other men do--fathering four sons, whose names were Judas, Justus, James, and Simon; and also two daughters, whose names were Assia and Lydia. In due course, the wife of the righteous Joseph, a woman who was bent on holiness in all that she did, passed away. But that venerable man Joseph, my father according to the flesh, and husband to my mother Mary, went off to his business and practiced carpentry with his sons.
Now my blessed, holy, and unblemished mother Mary was already twelve years old by the time the honorable Joseph had become a widower. Her parents had dedicated her to the temple when she was three, you see, and for nine years she lived in the temple of the Lord. Then, when the priests recognized that the saintly and God-loving Virgin was coming of age, they talked it over with one another. “Let us try and find a just and pious man,” they agreed, “to whom we may entrust Mary until such time as she should wed, just in case what normally happens among women should take place within her while housed in it, for should we fail to do this thing, we might bring God’s wrath down on ourselves.” So they promptly sent word, and assembled twelve elderly men
from the line of Judah. They wrote out the names of the twelve Israelite tribes, and the lot fell upon the elderly, devout, and upright
Joseph. Now when at last the priests were resolved, they said to my blessed mother: “Go with Joseph, and remain with him until it’s time for you to wed.” So the righteous Joseph accepted my mother and took her away to his own home. And Mary found the Lesser James heartbroken and downcast over the recent loss of his mother, so she looked after him in his father’s house; and this is why Mary is spoken of as the mother of James. From that time forward Joseph left her at home and went away to his carpenter’s shop and practiced his trade. And after living in his home for two years from the time that he took her in, Mary was fourteen years of age.
Now my blessed, holy, and unblemished mother Mary was already twelve years old by the time the honorable Joseph had become a widower. Her parents had dedicated her to the temple when she was three, you see, and for nine years she lived in the temple of the Lord. Then, when the priests recognized that the saintly and God-loving Virgin was coming of age, they talked it over with one another. “Let us try and find a just and pious man,” they agreed, “to whom we may entrust Mary until such time as she should wed, just in case what normally happens among women should take place within her while housed in it, for should we fail to do this thing, we might bring God’s wrath down on ourselves.” So they promptly sent word, and assembled twelve elderly men
from the line of Judah. They wrote out the names of the twelve Israelite tribes, and the lot fell upon the elderly, devout, and upright
Joseph. Now when at last the priests were resolved, they said to my blessed mother: “Go with Joseph, and remain with him until it’s time for you to wed.” So the righteous Joseph accepted my mother and took her away to his own home. And Mary found the Lesser James heartbroken and downcast over the recent loss of his mother, so she looked after him in his father’s house; and this is why Mary is spoken of as the mother of James. From that time forward Joseph left her at home and went away to his carpenter’s shop and practiced his trade. And after living in his home for two years from the time that he took her in, Mary was fourteen years of age.
MARY ORDERED TO WED
(BMary 5:3-17; PEv 8:3-6; PsMt 8)
The Temple, Jerusalem
(BMary 5:3-17; PEv 8:3-6; PsMt 8)
The Temple, Jerusalem
And it happened that by the time Mary had reached the age of fourteen, every upright person who had ever met her respected her
lifestyle and manner of speaking, and no malicious person could accuse her of any wrongdoing. Then the Pharisees affirmed that
because she had turned fourteen, and because it had been such a longstanding practice, no woman who had reached that particular age should remain within the temple of God. So the high priest issued this decree: “All fourteen-year-old virgins who have reached physical maturity, and who reside in the temple’s public housing, should return to their own homes and seek to be wed in accordance with the custom of their nation.” Mary, the Lord’s Virgin, was the only one to refuse, even though the other virgins were eager to comply, saying that she could not for the following reasons: that both she and her parents had given her to the Lord’s service and that, moreover, she had pledged her virginity to the Lord, which was a vow that she was determined
never to break by sleeping with a man.
This put the high priest in a difficult position because he realized that he could not annul the vow, disobeying the Scripture that reads, “vow and pay,” nor did he wish to set a precedent that would seem foreign to the people. So he ordered all of the prominent people of Jerusalem and its surrounding areas to convene during the approaching feast, and to offer up their recommendations as to the most prudent option for such a difficult situation. And after they had gathered together, he said to them, “Look, Mary has turned fourteen in the temple of the Lord. What should we do to keep her from polluting the Lord’s temple?” They all agreed that it would be best to consult the Lord and to seek His advice. They therefore said to the high priest: “You serve at the Lord’s altar. Enter into the sanctuary and pray with regard to her situation, and we will comply with whatever the Lord should reveal to you.” Then they joined together in prayer, and the high priest took the breastplate of judgment, entered into the holy of holies and prayed her circumstances over. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Zechariah, Zechariah, go and gather all of the widowers from among the people.” And all who were there heard a voice coming from the ark and the mercy seat, which said that the virgin ought to be betrothed to the one determined according to the prophecy out of the book of Isaiah, for Isaiah says,
“A staff will proceed from the stem of Jesse,
And a flower will bud from its root,
And the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him;
The Spirit that enkindles wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit that delivers power and instruction,
The Spirit that conveys knowledge and virtue,
And the Spirit that inspires an awe of the Lord will direct him.”
And so it happened that they came across the idea of sending a herald
out to the Israelite tribes and gathering them together in the Lord’s temple on the third day.
lifestyle and manner of speaking, and no malicious person could accuse her of any wrongdoing. Then the Pharisees affirmed that
because she had turned fourteen, and because it had been such a longstanding practice, no woman who had reached that particular age should remain within the temple of God. So the high priest issued this decree: “All fourteen-year-old virgins who have reached physical maturity, and who reside in the temple’s public housing, should return to their own homes and seek to be wed in accordance with the custom of their nation.” Mary, the Lord’s Virgin, was the only one to refuse, even though the other virgins were eager to comply, saying that she could not for the following reasons: that both she and her parents had given her to the Lord’s service and that, moreover, she had pledged her virginity to the Lord, which was a vow that she was determined
never to break by sleeping with a man.
This put the high priest in a difficult position because he realized that he could not annul the vow, disobeying the Scripture that reads, “vow and pay,” nor did he wish to set a precedent that would seem foreign to the people. So he ordered all of the prominent people of Jerusalem and its surrounding areas to convene during the approaching feast, and to offer up their recommendations as to the most prudent option for such a difficult situation. And after they had gathered together, he said to them, “Look, Mary has turned fourteen in the temple of the Lord. What should we do to keep her from polluting the Lord’s temple?” They all agreed that it would be best to consult the Lord and to seek His advice. They therefore said to the high priest: “You serve at the Lord’s altar. Enter into the sanctuary and pray with regard to her situation, and we will comply with whatever the Lord should reveal to you.” Then they joined together in prayer, and the high priest took the breastplate of judgment, entered into the holy of holies and prayed her circumstances over. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Zechariah, Zechariah, go and gather all of the widowers from among the people.” And all who were there heard a voice coming from the ark and the mercy seat, which said that the virgin ought to be betrothed to the one determined according to the prophecy out of the book of Isaiah, for Isaiah says,
“A staff will proceed from the stem of Jesse,
And a flower will bud from its root,
And the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him;
The Spirit that enkindles wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit that delivers power and instruction,
The Spirit that conveys knowledge and virtue,
And the Spirit that inspires an awe of the Lord will direct him.”
And so it happened that they came across the idea of sending a herald
out to the Israelite tribes and gathering them together in the Lord’s temple on the third day.
JOSEPH CHOSEN TO TAKE MARY
(BMary 6:1-7; PEv 8:7-16; PsMt 8)
The Temple, Jerusalem
(BMary 6:1-7; PEv 8:7-16; PsMt 8)
The Temple, Jerusalem
So in accordance with this prophecy, he ordered every available and eligible man of David’s line to bring his own rod up to the altar. The man from whose staff a flower would bud, and upon which the Lord’s Spirit would alight in the form of a dove would be the one to whom the Virgin should be betrothed. And the criers went throughout the Judean countryside. Then the Lord’s trumpet blared and everyone came running up. Among them was Joseph, who tossed aside his carpenter’s ax and joined in the gathering. And when they had all assembled in one place, the high priest Abiathar got up and ascended to a higher step, that all of the people might see him and hear. And when he had gotten them to quiet down, Abiathar declared, “Sons of Israel, listen! Open your ears and hearken to my words. From the time that Solomon built this temple, it has housed virgins--the daughters of kings and of prophets, of priests and of high priests--and great and venerable were they. But when the time was right they followed in the footsteps of their mothers, and were married off, and so were deemed to be pleasing to God.
But Mary has found a new way of life for herself; promising to continue in her vow of virginity to God. For this reason, I think it is right to determine into whose care she should be given by asking God and receiving His response.” These words were accepted by the synagogue, so the priests cast the lot on the twelve tribes, and it fell upon the tribe of Judah. “Tomorrow,” the priest announced, “let all who are without a wife come together, staff in hand.” So Joseph brought his rod along, as did all the younger
men, each of whom took his staff up to the high priest. But when everyone else handed their rods in, Joseph held his own rod back. After he had taken the staffs, the high priest entered into the temple and prayed. And after he had finished his prayer, he gathered them, returned with them, and distributed them among the men; but no sign appeared on any of them. So when nothing that the heavenly voice had spoken of seemed to happen, the high priest decided that it would be best to once again consult the Lord, Whose answer was that the virgin should be engaged to the one man in the whole crowd who had not turned in his staff.
Joseph handed in his rod, and when the high priest had received them, he sacrificed to the Lord God and sought an answer from Him. “Put their staffs into God’s holy of holies,” the Lord instructed him, “and leave them all there. Tell them to return tomorrow and receive their rods back. Let Mary be delivered into the keeping of the man who shows this sign: ‘when his staff is returned into his hand, a dove will issue from its tip, and fly away into the sky.’” So they all assembled early the next morning. Then incense was offered up, and the high priest entered into the holy of holies and brought out the rods. Then he handed them out again, but no dove came from any of them. The high priest then donned the twelve bells and the priestly robe, entered into the holy of holies, burnt an offering and said a prayer. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Here is the shortest staff. You did not count it up or take it out with the others, though you brought it in with all the rest. Now after you have taken it out and given it to its owner, the sign that I spoke to you about will appear.” Joseph was therefore exposed, because the staff belonged to him. He had been passed up, so to speak, that on account of his old age he might not get her--and neither did he wish to ask for it back. And as he stood there meekly, last of all, the high priest thundered, “Joseph! We are all waiting for you to come and get your staff.”
Now because the high priest had called him with such vehemence, Joseph went up trembling. So he received his staff after
everyone else had received theirs. Now as soon as he had reached out his hand and taken hold thereof, from out of the sky flew a beautiful dove, which was even whiter than snow, and perched upon it. Then the dove flew off of it and onto Joseph’s head. Then, after flying around the rooftops of the temple for quite awhile, it flew away into the heavens. Now everyone saw clearly that the virgin was to be betrothed to him, so they congratulated the old man and said, “Father Joseph, you have been blessed in your old age, for God has deemed you to be worthy of Mary.” Then the priests all counseled Joseph:
“You must accept her, for out of the entire line of Judah, God has chosen you alone to take the Lord’s virgin into your care.” But Joseph answered them sheepishly, “I am an old man, with sons of my own; she is but a little girl. I have children already, so why are you giving me this young maiden, who is even younger than my grandsons? I protest for fear of becoming an object of ridicule in Israel.” “Joseph,”the high priest Abiathar cautioned, “you ought to fear the Lord your God and call to mind what he did to Dathan, Abiram, and Korah; how the earth was ripped apart and all of them were swallowed up. It was for their disobedience (and) contempt for God’s will that they perished. Watch out Joseph, and realize that all of this could come to pass in your house too. It most certainly will happen if you scorn what God demands.” “Truly I do not despise God’s will,” Joseph replied, “but I will foster her until I know to which of my sons it is His will to give her. Let some of her virgin friends be given her for companionship and consolation.” “Five virgins will indeed be conceded,” the high priest Abiathar responded, “but only until the day comes for you to take her to yourself, for she cannot marry anyone but you.” So Joseph, growing fearful, accepted Mary into his charge, along
with Rebecca, Sephora, Susanna, Abigea, and Zael, the five (other) maidens who were to live with her in Joseph’s house, and to whom the high priest would give the silk, the blue, the choice linen, the scarlet, the purple, and the fine flax. “Mary,” said Joseph, “I have accepted you from the Lord’s temple, but for now I must leave you in my house to go away and do some building. I will come again for you, and may the Lord watch over you.”
But Mary has found a new way of life for herself; promising to continue in her vow of virginity to God. For this reason, I think it is right to determine into whose care she should be given by asking God and receiving His response.” These words were accepted by the synagogue, so the priests cast the lot on the twelve tribes, and it fell upon the tribe of Judah. “Tomorrow,” the priest announced, “let all who are without a wife come together, staff in hand.” So Joseph brought his rod along, as did all the younger
men, each of whom took his staff up to the high priest. But when everyone else handed their rods in, Joseph held his own rod back. After he had taken the staffs, the high priest entered into the temple and prayed. And after he had finished his prayer, he gathered them, returned with them, and distributed them among the men; but no sign appeared on any of them. So when nothing that the heavenly voice had spoken of seemed to happen, the high priest decided that it would be best to once again consult the Lord, Whose answer was that the virgin should be engaged to the one man in the whole crowd who had not turned in his staff.
Joseph handed in his rod, and when the high priest had received them, he sacrificed to the Lord God and sought an answer from Him. “Put their staffs into God’s holy of holies,” the Lord instructed him, “and leave them all there. Tell them to return tomorrow and receive their rods back. Let Mary be delivered into the keeping of the man who shows this sign: ‘when his staff is returned into his hand, a dove will issue from its tip, and fly away into the sky.’” So they all assembled early the next morning. Then incense was offered up, and the high priest entered into the holy of holies and brought out the rods. Then he handed them out again, but no dove came from any of them. The high priest then donned the twelve bells and the priestly robe, entered into the holy of holies, burnt an offering and said a prayer. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Here is the shortest staff. You did not count it up or take it out with the others, though you brought it in with all the rest. Now after you have taken it out and given it to its owner, the sign that I spoke to you about will appear.” Joseph was therefore exposed, because the staff belonged to him. He had been passed up, so to speak, that on account of his old age he might not get her--and neither did he wish to ask for it back. And as he stood there meekly, last of all, the high priest thundered, “Joseph! We are all waiting for you to come and get your staff.”
Now because the high priest had called him with such vehemence, Joseph went up trembling. So he received his staff after
everyone else had received theirs. Now as soon as he had reached out his hand and taken hold thereof, from out of the sky flew a beautiful dove, which was even whiter than snow, and perched upon it. Then the dove flew off of it and onto Joseph’s head. Then, after flying around the rooftops of the temple for quite awhile, it flew away into the heavens. Now everyone saw clearly that the virgin was to be betrothed to him, so they congratulated the old man and said, “Father Joseph, you have been blessed in your old age, for God has deemed you to be worthy of Mary.” Then the priests all counseled Joseph:
“You must accept her, for out of the entire line of Judah, God has chosen you alone to take the Lord’s virgin into your care.” But Joseph answered them sheepishly, “I am an old man, with sons of my own; she is but a little girl. I have children already, so why are you giving me this young maiden, who is even younger than my grandsons? I protest for fear of becoming an object of ridicule in Israel.” “Joseph,”the high priest Abiathar cautioned, “you ought to fear the Lord your God and call to mind what he did to Dathan, Abiram, and Korah; how the earth was ripped apart and all of them were swallowed up. It was for their disobedience (and) contempt for God’s will that they perished. Watch out Joseph, and realize that all of this could come to pass in your house too. It most certainly will happen if you scorn what God demands.” “Truly I do not despise God’s will,” Joseph replied, “but I will foster her until I know to which of my sons it is His will to give her. Let some of her virgin friends be given her for companionship and consolation.” “Five virgins will indeed be conceded,” the high priest Abiathar responded, “but only until the day comes for you to take her to yourself, for she cannot marry anyone but you.” So Joseph, growing fearful, accepted Mary into his charge, along
with Rebecca, Sephora, Susanna, Abigea, and Zael, the five (other) maidens who were to live with her in Joseph’s house, and to whom the high priest would give the silk, the blue, the choice linen, the scarlet, the purple, and the fine flax. “Mary,” said Joseph, “I have accepted you from the Lord’s temple, but for now I must leave you in my house to go away and do some building. I will come again for you, and may the Lord watch over you.”
JOSEPH DISCOVERS THAT MARY IS PREGNANT
(BMary 6:6,7/8:1-11; PEv 13:1-14:2;
Matt 1:19-24; PsMt 10,11; HJC 5; AsIs 11:4)
Capernaum; Bethlehem; Nazareth
(BMary 6:6,7/8:1-11; PEv 13:1-14:2;
Matt 1:19-24; PsMt 10,11; HJC 5; AsIs 11:4)
Capernaum; Bethlehem; Nazareth
Even as all of this was going on, Joseph, because he was a carpenter, was busily at work on a house-building project near the
seaside district in Capernaum, where he remained for nine months. Now after the nine months had passed, as the customary engagement ceremonies were drawing to a close, three months after Mary’s conception, that venerable man Joseph left the building site and returned to his hometown of Bethlehem to get his house in order and to supply the provisions necessary for the wedding. But Mary, the Lord’s Virgin had returned to her parents’ home in Galilee, along with the seven other virgins who were of the same age and period of weaning, and who had been appointed by the priest to care for her.
And Joseph left Judea and traveled on to Galilee, planning to visit the Virgin there, for it was by then nearly three months from their time of engagement. Behold, by the time Joseph entered into his home, Mary was in her sixth month of pregnancy. Now she was his betrothed, so it soon became clear to him that she was expecting, for she could not hide it from him--after all he did have free access to her and did speak familiarly with her, so he naturally came to know. When he realized that my virgin mother was pregnant, he was stunned, and so entirely taken with distress, that he started to shake. He slapped himself upon the face, dropped to the ground upon sackcloth and wailed, “With what semblance am I to face the Lord my God? What intercession am I able to offer on behalf of this young woman? She was a virgin when I accepted her from the Lord’s temple, but I have not protected her. Who has betrayed me? Who has carried out such wickedness; violating this virgin in my very own home?
Could it be that my life has become like Adam’s? For Adam was by himself in his time of prayer, when the serpent crept up and found Eve alone and beguiled her; and a similar fate has befallen me. My Lord, my God, take my spirit, for I would rather die than live!” And the virgins who had been with Mary asked him, “What are you saying, Master Joseph? We are quite convinced that no man has laid his hand on her. We know for sure that she has not sullied her innocence and that she has, in fact, preserved her virginity, for God Himself has protected her. We have kept our eyes on her; and she continues ever with us in our prayers. Every day an angel of the Lord speaks with her; and every day she is fed by an angel’s hand. How any evil could enter into her, or how there could be any sin within her we do not know, but if you want us to tell you what we think it is, it is that nothing less than God’s angel has impregnated her.” “Are you trying to tell me that an angel of God has gotten her pregnant?” Joseph replied. “Why are you trying to deceive me? Truly, it is more likely that someone disguised as an angel from God has seduced her.” And
he sobbed as he spoke these things and asked, “How am I going to look when I enter into the Lord’s temple? How am I to hide my circumstances from the priests of God? What am I supposed to do?” And after he had spoken this, it occurred to him that he should run away, and secretly put her away as well.
Then Joseph got up from the sackcloth, summoned Mary to himself and asked, “Why have you who were cared for by God, forgotten your God and done this thing? Why have you who were hand-fed by an angel and raised in the holy of holies gone and debased your very soul?” And through her tears, she sobbed, “I am chaste and have never slept with any man.” “As my Lord is the Living God,” Joseph replied, “I don’t know why this has happened to me.” And he could not even bring himself to eat or drink anything that day on account of his sorrow and dread. And Joseph left her there, unsure as to which course it would be
best to take. He grew all the more anxious and confused the more he tried to figure out what he should do with her, for he was a righteous man and was not eager to expose her, nor as a pious man was he willing to stigmatize her with the reputation of a whore. “If I should cover up her sin,” he said, “I will be opposing the law of the Lord, and if I should expose her to the children of Israel, I fear that I might be handing over innocent blood to the sentence of death, for what is in her may indeed be from the angels.”
He therefore determined firmly to terminate their engagement quietly, and to divorce her secretly. And when he had decided this, he started to devise a scheme to hide Mary and put her away: he planned to get up in the middle of the night, leave her there and live in seclusion, but night fell upon him as he was working out the details. Now behold, later on that evening that holy prince of angels, the angel of the Lord’s Spirit, Gabriel, came to this earth with an order from my Father, and spoke to Joseph in his dreams, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid! Do not fear to take this child, nor hesitate to take Mary as your wife. Do not think unseemly thoughts about the Virgin, and do not imagine for a moment that she is guilty of fornication, for it is by means of the Holy Spirit that she has conceived, and among all women is the only virgin who will ever give birth. And she will bring forth a son--even the very Son of God--whom you are to name ‘Jesus,’ which means ‘The Savior,’ for he will save his people
from their sins.” Now all of these things came to pass in order to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “Behold, the virgin will conceive and bring forth a son, whom they will call Immanuel;” which means ‘God in our midst,’ when interpreted. “He will rule all nations with a rod of iron.” And after saying all of this to him, the angel left his presence. And at midday, Joseph rose up from his slumber, gave praise to the God of Israel, and thanked Him Who had shown him such mercy. He then shared his dream with Mary and the other virgins who were there. And after receiving assurances from the angels and from Mary, he confessed, “I have sinned in my mistrust of you.” And he did not divorce her, but kept her instead as the angel had instructed him;
and she remained in there with him. Even so, he did not speak these things to anyone.
seaside district in Capernaum, where he remained for nine months. Now after the nine months had passed, as the customary engagement ceremonies were drawing to a close, three months after Mary’s conception, that venerable man Joseph left the building site and returned to his hometown of Bethlehem to get his house in order and to supply the provisions necessary for the wedding. But Mary, the Lord’s Virgin had returned to her parents’ home in Galilee, along with the seven other virgins who were of the same age and period of weaning, and who had been appointed by the priest to care for her.
And Joseph left Judea and traveled on to Galilee, planning to visit the Virgin there, for it was by then nearly three months from their time of engagement. Behold, by the time Joseph entered into his home, Mary was in her sixth month of pregnancy. Now she was his betrothed, so it soon became clear to him that she was expecting, for she could not hide it from him--after all he did have free access to her and did speak familiarly with her, so he naturally came to know. When he realized that my virgin mother was pregnant, he was stunned, and so entirely taken with distress, that he started to shake. He slapped himself upon the face, dropped to the ground upon sackcloth and wailed, “With what semblance am I to face the Lord my God? What intercession am I able to offer on behalf of this young woman? She was a virgin when I accepted her from the Lord’s temple, but I have not protected her. Who has betrayed me? Who has carried out such wickedness; violating this virgin in my very own home?
Could it be that my life has become like Adam’s? For Adam was by himself in his time of prayer, when the serpent crept up and found Eve alone and beguiled her; and a similar fate has befallen me. My Lord, my God, take my spirit, for I would rather die than live!” And the virgins who had been with Mary asked him, “What are you saying, Master Joseph? We are quite convinced that no man has laid his hand on her. We know for sure that she has not sullied her innocence and that she has, in fact, preserved her virginity, for God Himself has protected her. We have kept our eyes on her; and she continues ever with us in our prayers. Every day an angel of the Lord speaks with her; and every day she is fed by an angel’s hand. How any evil could enter into her, or how there could be any sin within her we do not know, but if you want us to tell you what we think it is, it is that nothing less than God’s angel has impregnated her.” “Are you trying to tell me that an angel of God has gotten her pregnant?” Joseph replied. “Why are you trying to deceive me? Truly, it is more likely that someone disguised as an angel from God has seduced her.” And
he sobbed as he spoke these things and asked, “How am I going to look when I enter into the Lord’s temple? How am I to hide my circumstances from the priests of God? What am I supposed to do?” And after he had spoken this, it occurred to him that he should run away, and secretly put her away as well.
Then Joseph got up from the sackcloth, summoned Mary to himself and asked, “Why have you who were cared for by God, forgotten your God and done this thing? Why have you who were hand-fed by an angel and raised in the holy of holies gone and debased your very soul?” And through her tears, she sobbed, “I am chaste and have never slept with any man.” “As my Lord is the Living God,” Joseph replied, “I don’t know why this has happened to me.” And he could not even bring himself to eat or drink anything that day on account of his sorrow and dread. And Joseph left her there, unsure as to which course it would be
best to take. He grew all the more anxious and confused the more he tried to figure out what he should do with her, for he was a righteous man and was not eager to expose her, nor as a pious man was he willing to stigmatize her with the reputation of a whore. “If I should cover up her sin,” he said, “I will be opposing the law of the Lord, and if I should expose her to the children of Israel, I fear that I might be handing over innocent blood to the sentence of death, for what is in her may indeed be from the angels.”
He therefore determined firmly to terminate their engagement quietly, and to divorce her secretly. And when he had decided this, he started to devise a scheme to hide Mary and put her away: he planned to get up in the middle of the night, leave her there and live in seclusion, but night fell upon him as he was working out the details. Now behold, later on that evening that holy prince of angels, the angel of the Lord’s Spirit, Gabriel, came to this earth with an order from my Father, and spoke to Joseph in his dreams, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid! Do not fear to take this child, nor hesitate to take Mary as your wife. Do not think unseemly thoughts about the Virgin, and do not imagine for a moment that she is guilty of fornication, for it is by means of the Holy Spirit that she has conceived, and among all women is the only virgin who will ever give birth. And she will bring forth a son--even the very Son of God--whom you are to name ‘Jesus,’ which means ‘The Savior,’ for he will save his people
from their sins.” Now all of these things came to pass in order to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “Behold, the virgin will conceive and bring forth a son, whom they will call Immanuel;” which means ‘God in our midst,’ when interpreted. “He will rule all nations with a rod of iron.” And after saying all of this to him, the angel left his presence. And at midday, Joseph rose up from his slumber, gave praise to the God of Israel, and thanked Him Who had shown him such mercy. He then shared his dream with Mary and the other virgins who were there. And after receiving assurances from the angels and from Mary, he confessed, “I have sinned in my mistrust of you.” And he did not divorce her, but kept her instead as the angel had instructed him;
and she remained in there with him. Even so, he did not speak these things to anyone.
THE TRIAL OF JOSEPH AND MARY
(PsMt 12; PEv 15:1-16:2 BMary 8:12; AsIs 11:5,6)
Jerusalem, The Hills of the Countryside
(PsMt 12; PEv 15:1-16:2 BMary 8:12; AsIs 11:5,6)
Jerusalem, The Hills of the Countryside
A rumor started to get around that Mary was pregnant, so Annas, the teacher of the law, came to Joseph and demanded, “Why have you not seen fit to join in our assembly?” Joseph replied, “Because my travels tired me out and I took it easy on my first day back.” Then Annas caught sight of Mary and saw for himself that she was with child. He ran to the priest and said: “Joseph, for whom you have borne witness, has done a terrible thing!” “What is it?” the high priest asked him. “He has deflowered the virgin whom he received from the Lord’s temple,” Annas replied, “consummating his marriage to her without telling it to the children of Israel.” “Has Joseph really done this thing?” the priest inquired. “Send officers and you will find that the ‘Virgin’ is pregnant.” Some officers then went and verified that it was true, bringing Joseph and Mary back with them to the court. The temple officers seized Joseph and led him before the high priest who began to accuse him, (together with the other) priests, saying, “How could you have been cheated out of a wedding like this; a virgin whom God’s own angels nurtured as a dove in the temple, who never sought the company of any man, and whose understanding of God’s law was unexcelled? Why have you done this kind of thing? Had you not defiled this maiden, she would be a virgin today.” But Joseph swore on oath that he had never even touched her, saying, “As my Lord is the Living God, I am not to blame for the state she is in.” “Do not perjure yourself,” the priest rejoined. “Own up to the facts; you have failed to bow your head beneath the hand of power, and have consummated your marriage without telling it to the children of Israel, and have thereby denied a blessing on your children.” Joseph did not speak a word, so the priest demanded, “Restore the ‘virgin’ that you took from the Lord’s temple.” As Joseph wept in bitterness, the priest announced, “I will give you both to drink of the water of the Lord’s testing, and it will witness to you of your sins.” He then brought it over to Joseph to drink and sent him out into the hills, and he returned to them unchanged. “As God is living,” the high priest Abiathar said to Joseph, “I will therefore give you to drink of the water of the Lord’s testing, and He will immediately show the sign of your sin.” So Joseph was also called before the altar and given the water of the Lord’s testing, out of which should anyone drink and walk around it seven times, will expose his guilt, for if he has spoken a falsehood, God will show it in his face.
Joseph drank it gladly and went around the altar, and not a trace of guilt appeared on him. So the priests, the officers, and the people there exalted him, saying “Blessed are you, for evil was not found in you.” Then a great crowd of Israelites gathered around, and Mary was ushered into the Lord’s temple. The priests, her neighbors, and even her parents clamored to Mary: “Confess to the priests that you, who were hand-fed as a dove by angels in God’s temple, have committed sin.” And calling Mary to themselves, they asked, “What excuse can you possibly give? What sign will He give over and above the pregnancy that is clearly revealed in your own womb?” And the priest demanded, “Why have you who were raised in the holy of holies, hand-fed by an angel, heard hymns and danced in His presence, done this, humbling your very soul and forgetting the Lord your God? Since
Joseph has been cleared with regard to you, we will only accept one answer from you, and that is that you should tell us who it was that seduced you. For truly it would be better for you to confess than to have the wrath of God revealed as a sign on your face, exposing you before us all.” But Mary burst into tears and replied, “As my Lord is the Living God, I am untainted before Him and have never slept with any man.” But he had Mary drink as well, and venture out into the hills, whereupon she also returned unchanged. Mary then stood firmly, and boldly proclaimed, “If there is any evil or defilement in me, or if there has ever been in me any lust or lasciviousness, may the Lord expose me before everyone here, that they might learn a lesson from my case.” And she approached the altar of God in complete assurance, drank the water of testing, and went around it seven times, and not a trace of guilt was found in her. Seeing that she was pregnant, yet still displayed no sign of guilt, all of the people stammered, and were bewildered. But, as is common in crowds, some of them became disorderly and complained to one another. Some of them blessed her, saying that she was holy and pure; but others, motivated by doubts, denounced her, saying that she was
wicked and defiled. Then Mary, seeing how her integrity had not rid the people of their doubts, confidently said to them: “As God, Adonai of the multitudes, in whose sight I stand lives, I have never slept with any man, nor has it ever crossed my mind, seeing that from the time of my youth until this day I have been ever mindful of this vow. And I made this pledge my offering to God from early in my childhood, that I might dwell uprightly with Him Who made me; live solely in Him with Whom I share my convictions; and remain spotlessly and exclusively with Him.”
Then the priest announced to them, “If the Lord God has not revealed any sins in you, then neither will I judge you,” and he let
them both go. Then everyone started kissing her and asking her to forgive them for their vicious mistrust. Then Joseph and Mary left for his house, joyfully praising the God of Israel. Everyone, including the priests and the virgins led her home, rejoicing, celebrating, and loudly proclaiming, “Blessed be the name of the Lord, who has revealed your holiness to Israel.” And after this, Joseph married the virgin and guarded her, living separately alongside her for two months; never approaching her or lying with her, but keeping her as a perfect virgin as the angel had instructed him.
Joseph drank it gladly and went around the altar, and not a trace of guilt appeared on him. So the priests, the officers, and the people there exalted him, saying “Blessed are you, for evil was not found in you.” Then a great crowd of Israelites gathered around, and Mary was ushered into the Lord’s temple. The priests, her neighbors, and even her parents clamored to Mary: “Confess to the priests that you, who were hand-fed as a dove by angels in God’s temple, have committed sin.” And calling Mary to themselves, they asked, “What excuse can you possibly give? What sign will He give over and above the pregnancy that is clearly revealed in your own womb?” And the priest demanded, “Why have you who were raised in the holy of holies, hand-fed by an angel, heard hymns and danced in His presence, done this, humbling your very soul and forgetting the Lord your God? Since
Joseph has been cleared with regard to you, we will only accept one answer from you, and that is that you should tell us who it was that seduced you. For truly it would be better for you to confess than to have the wrath of God revealed as a sign on your face, exposing you before us all.” But Mary burst into tears and replied, “As my Lord is the Living God, I am untainted before Him and have never slept with any man.” But he had Mary drink as well, and venture out into the hills, whereupon she also returned unchanged. Mary then stood firmly, and boldly proclaimed, “If there is any evil or defilement in me, or if there has ever been in me any lust or lasciviousness, may the Lord expose me before everyone here, that they might learn a lesson from my case.” And she approached the altar of God in complete assurance, drank the water of testing, and went around it seven times, and not a trace of guilt was found in her. Seeing that she was pregnant, yet still displayed no sign of guilt, all of the people stammered, and were bewildered. But, as is common in crowds, some of them became disorderly and complained to one another. Some of them blessed her, saying that she was holy and pure; but others, motivated by doubts, denounced her, saying that she was
wicked and defiled. Then Mary, seeing how her integrity had not rid the people of their doubts, confidently said to them: “As God, Adonai of the multitudes, in whose sight I stand lives, I have never slept with any man, nor has it ever crossed my mind, seeing that from the time of my youth until this day I have been ever mindful of this vow. And I made this pledge my offering to God from early in my childhood, that I might dwell uprightly with Him Who made me; live solely in Him with Whom I share my convictions; and remain spotlessly and exclusively with Him.”
Then the priest announced to them, “If the Lord God has not revealed any sins in you, then neither will I judge you,” and he let
them both go. Then everyone started kissing her and asking her to forgive them for their vicious mistrust. Then Joseph and Mary left for his house, joyfully praising the God of Israel. Everyone, including the priests and the virgins led her home, rejoicing, celebrating, and loudly proclaiming, “Blessed be the name of the Lord, who has revealed your holiness to Israel.” And after this, Joseph married the virgin and guarded her, living separately alongside her for two months; never approaching her or lying with her, but keeping her as a perfect virgin as the angel had instructed him.
INFANCY
INTODUCTION TO THE ARABIC INFANCY GOSPEL;
JOSEPH AND MARY TRAVEL TO BETHLEHEM
(Luke 2:1-6; BMary 8:13,14; PEv 17:1-18:1; PsMt 13; ArIn 1:1,4-6; AsIs 11:7; HJC 7; Qur 19:23-26)
Nazareth; Jerusalem; The Road to Bethlehem
INTODUCTION TO THE ARABIC INFANCY GOSPEL;
JOSEPH AND MARY TRAVEL TO BETHLEHEM
(Luke 2:1-6; BMary 8:13,14; PEv 17:1-18:1; PsMt 13; ArIn 1:1,4-6; AsIs 11:7; HJC 7; Qur 19:23-26)
Nazareth; Jerusalem; The Road to Bethlehem
{We found the following reports written in the Book of Joseph the High Priest, who some say is Caiaphas:}
Now it happened shortly after the two months, in the three hundred and ninth year of the reign of Alexander, when Joseph the Carpenter was living apart from his wife Mary in her house, that a registration was imposed according to the edict of Augustus Caesar the king: that everyone in the inhabited world should register in his own town. (This registration was the first to take place during the governorship of Quirinius in Syria.) So everyone returned to enroll in their own home towns. It was needful, therefore, for Joseph to sign on with Mary (in Bethlehem), because they, being of the tribe of Judah, and the stock and lineage of David, were both from there. By then it was approaching nine months from her time of conception, and by then Mary was great with child.
“I will enter my sons,” (said Joseph,) “but what am I to do with this girl? How am I to register her? As my wife? I am too embarrassed to admit that! Perhaps as my daughter! I cannot, for the children of Israel are all aware that she is not my daughter. No, on this, the Lord’s Day, the Lord will do as He sees fit.” So the aged and righteous Joseph got up, packed some essentials, saddled his donkey, and seated her on it. Joseph then left the city of Nazareth, his son leading and himself trailing behind. They passed through Galilee and entered into Judea, then traveled on to Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
And as they were approaching the third milestone, Joseph turned around and noticed Mary looking sad, so he thought within himself, “Perhaps the child within her is causing her anguish.” Later on, Joseph turned around and saw her laughing out loud, so he asked her, “Mary, why do I see laughter on your face one minute and sorrow on it the next?” And Mary replied to Joseph, “I can see two peoples with these eyes of mine: one of them weeping in bitterness and one triumphing in utter joy.”
When they reached the halfway point along the road to Bethlehem, Mary called out to Joseph, “I see two nations before me, one weeping and the other rejoicing.” “Sit quietly upon your beast,” answered Joseph, “and speak only when necessary!” A handsome young man, all dressed in white, appeared before them there and asked, “Joseph, why did you say that the words that were spoken by Mary concerning the two peoples were superfluous? For she saw the Jewish people weeping because they have abandoned their God; and the Gentile people rejoicing because they have drawn near to the Lord, even as He promised to our forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for the time has now come for a blessing to be extended toward all the nations of the children of Abraham!”
And after he had spoken this, they drew near to the cave. And the angel commanded the donkey to stop, for it happened at that point that the time for her to give birth had come. Mary then let Joseph know that it was her time, and that she would be unable to make it into town. The angel then told Mary to come down from her beast.
“Joseph,” said Mary, “take me off of this donkey, for the child within me is struggling to come out.” And Joseph helped her down from it. And the throes of childbirth drove her to the base of a palm, where she lamented, “Oh that I had only died before and passed into oblivion!” And from within a voice cried out, “Do not be sad, for below at your feet, your Lord has provided you with a brook. Now if you should shake the palm a bit, it will drop fresh, ripe dates into your lap. Eat, drink, and rejoice therefore; and if you should meet with anyone, merely say, ‘I have sworn a fast to the Lord this day, and will not speak with any man.’”
And (Joseph) asked her, “Where am I to take you in this forsaken place that I might conceal your disgrace?” “Enter into an underground cavern which has never seen the light of day,” the angel replied, “but which has forever been choked with darkness.” Joseph found a cave nearby, and Mary said, “Let us enter into it,” and he took her inside. Now as soon as Mary entered the cave, it began to shine as bright as the sixth hour of the day. And the light, which came from God, was such that so long as Mary was there, be it either night or day, there was never any lack thereof.
Now it happened shortly after the two months, in the three hundred and ninth year of the reign of Alexander, when Joseph the Carpenter was living apart from his wife Mary in her house, that a registration was imposed according to the edict of Augustus Caesar the king: that everyone in the inhabited world should register in his own town. (This registration was the first to take place during the governorship of Quirinius in Syria.) So everyone returned to enroll in their own home towns. It was needful, therefore, for Joseph to sign on with Mary (in Bethlehem), because they, being of the tribe of Judah, and the stock and lineage of David, were both from there. By then it was approaching nine months from her time of conception, and by then Mary was great with child.
“I will enter my sons,” (said Joseph,) “but what am I to do with this girl? How am I to register her? As my wife? I am too embarrassed to admit that! Perhaps as my daughter! I cannot, for the children of Israel are all aware that she is not my daughter. No, on this, the Lord’s Day, the Lord will do as He sees fit.” So the aged and righteous Joseph got up, packed some essentials, saddled his donkey, and seated her on it. Joseph then left the city of Nazareth, his son leading and himself trailing behind. They passed through Galilee and entered into Judea, then traveled on to Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
And as they were approaching the third milestone, Joseph turned around and noticed Mary looking sad, so he thought within himself, “Perhaps the child within her is causing her anguish.” Later on, Joseph turned around and saw her laughing out loud, so he asked her, “Mary, why do I see laughter on your face one minute and sorrow on it the next?” And Mary replied to Joseph, “I can see two peoples with these eyes of mine: one of them weeping in bitterness and one triumphing in utter joy.”
When they reached the halfway point along the road to Bethlehem, Mary called out to Joseph, “I see two nations before me, one weeping and the other rejoicing.” “Sit quietly upon your beast,” answered Joseph, “and speak only when necessary!” A handsome young man, all dressed in white, appeared before them there and asked, “Joseph, why did you say that the words that were spoken by Mary concerning the two peoples were superfluous? For she saw the Jewish people weeping because they have abandoned their God; and the Gentile people rejoicing because they have drawn near to the Lord, even as He promised to our forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for the time has now come for a blessing to be extended toward all the nations of the children of Abraham!”
And after he had spoken this, they drew near to the cave. And the angel commanded the donkey to stop, for it happened at that point that the time for her to give birth had come. Mary then let Joseph know that it was her time, and that she would be unable to make it into town. The angel then told Mary to come down from her beast.
“Joseph,” said Mary, “take me off of this donkey, for the child within me is struggling to come out.” And Joseph helped her down from it. And the throes of childbirth drove her to the base of a palm, where she lamented, “Oh that I had only died before and passed into oblivion!” And from within a voice cried out, “Do not be sad, for below at your feet, your Lord has provided you with a brook. Now if you should shake the palm a bit, it will drop fresh, ripe dates into your lap. Eat, drink, and rejoice therefore; and if you should meet with anyone, merely say, ‘I have sworn a fast to the Lord this day, and will not speak with any man.’”
And (Joseph) asked her, “Where am I to take you in this forsaken place that I might conceal your disgrace?” “Enter into an underground cavern which has never seen the light of day,” the angel replied, “but which has forever been choked with darkness.” Joseph found a cave nearby, and Mary said, “Let us enter into it,” and he took her inside. Now as soon as Mary entered the cave, it began to shine as bright as the sixth hour of the day. And the light, which came from God, was such that so long as Mary was there, be it either night or day, there was never any lack thereof.
THE BIRTH OF JESUS
(Luke 2:7a; Matt 1:25; PEv 18:1-20:3; PsMt 13; SbOr 8:471-476; BMary 8:15; LtIn 73,74 in Arundel Ms 404; ArIn 1:2,3,7; AsIs 10:7-31, 11:8b-14; OSol 19:6-11; IgEph 19)
In a Cave Between Jerusalem And Bethlehem; The Seven Heavens
(Luke 2:7a; Matt 1:25; PEv 18:1-20:3; PsMt 13; SbOr 8:471-476; BMary 8:15; LtIn 73,74 in Arundel Ms 404; ArIn 1:2,3,7; AsIs 10:7-31, 11:8b-14; OSol 19:6-11; IgEph 19)
In a Cave Between Jerusalem And Bethlehem; The Seven Heavens
And Joseph, leaving his sons to care for her, went out to seek for a Jewish midwife in the region of Bethlehem. Now behold, a girl drew near with a birthing chair and came to a stop. Both of them were startled, and Joseph asked her, “Girl, where are you going with that chair?” And she answered him, “My mistress has sent me here because a young man came running up and crying out, ‘Hurry now! Come and assist in a remarkable birth, because for the first time ever a virgin will bring forth.’ Now as soon as my mistress heard this, she sent me out ahead of her. Look, here she comes now!” And behold, there was this woman coming down from the hills. Joseph turned around and saw her approaching, so he went up to her and they introduced themselves to one another. “Mister,” the midwife asked Joseph, “where are you headed?” And he answered her, “I am in search of a Jewish midwife.” And the woman asked him, “Are you an Israelite?” “Indeed I am,” Joseph replied. The woman then asked him, “Who is this ‘virgin’ who is ready to bring forth in this cavern?” “It is Mary,” answered Joseph, “who was educated in the Lord’s temple and betrothed to me.” “Is she therefore not your wife?” the midwife asked him. “Well, she was betrothed to me,” Joseph replied, “but it was the Holy Spirit that brought about her conception.” “Is what you say indeed the truth?” the midwife asked him. “Come and see it for yourself!” responded Joseph. And she followed him to the mouth of the cave, where they came to a stop. “Come and have a look at Mary,” he directed her, so both of them went inside. And even as she was about to enter into the innermost chamber, behold, a luminous cloud shone brilliantly within it, and the midwife froze with fear.
“Behold,” Joseph cried aloud to Mary, “I have brought you a midwife, Zachel, who is standing outside at the opening. Not only does she not dare to enter, but indeed finds it impossible to do so.” When Mary heard this, she grinned. “Do not smile,” Joseph complained, “but be prudent, for she has come to examine you and see if you need medicine.” He asked the midwife to go inside and have a look, and she stood before Mary.
“Now as I was going in,” (the midwife later reported,) “I saw the virgin looking up and facing heaven. And although she seemed to be talking to herself, I truly believe that she was praying to and praising the Most High God. And when I came up to her, I said, ‘Tell me, my daughter, do you not feel any pain? Is there no part of your body in anguish?’ Yet she remained motionless; fixed like a solid rock toward heaven.” And for several hours Mary allowed herself to be observed.
(And when the Lord was about to be born, Joseph went away to seek midwives.)
And [in his vision, Isaiah] heard the voice of the Most High, the Eternal One, [his] Lord’s Father saying to [his] Lord, the Son, the Christ, the one who is to be called Jesus, “Withdraw from here and pass through the heavens. You must descend below the skies of that world to dwell within that sphere, and further descend as far as the angel in Sheol, but you will by no means travel as far down as destruction and perdition. And you are to take on the appearance of those of the five heavens, and must take care to transform yourself into the image of both the angels of the sky, and those in Sheol. Not a single angel of that realm will perceive that you are Lord with me over their angels of governance and those of the seven heavens. And they will fail to grasp that you are with Me when with the utterance of the skies I summon you unto Myself--along with their angels and stars-- until My voice ascends to the sixth heaven, that you might pass judgment upon and utterly destroy the rulers, angels, and ‘gods’ of that realm, and the domain that they control. For they have all denied Me and said, ‘We are all alone, and there is no one here but us.’ After this, you will rise again from the dead, rising from the ‘gods’ of death and entering into your true stature. And you are to wear no disguise in any of the heavens, but in the fullness of your splendor will you rise up and sit to My right, and the princes and powers will worship you, as will each and every angelic being and authority, be they in heaven, on earth, or in hell.” These are the instructions that I heard the Great and Glorious One giving to my Lord.
And I could see the Lord departing from the seventh heaven and entering into the sixth. The angel who had accompanied me from that world was with me, and he said, “Isaiah, look and see, that you may understand the disguising and descent of the Lord.” Then I looked, and when the angels of the sixth heaven saw him, they exalted and venerated him, for he had not been changed into the form of the angels there. And as they were praising him, I sang praises to him right along with them. And when I saw him descend into the fifth heaven, he transformed himself to resemble the angels there; and they did not exalt or venerate him when they saw him, for his appearance was like their own. He then went down into the fourth heaven and changed his appearance into that of the angels who were there, and when they saw him, they neither exalted nor venerated him, for his form was just like theirs. Again, I saw him descend into the third heaven, that he changed himself into the form of the angels there. Now the gatekeepers of that realm demanded the password, so to keep from being known, the Lord spoke it to them. And when they saw him, they did not exalt or venerate him because his appearance was like their own. Again I saw him descend into the second heaven, where the gatekeepers likewise demanded the password, and the Lord provided it. Then I saw him disguise himself to look like the angels of the second heaven, but because he looked like them, they did not exalt him when they saw him. And when I saw him descend into the first heaven, he spoke the password to the gatekeepers there. Then he disguised himself to appear as the angels to the left of that throne, and they neither praised nor worshiped him because his appearance was like their own. (As for myself, no one even questioned me on account of the angel who was guiding me.) And once again, he descended into the sky where the Prince of this World resides and spoke the password to those on the left hand side, and because his form was just like theirs, they did not exalt or venerate him there. Quite to the contrary, they were jealously contending with one another, for there is an evil power and a competition over trivial matters in that place. And I saw him descend and disguise himself to resemble the angels of the air, and they did not exalt him there, because he looked like one of them. He did not speak the password to them, nor did they even question him, for they were busy pillaging and beating one another.
Now as for the virginity of Mary, and the way that she brought forth, and the passion of the Lord, they were all concealed from the Prince of This World. Even though these mysteries were shouted out loud, God brought them about in complete silence. So how was all this shown to the world? Up in the heavens a star far more luminous than any other blazed forth. No words could express its brilliance; its incomparability left men utterly perplexed. The sun, moon, and stars surrounded it in harmony, but this star outshone them all. Then extreme bewilderment ensued; where could this star, which was so different from its companions have come from? Everywhere, magic disappeared before it--all the spells of sorcery were broken, and superstition was removed. The ancient kingdom of darkness was about to be undone; for God, by coming down in human form, was ushering in a new order of eternal life. Now what had been devised by God was being brought to pass; and everything from that day forth was thrown into disarray on account of this design to destroy death.
“As I was walking along,” (Joseph recalled,) “I came to a stop and then looked up. There I saw the clouds astonished. And gazing upward further still, I saw birds motionless against the unmoving sky. Then I looked around me and saw work hands who were sitting at a table. A bowl had been placed before them, and their hands were in it, but they were not moving them to feed themselves. And those in the process of eating were no longer chewing. Those who were lifting their food were putting none of it down, while those whose food was near to their lips were putting none of it into their mouths. Everyone was looking up. And behold, sheep that were being driven along stood still and did not advance, while the hand of the shepherd whose rod was set to strike them remained frozen in its place. Then I glanced over to see what the river looked like. I could see a number of young goats, some with their muzzles over and others with theirs in the water, but none of them were drinking. And just as suddenly, everything returned to normal.” By then the sun was going down.
“At that moment,” (the midwife related,) “everything came to a complete stop. There was an utter and fearful silence--even the winds stopped blowing! The leaves did not rustle on the trees, nor did the waters babble, for the rivers all stopped flowing, and the oceans ceased their undulations. All that the waters bring forth grew still. There was no human voice to be heard, and the silence was complete--for the very pole stopped spinning at that moment and time nearly ground to a halt. All of them were taken with fear and everyone stopped talking. We were all anticipating the Most High God and the end of the world.”
When the moment was ripe, God showed His power visibly. Fixated on heaven, the Virgin stood and became as white as snow, for the fulfillment of all good things was near. “My soul indeed is magnified,” the midwife exclaimed, “and these eyes of mine have seen great things, for this very day has brought about the deliverance of Israel!” And immediately the cloud withdrew from the cave, and was replaced by a light so bright that our eyes could not endure the sight. The light brought forth even as the dew from heaven condenses upon the earth. And even as it blazed, she bore a son by virgin birth. And as he was coming forth, the luminous beams intensified to a level far brighter than the sun, filling the entire cave with their brilliance. And with it came the most fragrant odor imaginable; more redolent than any aromatic ointment. (Now even though among mankind this is thought to be an incredible miracle, for God the Father and God the Son, nothing at all is considered miraculous.) The merry earth shuddered as the child came forth; the heavenly throne burst out in laughter as creation celebrated in joy, (and) a dazzlingly brilliant star was worshiped among the Magi. The angels encompassed him at his coming, and the voices of many invisible beings joined together in chorus and shouted, “Amen!”
Immediately upon his birth, he stood to his feet, and worshipping him the angels proclaimed, “Glory to God in the heights and peace to men of goodwill on earth.” “Mary looked in astonishment with her own eyes and saw the infant, and exalted the one to whom she could see she had borne. As for the child, he radiated a bright and beautiful light, which was like the rays of the sun. He was indeed a sight to behold, for his mere arrival pacified and brought to rest the entire world.” After her astonishment had faded, her womb became even as it had been prior to conception, and she bound him up in swaddling cloths.
“I, however, was amazed,” (the midwife continued,) “and I stood there stunned, staring in utter astonishment at the spectacularly bright light that had just been brought forth. But in time the light withdrew and began to take on the form of a newborn child. Soon its appearance changed to that of a normal infant born after the usual fashion. And as he came with all of these visible signs, Jesus spoke to his mother from the cradle, saying, ‘Mary, I am Jesus, that Son of God and servant; that Word which you have brought forth, even as the angel Gabriel announced to you, and my Father has sent me here to save the world.’
“And growing ever the more daring,” (the midwife related,) “I bent down to pick him up and touch him with my hands. What was startling to me was that unlike other babies who are born on this earth, he weighed nearly nothing at all! I looked him over closely and could find no flaw upon him anywhere, but found him instead to be as luminous in body as the dew from the Most High God. And since he weighed nearly nothing at all, he was effortless to carry. He was magnificent to behold, (and) for some time he astounded me by not crying as other babies do. And as I held him in my arms and gazed into his face, he let out the most joyful laugh--and when he opened up his eyes, they pierced me through with just a glance. All of a sudden, a bright light beamed forth from his eyes like a lightning flash. ‘This has been a great day for me,’ [I] exclaimed, ‘for I have seen something completely new!’” Then Jesus went and nursed at the breast of his mother Mary.
Now Joseph (had) ventured off to see if he could find [any midwives] for Mary, and after he had found some, he came back. He
spotted an elderly Jewish woman coming from Jerusalem. By the time Joseph arrived at the cave with the old woman, it was already past sunset. “Kind woman,” said Joseph, “please come this way and enter this cave. There you will see a young woman who is about ready to give birth.” And both of them went inside, but behold, everything there shimmered with a light that was brighter than lamplight and candlelight--it was, indeed, even brighter than the sun! By that time the child was already wrapped up in swaddling clothes and nursing at the breast of his mother, Saint Mary. And the two of them were taken aback by the spectacle of light. And when her husband Joseph saw her there, he said to her, “Tell me what has startled you?” Immediately, his eyes were opened and he could see the new born child, and he praised the Lord, because the child had arrived as foretold by the lot. And they heard a voice proclaim, “Relate this vision to no one!”
“I have brought you two midwives,” Joseph said to Mary, “Zelomi and Salome. They are standing outside by the mouth of the cave, but the light is so intense that they dare not enter.” When she heard all this, Mary smiled. “Stop smiling!” said Joseph. “Be sensible and allow them to inspect you. What if you should need their medicine?” Then Mary gave them her permission to enter. And when Zelomi came inside, she requested of Mary, “Grant me consent to look at you.” And after Mary had agreed to the examination, the midwife exclaimed, “Lord, oh Almighty Lord, have mercy on us! Never before has it been heard, nor ever even imagined that a mother should show every sign of virginity after milk has come into the breasts and a son has been brought forth! But she has suffered neither loss of blood, nor the slightest pain in giving birth. As a virgin she has conceived, as a virgin she has borne a child, and a virgin she remains.”
“Are you the mother of this boy?” the elderly woman asked Saint Mary. “Indeed I am,” Saint Mary affirmed. “You are completely unlike other women,” the elderly lady replied. “Even as there is no child who can compare with my son,” explained Saint Mary, “neither is there any woman who can compare with his mother.” “My Lady,” the aged woman replied, “I have come here to receive an everlasting blessing.”
Now the midwife came out of the cave and Salome greeted her. “Salome! Salome!” the midwife shouted, “I must tell you of this novel sight; a virgin has given birth, something that her condition forbids!” And when Salome, the other midwife, heard that, she scoffed, “As my Lord is the Living God, I will not believe what I have heard--that a virgin has given birth--unless I first examine her (and) prove it with my own finger!” And Zelomi entered in and said, “Mary, prepare yourself, for there is no small controversy brewing over you.” And when Mary heard these words, she lied back down and readied herself. Then Salome came in and demanded, “Mary, allow me to inspect you and see whether what Zelomi has told me is true.” And Mary gave her permission to examine her. So Salome went inside, made her ready, and proved her status. And when she had inspected her as she had said and withdrawn her hand, it began to wither up. And overcome with anguish and horrible pain, she started weeping bitterly. “What
misery for my sin and doubt,” Salome shouted, “for I have tempted the Living God. Just look, my hand feels like it is burning with fire and falling right off!” And dropping to her knees, she wept and pleaded before the Lord, “Oh God of my fathers, consider my case; for I am a child of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob! Do not humiliate me before the children of Israel, but restore me to the destitute; for as You are well aware, oh Lord, I offer my services in Your name, and my payment comes from You alone. Oh Lord God, You know that I have always worshiped You, and cared for those who live in want. Never have I taken pay from widows and orphans, nor have I ever turned the poor away empty-handed. Now behold, I am made to suffer for my lack of faith, for I sought to put Your virgin to the test for no reason whatsoever.”
And even as Salome was recounting these deeds, a young man dressed in glistening clothes, an angel of the Lord, (appeared and) stood beside her. “Salome! Salome!” he cried aloud, “The Lord your God has heard your prayer. Go right now, and worship the babe. Touch him with your hand and he will heal you, and joy and deliverance will be to you, for he is the Savior of all the world, and of all who trust in him.” “Place your hands upon the child!” our Lady Saint Mary bid her. So she quickly approached the infant and adored him, saying, “I will truly worship this child, for an illustrious king has been born to Israel!” Then Salome touched the hem of his swaddling clothes and immediately her hand was healed, and she was restored as she had implored. And upon her restoration, she got up to leave, testifying along the way, “From this day forward, I will serve this child and care for him!”
And as she was leaving the cave, she started crying out and proclaiming the marvelous things that she had seen--the way that she had suffered and the healing that she had received--and great numbers were persuaded by her testimony. Now behold, an angel of the Lord cried out to her, “Salome! Salome! Let no one hear of the wonders you’ve seen until this child enters Jerusalem!” But stories about him circulated widely throughout Bethlehem. Some of them claimed, “The Virgin Mary has brought forth before even two months of marriage.” Many others contended, “Mary did not really give birth; the midwife never went up, and we heard no cries or anguish of birth.”
All of them were blind to him; everybody knew of him, but they did not know where he came from.
Joseph then (went and) entered his name into the register; for Mary’s husband was a son of David, from the tribe of Judah. So it happened that my mother, the Virgin Mary, brought me forth in Bethlehem; in a cave near to the tomb of Rachel, the wife of Jacob the patriarch, and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin. She became a gracious mother, and it was not without reason that her labor and her childbirth were free from anguish; for she did not seek after a midwife because the Father used her as a conduit of life itself. She, driven by her intense determination, gave birth manfully, and her childbirth came about precisely as it had been foretold, and was effected by an extreme power. And in her love was deliverance, in her guardianship was benevolence, and in her declaration was grandeur.
“Behold,” Joseph cried aloud to Mary, “I have brought you a midwife, Zachel, who is standing outside at the opening. Not only does she not dare to enter, but indeed finds it impossible to do so.” When Mary heard this, she grinned. “Do not smile,” Joseph complained, “but be prudent, for she has come to examine you and see if you need medicine.” He asked the midwife to go inside and have a look, and she stood before Mary.
“Now as I was going in,” (the midwife later reported,) “I saw the virgin looking up and facing heaven. And although she seemed to be talking to herself, I truly believe that she was praying to and praising the Most High God. And when I came up to her, I said, ‘Tell me, my daughter, do you not feel any pain? Is there no part of your body in anguish?’ Yet she remained motionless; fixed like a solid rock toward heaven.” And for several hours Mary allowed herself to be observed.
(And when the Lord was about to be born, Joseph went away to seek midwives.)
And [in his vision, Isaiah] heard the voice of the Most High, the Eternal One, [his] Lord’s Father saying to [his] Lord, the Son, the Christ, the one who is to be called Jesus, “Withdraw from here and pass through the heavens. You must descend below the skies of that world to dwell within that sphere, and further descend as far as the angel in Sheol, but you will by no means travel as far down as destruction and perdition. And you are to take on the appearance of those of the five heavens, and must take care to transform yourself into the image of both the angels of the sky, and those in Sheol. Not a single angel of that realm will perceive that you are Lord with me over their angels of governance and those of the seven heavens. And they will fail to grasp that you are with Me when with the utterance of the skies I summon you unto Myself--along with their angels and stars-- until My voice ascends to the sixth heaven, that you might pass judgment upon and utterly destroy the rulers, angels, and ‘gods’ of that realm, and the domain that they control. For they have all denied Me and said, ‘We are all alone, and there is no one here but us.’ After this, you will rise again from the dead, rising from the ‘gods’ of death and entering into your true stature. And you are to wear no disguise in any of the heavens, but in the fullness of your splendor will you rise up and sit to My right, and the princes and powers will worship you, as will each and every angelic being and authority, be they in heaven, on earth, or in hell.” These are the instructions that I heard the Great and Glorious One giving to my Lord.
And I could see the Lord departing from the seventh heaven and entering into the sixth. The angel who had accompanied me from that world was with me, and he said, “Isaiah, look and see, that you may understand the disguising and descent of the Lord.” Then I looked, and when the angels of the sixth heaven saw him, they exalted and venerated him, for he had not been changed into the form of the angels there. And as they were praising him, I sang praises to him right along with them. And when I saw him descend into the fifth heaven, he transformed himself to resemble the angels there; and they did not exalt or venerate him when they saw him, for his appearance was like their own. He then went down into the fourth heaven and changed his appearance into that of the angels who were there, and when they saw him, they neither exalted nor venerated him, for his form was just like theirs. Again, I saw him descend into the third heaven, that he changed himself into the form of the angels there. Now the gatekeepers of that realm demanded the password, so to keep from being known, the Lord spoke it to them. And when they saw him, they did not exalt or venerate him because his appearance was like their own. Again I saw him descend into the second heaven, where the gatekeepers likewise demanded the password, and the Lord provided it. Then I saw him disguise himself to look like the angels of the second heaven, but because he looked like them, they did not exalt him when they saw him. And when I saw him descend into the first heaven, he spoke the password to the gatekeepers there. Then he disguised himself to appear as the angels to the left of that throne, and they neither praised nor worshiped him because his appearance was like their own. (As for myself, no one even questioned me on account of the angel who was guiding me.) And once again, he descended into the sky where the Prince of this World resides and spoke the password to those on the left hand side, and because his form was just like theirs, they did not exalt or venerate him there. Quite to the contrary, they were jealously contending with one another, for there is an evil power and a competition over trivial matters in that place. And I saw him descend and disguise himself to resemble the angels of the air, and they did not exalt him there, because he looked like one of them. He did not speak the password to them, nor did they even question him, for they were busy pillaging and beating one another.
Now as for the virginity of Mary, and the way that she brought forth, and the passion of the Lord, they were all concealed from the Prince of This World. Even though these mysteries were shouted out loud, God brought them about in complete silence. So how was all this shown to the world? Up in the heavens a star far more luminous than any other blazed forth. No words could express its brilliance; its incomparability left men utterly perplexed. The sun, moon, and stars surrounded it in harmony, but this star outshone them all. Then extreme bewilderment ensued; where could this star, which was so different from its companions have come from? Everywhere, magic disappeared before it--all the spells of sorcery were broken, and superstition was removed. The ancient kingdom of darkness was about to be undone; for God, by coming down in human form, was ushering in a new order of eternal life. Now what had been devised by God was being brought to pass; and everything from that day forth was thrown into disarray on account of this design to destroy death.
“As I was walking along,” (Joseph recalled,) “I came to a stop and then looked up. There I saw the clouds astonished. And gazing upward further still, I saw birds motionless against the unmoving sky. Then I looked around me and saw work hands who were sitting at a table. A bowl had been placed before them, and their hands were in it, but they were not moving them to feed themselves. And those in the process of eating were no longer chewing. Those who were lifting their food were putting none of it down, while those whose food was near to their lips were putting none of it into their mouths. Everyone was looking up. And behold, sheep that were being driven along stood still and did not advance, while the hand of the shepherd whose rod was set to strike them remained frozen in its place. Then I glanced over to see what the river looked like. I could see a number of young goats, some with their muzzles over and others with theirs in the water, but none of them were drinking. And just as suddenly, everything returned to normal.” By then the sun was going down.
“At that moment,” (the midwife related,) “everything came to a complete stop. There was an utter and fearful silence--even the winds stopped blowing! The leaves did not rustle on the trees, nor did the waters babble, for the rivers all stopped flowing, and the oceans ceased their undulations. All that the waters bring forth grew still. There was no human voice to be heard, and the silence was complete--for the very pole stopped spinning at that moment and time nearly ground to a halt. All of them were taken with fear and everyone stopped talking. We were all anticipating the Most High God and the end of the world.”
When the moment was ripe, God showed His power visibly. Fixated on heaven, the Virgin stood and became as white as snow, for the fulfillment of all good things was near. “My soul indeed is magnified,” the midwife exclaimed, “and these eyes of mine have seen great things, for this very day has brought about the deliverance of Israel!” And immediately the cloud withdrew from the cave, and was replaced by a light so bright that our eyes could not endure the sight. The light brought forth even as the dew from heaven condenses upon the earth. And even as it blazed, she bore a son by virgin birth. And as he was coming forth, the luminous beams intensified to a level far brighter than the sun, filling the entire cave with their brilliance. And with it came the most fragrant odor imaginable; more redolent than any aromatic ointment. (Now even though among mankind this is thought to be an incredible miracle, for God the Father and God the Son, nothing at all is considered miraculous.) The merry earth shuddered as the child came forth; the heavenly throne burst out in laughter as creation celebrated in joy, (and) a dazzlingly brilliant star was worshiped among the Magi. The angels encompassed him at his coming, and the voices of many invisible beings joined together in chorus and shouted, “Amen!”
Immediately upon his birth, he stood to his feet, and worshipping him the angels proclaimed, “Glory to God in the heights and peace to men of goodwill on earth.” “Mary looked in astonishment with her own eyes and saw the infant, and exalted the one to whom she could see she had borne. As for the child, he radiated a bright and beautiful light, which was like the rays of the sun. He was indeed a sight to behold, for his mere arrival pacified and brought to rest the entire world.” After her astonishment had faded, her womb became even as it had been prior to conception, and she bound him up in swaddling cloths.
“I, however, was amazed,” (the midwife continued,) “and I stood there stunned, staring in utter astonishment at the spectacularly bright light that had just been brought forth. But in time the light withdrew and began to take on the form of a newborn child. Soon its appearance changed to that of a normal infant born after the usual fashion. And as he came with all of these visible signs, Jesus spoke to his mother from the cradle, saying, ‘Mary, I am Jesus, that Son of God and servant; that Word which you have brought forth, even as the angel Gabriel announced to you, and my Father has sent me here to save the world.’
“And growing ever the more daring,” (the midwife related,) “I bent down to pick him up and touch him with my hands. What was startling to me was that unlike other babies who are born on this earth, he weighed nearly nothing at all! I looked him over closely and could find no flaw upon him anywhere, but found him instead to be as luminous in body as the dew from the Most High God. And since he weighed nearly nothing at all, he was effortless to carry. He was magnificent to behold, (and) for some time he astounded me by not crying as other babies do. And as I held him in my arms and gazed into his face, he let out the most joyful laugh--and when he opened up his eyes, they pierced me through with just a glance. All of a sudden, a bright light beamed forth from his eyes like a lightning flash. ‘This has been a great day for me,’ [I] exclaimed, ‘for I have seen something completely new!’” Then Jesus went and nursed at the breast of his mother Mary.
Now Joseph (had) ventured off to see if he could find [any midwives] for Mary, and after he had found some, he came back. He
spotted an elderly Jewish woman coming from Jerusalem. By the time Joseph arrived at the cave with the old woman, it was already past sunset. “Kind woman,” said Joseph, “please come this way and enter this cave. There you will see a young woman who is about ready to give birth.” And both of them went inside, but behold, everything there shimmered with a light that was brighter than lamplight and candlelight--it was, indeed, even brighter than the sun! By that time the child was already wrapped up in swaddling clothes and nursing at the breast of his mother, Saint Mary. And the two of them were taken aback by the spectacle of light. And when her husband Joseph saw her there, he said to her, “Tell me what has startled you?” Immediately, his eyes were opened and he could see the new born child, and he praised the Lord, because the child had arrived as foretold by the lot. And they heard a voice proclaim, “Relate this vision to no one!”
“I have brought you two midwives,” Joseph said to Mary, “Zelomi and Salome. They are standing outside by the mouth of the cave, but the light is so intense that they dare not enter.” When she heard all this, Mary smiled. “Stop smiling!” said Joseph. “Be sensible and allow them to inspect you. What if you should need their medicine?” Then Mary gave them her permission to enter. And when Zelomi came inside, she requested of Mary, “Grant me consent to look at you.” And after Mary had agreed to the examination, the midwife exclaimed, “Lord, oh Almighty Lord, have mercy on us! Never before has it been heard, nor ever even imagined that a mother should show every sign of virginity after milk has come into the breasts and a son has been brought forth! But she has suffered neither loss of blood, nor the slightest pain in giving birth. As a virgin she has conceived, as a virgin she has borne a child, and a virgin she remains.”
“Are you the mother of this boy?” the elderly woman asked Saint Mary. “Indeed I am,” Saint Mary affirmed. “You are completely unlike other women,” the elderly lady replied. “Even as there is no child who can compare with my son,” explained Saint Mary, “neither is there any woman who can compare with his mother.” “My Lady,” the aged woman replied, “I have come here to receive an everlasting blessing.”
Now the midwife came out of the cave and Salome greeted her. “Salome! Salome!” the midwife shouted, “I must tell you of this novel sight; a virgin has given birth, something that her condition forbids!” And when Salome, the other midwife, heard that, she scoffed, “As my Lord is the Living God, I will not believe what I have heard--that a virgin has given birth--unless I first examine her (and) prove it with my own finger!” And Zelomi entered in and said, “Mary, prepare yourself, for there is no small controversy brewing over you.” And when Mary heard these words, she lied back down and readied herself. Then Salome came in and demanded, “Mary, allow me to inspect you and see whether what Zelomi has told me is true.” And Mary gave her permission to examine her. So Salome went inside, made her ready, and proved her status. And when she had inspected her as she had said and withdrawn her hand, it began to wither up. And overcome with anguish and horrible pain, she started weeping bitterly. “What
misery for my sin and doubt,” Salome shouted, “for I have tempted the Living God. Just look, my hand feels like it is burning with fire and falling right off!” And dropping to her knees, she wept and pleaded before the Lord, “Oh God of my fathers, consider my case; for I am a child of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob! Do not humiliate me before the children of Israel, but restore me to the destitute; for as You are well aware, oh Lord, I offer my services in Your name, and my payment comes from You alone. Oh Lord God, You know that I have always worshiped You, and cared for those who live in want. Never have I taken pay from widows and orphans, nor have I ever turned the poor away empty-handed. Now behold, I am made to suffer for my lack of faith, for I sought to put Your virgin to the test for no reason whatsoever.”
And even as Salome was recounting these deeds, a young man dressed in glistening clothes, an angel of the Lord, (appeared and) stood beside her. “Salome! Salome!” he cried aloud, “The Lord your God has heard your prayer. Go right now, and worship the babe. Touch him with your hand and he will heal you, and joy and deliverance will be to you, for he is the Savior of all the world, and of all who trust in him.” “Place your hands upon the child!” our Lady Saint Mary bid her. So she quickly approached the infant and adored him, saying, “I will truly worship this child, for an illustrious king has been born to Israel!” Then Salome touched the hem of his swaddling clothes and immediately her hand was healed, and she was restored as she had implored. And upon her restoration, she got up to leave, testifying along the way, “From this day forward, I will serve this child and care for him!”
And as she was leaving the cave, she started crying out and proclaiming the marvelous things that she had seen--the way that she had suffered and the healing that she had received--and great numbers were persuaded by her testimony. Now behold, an angel of the Lord cried out to her, “Salome! Salome! Let no one hear of the wonders you’ve seen until this child enters Jerusalem!” But stories about him circulated widely throughout Bethlehem. Some of them claimed, “The Virgin Mary has brought forth before even two months of marriage.” Many others contended, “Mary did not really give birth; the midwife never went up, and we heard no cries or anguish of birth.”
All of them were blind to him; everybody knew of him, but they did not know where he came from.
Joseph then (went and) entered his name into the register; for Mary’s husband was a son of David, from the tribe of Judah. So it happened that my mother, the Virgin Mary, brought me forth in Bethlehem; in a cave near to the tomb of Rachel, the wife of Jacob the patriarch, and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin. She became a gracious mother, and it was not without reason that her labor and her childbirth were free from anguish; for she did not seek after a midwife because the Father used her as a conduit of life itself. She, driven by her intense determination, gave birth manfully, and her childbirth came about precisely as it had been foretold, and was effected by an extreme power. And in her love was deliverance, in her guardianship was benevolence, and in her declaration was grandeur.
THE SHEPHERDS VISIT
(Luke 2:8-20; ArIn 1:2,3,19-21; PsMt 13; SbOr 8:477-479)
The Cave, Between Jerusalem and Bethlehem
The newly born infant was revealed to those who are obedient to God: drivers of cattle, herders of goats, and shepherds of sheep. There were shepherds staying overnight in a nearby place keeping watch over their flocks in the field. An angel of the Lord (came and) stood near to them, and the glory of the Lord shone all around them, and all of them were taken with fear. “Do not be afraid,” the angel reassured them, “for behold, I am bringing you great news of unbounded joy that everyone will come to know: for this very day, in the city of David, a Savior has indeed been born, the Anointed Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby lying in a manger, all bound up in swaddling clothes.” And suddenly, a vast array of the heavenly host appeared to them and joined the angel who was praising God, saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to men who please Him.” Then the angels rose up from their midst and into the sky, and the shepherds said t o one another, “Let us all make our way to Bethlehem this very instant and see what the Lord has revealed to us.”
They hurried there and found Mary with Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. And after the shepherds had seen it, they went inside, lit a fire (and) made known the words that were spoken to them about this child, and also about the angels they had seen at midnight, praising and worshipping the God of heaven and proclaiming, “The Anointed Lord and Savior to all, has been born to us. Through him will deliverance be restored to Israel.”
All were celebrating in delight. Just then, the entire array of the heavenly host appeared to them, praising and worshipping the God of Perfection. And since the shepherds were doing the same by then, the cave came to resemble a glorious temple, for the tongues of men and angels joined to worship and give praise to God for the birth of Christ the Lord. When the elderly Jewish woman saw all of these evident miracles, she also gave God praise and said, “Oh God of Israel, I thank you for granting that my eyes should see the birth of the Savior of the World!”
And all who heard the shepherds speak marveled at the things they said. But Mary committed their words to memory and pondered them within her heart. And as the shepherds were returning, they exalted God and gave Him praise, for all that they had seen and heard came to pass as they were told. And a powerful star, larger than any other seen since the world began, beamed over the cave from dusk until dawn. The Jerusalem prophets, moreover, affirmed that this star was the sign of the birth of the Christ; the one destined to restore the covenant not only to Israel, but also to the other nations. And Bethlehem was proclaimed to be the providential birthplace of the Word.
They hurried there and found Mary with Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. And after the shepherds had seen it, they went inside, lit a fire (and) made known the words that were spoken to them about this child, and also about the angels they had seen at midnight, praising and worshipping the God of heaven and proclaiming, “The Anointed Lord and Savior to all, has been born to us. Through him will deliverance be restored to Israel.”
All were celebrating in delight. Just then, the entire array of the heavenly host appeared to them, praising and worshipping the God of Perfection. And since the shepherds were doing the same by then, the cave came to resemble a glorious temple, for the tongues of men and angels joined to worship and give praise to God for the birth of Christ the Lord. When the elderly Jewish woman saw all of these evident miracles, she also gave God praise and said, “Oh God of Israel, I thank you for granting that my eyes should see the birth of the Savior of the World!”
And all who heard the shepherds speak marveled at the things they said. But Mary committed their words to memory and pondered them within her heart. And as the shepherds were returning, they exalted God and gave Him praise, for all that they had seen and heard came to pass as they were told. And a powerful star, larger than any other seen since the world began, beamed over the cave from dusk until dawn. The Jerusalem prophets, moreover, affirmed that this star was the sign of the birth of the Christ; the one destined to restore the covenant not only to Israel, but also to the other nations. And Bethlehem was proclaimed to be the providential birthplace of the Word.
JESUS’ CIRCUMCISION
(PsMt 14,15; ArIn 2:1-4; Luke 2:7, 21)
A Stable; Bethlehem; The Cave
Three days after the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, Mary ventured out of the cave. Now because there was no room for them at the inn, she entered into a stable (and) laid the child in a manger, where an ox and a donkey worshiped him. It was then that the words of the prophet Isaiah, “The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master’s feeding trough,” had their fulfillment. So without ceasing did the animals, the ox and the donkey, worship him who was in their midst.
Then the words that were spoken by the prophet Habakkuk, “You are revealed between the two creatures,” were fulfilled. For three days Joseph stayed in the same place with Mary, and on the sixth, they traveled on to Bethlehem and kept the Sabbath there.
And when the time came for him to be circumcised, that is, the eighth day--upon which the law dictates that a child must be circumcised, they performed it in the cave. They named him Jesus, which was what the angel had called him prior to his conception in the womb. And after the child had undergone parhithomus, or circumcision, the elderly Jewish woman took the foreskin and umbilical cord and preserved them in an alabaster jar filled with aged spikenard. Her son happened to be a pharmacist, so she cautioned him, “Be careful not to sell this alabaster jar of nard-oil, even if someone should offer you three hundred denarii for it.” This same alabaster jar was later procured by Mary the sinner, who poured it over the head and feet of our Lord Jesus Christ, and wiped it off with the hair of her head.
Then the words that were spoken by the prophet Habakkuk, “You are revealed between the two creatures,” were fulfilled. For three days Joseph stayed in the same place with Mary, and on the sixth, they traveled on to Bethlehem and kept the Sabbath there.
And when the time came for him to be circumcised, that is, the eighth day--upon which the law dictates that a child must be circumcised, they performed it in the cave. They named him Jesus, which was what the angel had called him prior to his conception in the womb. And after the child had undergone parhithomus, or circumcision, the elderly Jewish woman took the foreskin and umbilical cord and preserved them in an alabaster jar filled with aged spikenard. Her son happened to be a pharmacist, so she cautioned him, “Be careful not to sell this alabaster jar of nard-oil, even if someone should offer you three hundred denarii for it.” This same alabaster jar was later procured by Mary the sinner, who poured it over the head and feet of our Lord Jesus Christ, and wiped it off with the hair of her head.
THE MAJI VISIT
(Matt 2:1-12; ArIn 3:1-10; PEv 21:1-4; PsMt 16,17; HJC 8; LJB pt.8)
Jerusalem; Bethlehem
Now more than two years after Jesus had been born in Bethlehem, during the reign of Herod the king, Joseph was ready to travel on to Judea. At that time, there was a great disturbance taking place in Bethlehem of Judah over some Magi who had come from the east bringing marvelous gifts to Jerusalem, in keeping with the prophecy of Zoroaster. “Where,” they were asking, “is the king of the Jews who has been born to you? We have seen his star in the east and have come to worship him.” But Satan went and informed Herod the Great, father of Archelaus, about these things. Now when King Herod caught wind of it, he was disturbed by all that he had learned of the Magi, and all of Jerusalem likewise, seeing that the youngster was the King of the Jews. And he wanted to kill him that very instant. So shaken was he, as a matter of fact, that he assembled all of the scribes, Pharisees, chief priests, and teachers of the law from among the people and asked them where the prophets had foretold the birthplace of the Messiah would be. “What is written about this Messiah?” he inquired. “Where is he supposed to be born?” “In Bethlehem of Judah,” they answered him, “for this is how the prophet worded it:
‘And you, Bethlehem, of Judah’s land, Are in no way least among the princes of Judah; For a leader will arise from you Who will shepherd my people Israel.’” Then King Herod dismissed them all and secretly summoned the Magi to himself, asking, “What was this sign that you saw that showed that a king had just been born?” “We saw how a star outshone all of these others,” the Magi answered, “dimming them inexpressibly, such that these stars no longer gave light. This is how we came to know that a king had been born unto Israel. We have come to worship him.”
Herod asked them the time of the star’s appearance to them, and learned from them the precise time that the star had appeared. Then he sent them off to Bethlehem with these words: “Go right now and investigate! Uncover every detail having to do with this child, and after you have tracked him down, bring me a report, that I might come and worship him too.” And hearing the king, they went their way.
And behold, the star that they had seen back east, guided them, going before them until they arrived at the cave where the child was. And when the Magi saw the star, they rejoiced in inexpressible delight. And it came to rest over the head of the cave. They went inside and saw the child seated on the lap of his mother Mary, and they prostrated themselves in worship. Then they opened the treasures they had brought to them and presented the holy Mary and Joseph with generous offerings. Each of them offered the child gifts (and) gold; one gave him gold, another frankincense, and a third one gave him myrrh.
And rather than pronouncing a blessing upon them, our Lady Mary took one of the swaddling cloths that the young child was wrapped-up in and offered it to them, which they accepted from her as a glorious gift. And when they would have gone back to King Herod, even as they slept, God (sent) an angel to warn them in a dream not to return, so they set out for their native land by another route. Soon an angel appeared to them in the semblance of the star which had guided them on their way before; and they followed the light thereof until they came into their own land.
And upon their arrival, kings and princes came up to them and posed all manner of questions to them, such as, “What did you do?” and, “What did you see?” and, “What was your trip like?” and, “Who did you meet along the way?” But they handed them the swaddling cloth that Saint Mary had given them and held a banquet in its honor. Then they lit a fire, which they worshiped according to the custom of
their nation. Then they cast the swaddling cloth into the flames, which received and preserved it. After the fire had been put out, they pulled it from the ashes unharmed, just as though the flames had never touched it. Then they started kissing the cloth, placing it over their heads and eyes. “Without question,” they affirmed, “the truth of this is impossible to doubt, and it is truly astonishing that the fire was powerless to char it, much less to devour it.” Then, with the utmost of regard, they took the cloth and treasured it alongside their other hallowed possessions.
‘And you, Bethlehem, of Judah’s land, Are in no way least among the princes of Judah; For a leader will arise from you Who will shepherd my people Israel.’” Then King Herod dismissed them all and secretly summoned the Magi to himself, asking, “What was this sign that you saw that showed that a king had just been born?” “We saw how a star outshone all of these others,” the Magi answered, “dimming them inexpressibly, such that these stars no longer gave light. This is how we came to know that a king had been born unto Israel. We have come to worship him.”
Herod asked them the time of the star’s appearance to them, and learned from them the precise time that the star had appeared. Then he sent them off to Bethlehem with these words: “Go right now and investigate! Uncover every detail having to do with this child, and after you have tracked him down, bring me a report, that I might come and worship him too.” And hearing the king, they went their way.
And behold, the star that they had seen back east, guided them, going before them until they arrived at the cave where the child was. And when the Magi saw the star, they rejoiced in inexpressible delight. And it came to rest over the head of the cave. They went inside and saw the child seated on the lap of his mother Mary, and they prostrated themselves in worship. Then they opened the treasures they had brought to them and presented the holy Mary and Joseph with generous offerings. Each of them offered the child gifts (and) gold; one gave him gold, another frankincense, and a third one gave him myrrh.
And rather than pronouncing a blessing upon them, our Lady Mary took one of the swaddling cloths that the young child was wrapped-up in and offered it to them, which they accepted from her as a glorious gift. And when they would have gone back to King Herod, even as they slept, God (sent) an angel to warn them in a dream not to return, so they set out for their native land by another route. Soon an angel appeared to them in the semblance of the star which had guided them on their way before; and they followed the light thereof until they came into their own land.
And upon their arrival, kings and princes came up to them and posed all manner of questions to them, such as, “What did you do?” and, “What did you see?” and, “What was your trip like?” and, “Who did you meet along the way?” But they handed them the swaddling cloth that Saint Mary had given them and held a banquet in its honor. Then they lit a fire, which they worshiped according to the custom of
their nation. Then they cast the swaddling cloth into the flames, which received and preserved it. After the fire had been put out, they pulled it from the ashes unharmed, just as though the flames had never touched it. Then they started kissing the cloth, placing it over their heads and eyes. “Without question,” they affirmed, “the truth of this is impossible to doubt, and it is truly astonishing that the fire was powerless to char it, much less to devour it.” Then, with the utmost of regard, they took the cloth and treasured it alongside their other hallowed possessions.
JOSEPH’S WARNING
(Matt 2:13-15; ArIn 4:1-4; PEv 22:2; InThL 1a; LJB pt.8)
Jerusalem; The Cave; The Road to Egypt
Herod began to recognize that the Magi had been away too long, and were not about to return to him, so he called for all the priests and sages. “Tell me,” he (again) prodded, “where is the Christ sup posed to be born?” “In the Judean town of Bethlehem,” they answered him; whereupon he began to plot in his mind the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now this was the same Herod who called for the beheading of my friend and kinsman John. And he likewise sought me out, imagining that mine would be an earthly kingdom.
Now behold, after the departure of the Magi, the day before these things took place, the Lord’s angel appeared in that pious old man Joseph’s dream (and) warned him as he slept, saying, “Get up! Take the young boy and his mother, Mary, and as soon as the rooster crows escape from those who seek to slay him through the desert and into Egypt. Wait there until I say otherwise, for Herod is going to try to hunt down and murder the young child.” Now when Mary heard that the babies were about to be killed, she grew terrified, took the boy, wrapped him up in the swaddling cloth, and placed him into an ox’s feeding trough. And that night Joseph rose up, and as he was planning his trip, dawn started to break. He then took me, the young boy and my mother Mary by night and set off for Egypt as the angel had commanded him, and I rested in her bosom. He stayed in Egypt until after the death of Herod that what the Lord had spoken through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son,” might be fulfilled.
Now behold, after the departure of the Magi, the day before these things took place, the Lord’s angel appeared in that pious old man Joseph’s dream (and) warned him as he slept, saying, “Get up! Take the young boy and his mother, Mary, and as soon as the rooster crows escape from those who seek to slay him through the desert and into Egypt. Wait there until I say otherwise, for Herod is going to try to hunt down and murder the young child.” Now when Mary heard that the babies were about to be killed, she grew terrified, took the boy, wrapped him up in the swaddling cloth, and placed him into an ox’s feeding trough. And that night Joseph rose up, and as he was planning his trip, dawn started to break. He then took me, the young boy and my mother Mary by night and set off for Egypt as the angel had commanded him, and I rested in her bosom. He stayed in Egypt until after the death of Herod that what the Lord had spoken through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son,” might be fulfilled.
THE JOURNEY INTO EGYPT
(PsMt 18-22; cf. HJC 8; InThL 1b)
Between Bethlehem and Egypt
As soon as Joseph and Mary came to a cave, they decided that they should rest in it, so Mary climbed down from her mount, seated herself, and placed the boy Jesus upon her lap.
There were three young men who traveled with Joseph, and also a girl named Salome, who traveled with Mary. Now behold, many dragons suddenly came thundering out of the cave! And when the boys caught sight of them, they shrieked in horror. Jesus then came down from his mother’s knees and stood to his feet before the beasts, which worshiped him and went their way. It was then that the words spoken through the prophet David were fulfilled, “Dragons, praise the Lord--from upon the Earth, and the depths of the seas.” And the boy Jesus ordered them not to injure anyone, and he traveled on ahead of them. But Joseph and Mary were very concerned that the dragons would do harm to the lad. “Do not be afraid,” Jesus consoled them, “nor think of me as just a child, for I am now and have always been the embodiment of perfection. No woodland creature can help but be gentle in my presence.”
Lions and leopards worshiped him also, walking with them across the desert, traveling ahead of Joseph and Mary, bowing their heads and showing the way wherever they would go. They worshiped Jesus with sincere veneration, and wagged their tails in submission to him. When Mary first saw all of the lions and the leopards and the many other wild animals that were thronging them, she began to grow concerned. But the little boy Jesus gazed into his mother’s eyes with the most pleasing expression and said, “Mother, do not be afraid, for they have not come to harm you in any way. Much to the contrary, they are eager to attend to you and me both.” With this assurance he dispelled all of the fear that she had in her heart. The lions continued to walk with them, injuring neither them, nor the oxen, nor the donkeys, nor any of the pack animals that were carrying their provisions in the least. They were even docile toward the sheep and the rams that they had brought from Judea. They walked among wolves and none of them had any fear, nor did a single one do harm to another. Then what was spoken by the prophet, “Wolves will eat alongside lambs, and lion and ox will eat hay with one another,” was fulfilled. Two oxen hauled [the] wagon that was filled with their provisions, and the lions guided them along the way.
And on the third day of their journey, as they were traveling along, it happened that the extreme heat of the desert sun started to overwhelm Mary; so when she caught sight of a palm tree, she said, “Joseph, I would like to rest awhile under the shade of this palm.”
Joseph promptly took her over and helped her get down from her beast. And as Mary rested there, she looked into its canopy and saw a profusion of date clusters. “Joseph,” she said, “how I long to eat of the fruit of this palm; if only there were some way for us to pick some!” “I’m truly surprised that you’re speaking this way,” Joseph replied, “even considering how you would like to eat the fruit of this tree when you can plainly see how high it is! I am far more concerned with our lack of water, for our skins have been depleted, and we don’t have enough for ourselves, much less our livestock.” Then the boy Jesus, lying in his mother’s lap with an amused look on his face, commanded the palm, “Lower your branches, oh palm, and refresh my mother with your fruit.” Now as soon as the palm tree heard these words, it immediately bowed its top all the way down to Mary’s feet; and they ate their fill of the fruit they had plucked. And after they had picked it clean it remained there lowered, awaiting the command to stand from the one who had ordered it to bend. “Palm tree,” cried Jesus, “rise up now and strengthen yourself! Become like the trees in my Father’s paradise and cause your roots to open up a hidden spring, so that we might have enough to drink.” Just then it stood tall, and cold, crystal clear water began to gush from between its roots. And when the people who were there saw the fountain of water they all rejoiced and gave thanks to God. All of them then drank their fill, as did their livestock and the other beasts.
The following day as they were on their way, at the very hour that their journey began, Jesus turned to the palm and said, “Palm tree, here is the blessing that I will give to you: my angels will take off one of your branches and plant it in my Father’s paradise. I will, moreover, present you with this mark of distinction: to anyone who prevails in any challenge, it will be said, ‘You have received the palm of victory.’” And even as he was saying these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to them, stood atop the palm, plucked one of its branches off, and flew away, branch in hand, into the sky. Now after they had taken it in, they prostrated themselves as dead. “Why are you so full of fear?” he questioned them. “Are you not aware that this palm, which I have arranged to be transplanted into paradise, is to be readied for the holy ones in the place of bliss, even as it has been readied for us today in this desert?” And they rose up strengthened in their joy.
After this, as they journeyed on, their saddle straps broke, (and) Joseph said to Jesus, “Lord, we are all about to broil in this heat. If it should seem good to you, please allow us to travel alongside the sea, that we might lodge in the coastal towns.” “Joseph,” said Jesus, “do not fret; I will shorten the distance that you must go, so that what would have required thirty days to pass, you will complete this very day.” And right as he was saying this, behold, the mountains and townships of Egypt came into view just ahead. And after Joseph had left his home and withdrawn into Egypt, he remained there for an entire year, until the anger of Herod had diminished. And Jesus was two when he came into Egypt.
There were three young men who traveled with Joseph, and also a girl named Salome, who traveled with Mary. Now behold, many dragons suddenly came thundering out of the cave! And when the boys caught sight of them, they shrieked in horror. Jesus then came down from his mother’s knees and stood to his feet before the beasts, which worshiped him and went their way. It was then that the words spoken through the prophet David were fulfilled, “Dragons, praise the Lord--from upon the Earth, and the depths of the seas.” And the boy Jesus ordered them not to injure anyone, and he traveled on ahead of them. But Joseph and Mary were very concerned that the dragons would do harm to the lad. “Do not be afraid,” Jesus consoled them, “nor think of me as just a child, for I am now and have always been the embodiment of perfection. No woodland creature can help but be gentle in my presence.”
Lions and leopards worshiped him also, walking with them across the desert, traveling ahead of Joseph and Mary, bowing their heads and showing the way wherever they would go. They worshiped Jesus with sincere veneration, and wagged their tails in submission to him. When Mary first saw all of the lions and the leopards and the many other wild animals that were thronging them, she began to grow concerned. But the little boy Jesus gazed into his mother’s eyes with the most pleasing expression and said, “Mother, do not be afraid, for they have not come to harm you in any way. Much to the contrary, they are eager to attend to you and me both.” With this assurance he dispelled all of the fear that she had in her heart. The lions continued to walk with them, injuring neither them, nor the oxen, nor the donkeys, nor any of the pack animals that were carrying their provisions in the least. They were even docile toward the sheep and the rams that they had brought from Judea. They walked among wolves and none of them had any fear, nor did a single one do harm to another. Then what was spoken by the prophet, “Wolves will eat alongside lambs, and lion and ox will eat hay with one another,” was fulfilled. Two oxen hauled [the] wagon that was filled with their provisions, and the lions guided them along the way.
And on the third day of their journey, as they were traveling along, it happened that the extreme heat of the desert sun started to overwhelm Mary; so when she caught sight of a palm tree, she said, “Joseph, I would like to rest awhile under the shade of this palm.”
Joseph promptly took her over and helped her get down from her beast. And as Mary rested there, she looked into its canopy and saw a profusion of date clusters. “Joseph,” she said, “how I long to eat of the fruit of this palm; if only there were some way for us to pick some!” “I’m truly surprised that you’re speaking this way,” Joseph replied, “even considering how you would like to eat the fruit of this tree when you can plainly see how high it is! I am far more concerned with our lack of water, for our skins have been depleted, and we don’t have enough for ourselves, much less our livestock.” Then the boy Jesus, lying in his mother’s lap with an amused look on his face, commanded the palm, “Lower your branches, oh palm, and refresh my mother with your fruit.” Now as soon as the palm tree heard these words, it immediately bowed its top all the way down to Mary’s feet; and they ate their fill of the fruit they had plucked. And after they had picked it clean it remained there lowered, awaiting the command to stand from the one who had ordered it to bend. “Palm tree,” cried Jesus, “rise up now and strengthen yourself! Become like the trees in my Father’s paradise and cause your roots to open up a hidden spring, so that we might have enough to drink.” Just then it stood tall, and cold, crystal clear water began to gush from between its roots. And when the people who were there saw the fountain of water they all rejoiced and gave thanks to God. All of them then drank their fill, as did their livestock and the other beasts.
The following day as they were on their way, at the very hour that their journey began, Jesus turned to the palm and said, “Palm tree, here is the blessing that I will give to you: my angels will take off one of your branches and plant it in my Father’s paradise. I will, moreover, present you with this mark of distinction: to anyone who prevails in any challenge, it will be said, ‘You have received the palm of victory.’” And even as he was saying these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to them, stood atop the palm, plucked one of its branches off, and flew away, branch in hand, into the sky. Now after they had taken it in, they prostrated themselves as dead. “Why are you so full of fear?” he questioned them. “Are you not aware that this palm, which I have arranged to be transplanted into paradise, is to be readied for the holy ones in the place of bliss, even as it has been readied for us today in this desert?” And they rose up strengthened in their joy.
After this, as they journeyed on, their saddle straps broke, (and) Joseph said to Jesus, “Lord, we are all about to broil in this heat. If it should seem good to you, please allow us to travel alongside the sea, that we might lodge in the coastal towns.” “Joseph,” said Jesus, “do not fret; I will shorten the distance that you must go, so that what would have required thirty days to pass, you will complete this very day.” And right as he was saying this, behold, the mountains and townships of Egypt came into view just ahead. And after Joseph had left his home and withdrawn into Egypt, he remained there for an entire year, until the anger of Herod had diminished. And Jesus was two when he came into Egypt.
ARRIVAL IN EGYPT; THE 365 IDOLS TOPPLE
(PsMt 22-24; InThL 1:1c)
Sotinen, Greater Hermopolis
They entered joyfully and exultantly into the region of Hermopolis. And as Jesus was walking through a field of grain, he reached out his hand and grabbed hold of some ears. After roasting them upon a fire, he crushed them and ate. They then entered the Egyptian city of Sotinen. Now since there was no one there from whom they knew to seek hospitality, they went into a certain temple known as the Egyptian Capitol Building. Three hundred and sixty-five idols had been set up in that place, each receiving religious devotion and hallowed rituals on its particular day. The Egyptians who lived in that town would enter into the capitol, where the priests would tell them how many sacrifices to offer up that day, corresponding to the regard in which the ‘god’ was held.
And it happened that as soon as Mary took the young boy into the temple, every idol in that place fell flat on its face, and each of them was lying there face down on the floor, smashed and demolished in a show of their powerlessness. Then was fulfilled the word of the prophet Isaiah: “Behold, the Lord will enter Egypt on a swift cloud, and all that the Egyptians have crafted will be cleared away at his coming.”
And when that city’s ruler Affrodosius was notified, he and his entire army marched toward the temple. And when the temple priests caught sight of Affrodosius entering into that place, in the full strength of his military might, they felt certain that he would retaliate against those who overthrew the idols. But when he entered into the temple and saw all of the gods lying there face down, Affrodosius went up to Mary, who was holding Jesus in her arms, and worshiped him. Then he confessed to his army and his supporters, “Our gods would never have fallen in his presence, nor would they have remained here prostrated before him unless he were God over our gods; so even though they cannot speak, they silently acknowledge his lordship. If we should fail to do as we see our own gods doing, then we are all in danger of infuriating him and being devastated like Pharaoh, King of the Egyptians, who drowned with his whole army in the sea for not acknowledging such a masterful authority.” Then everyone in that place put their faith in the Lord God through Jesus Christ.
And it happened that as soon as Mary took the young boy into the temple, every idol in that place fell flat on its face, and each of them was lying there face down on the floor, smashed and demolished in a show of their powerlessness. Then was fulfilled the word of the prophet Isaiah: “Behold, the Lord will enter Egypt on a swift cloud, and all that the Egyptians have crafted will be cleared away at his coming.”
And when that city’s ruler Affrodosius was notified, he and his entire army marched toward the temple. And when the temple priests caught sight of Affrodosius entering into that place, in the full strength of his military might, they felt certain that he would retaliate against those who overthrew the idols. But when he entered into the temple and saw all of the gods lying there face down, Affrodosius went up to Mary, who was holding Jesus in her arms, and worshiped him. Then he confessed to his army and his supporters, “Our gods would never have fallen in his presence, nor would they have remained here prostrated before him unless he were God over our gods; so even though they cannot speak, they silently acknowledge his lordship. If we should fail to do as we see our own gods doing, then we are all in danger of infuriating him and being devastated like Pharaoh, King of the Egyptians, who drowned with his whole army in the sea for not acknowledging such a masterful authority.” Then everyone in that place put their faith in the Lord God through Jesus Christ.
THE FALLEN IDOL AND THE POSSESSED BOY
(ArIn 4:5-23)
A Large Egyptian City
And they approached a large city that housed an idol which received the sacrifices and pledges from all the other Egyptian gods and idols. Now there was a priest nearby who would attend to it and, as often as Satan spoke through it, pass along to the Egyptians and the others every word that it would speak. This priest had a three-year-old son who was possessed by a legion of demons, and would utter many senseless things. Now whenever the demons would exercise their power over him, the boy would tear his clothing and walk around naked, throwing rocks at everyone in sight. The city’s inn was near to the idol, and when Joseph and Saint Mary entered that city and checked into the inn, the residents were all amazed. All of that idol’s judges and priests gathered before it and asked, “What does all this fear and terror that has gripped our region forebode?” “Truly the unknown and unrivaled God is visiting us,” the idol replied. “He is no doubt the Son of God, and no one but he is worthy of adoration. The entire nation trembled at his fame, and his arrival has brought this present fear and dread upon us; and we do ourselves shrink before his tremendous might.” And even as he said this the idol fell, and its collapse prompted everyone from the land of Egypt and parts beyond to run away.
The next time the disorder overcame the son of the priest, however, he went into the inn where Joseph and Saint Mary were staying and approached those from whom everyone else had fled. And when our Lady, Saint Mary, had finished washing the swaddling cloths of the Lord Jesus Christ, she hung them over a post to dry. The demon possessed boy pulled one off and wrapped it around his head, whereupon the demons spewed out of his mouth as crows and snakes, and flew away from him in haste. The boy was healed once and for all by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, and he began to offer thanks, and to sing songs of praise to the Lord, who had made him well. When his father saw that his boy was again in health, he prodded him, “Son, tell me what has become of you. Explain to me how you were restored?” “As soon as those devils got hold of me,” his son replied, “I went into the inn, where I met a very beautiful woman--and her young boy was there with her. She had just washed his swaddling clothes and hung them over a post to dry. Then I took one and placed it over my head, at which point the demons came out and fled.” When his father heard all of these things from him, he jumped for joy and cried aloud, “My child, this might just be that boy--that Son of the Living God--who brought all of creation into existence; for the very moment that he came to us the idol was destroyed, and every single god, overwhelmed by a higher power, fell flat on its face.” In this was fulfilled that prophecy that reads, “Out of Egypt I have called my Son.”
The next time the disorder overcame the son of the priest, however, he went into the inn where Joseph and Saint Mary were staying and approached those from whom everyone else had fled. And when our Lady, Saint Mary, had finished washing the swaddling cloths of the Lord Jesus Christ, she hung them over a post to dry. The demon possessed boy pulled one off and wrapped it around his head, whereupon the demons spewed out of his mouth as crows and snakes, and flew away from him in haste. The boy was healed once and for all by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, and he began to offer thanks, and to sing songs of praise to the Lord, who had made him well. When his father saw that his boy was again in health, he prodded him, “Son, tell me what has become of you. Explain to me how you were restored?” “As soon as those devils got hold of me,” his son replied, “I went into the inn, where I met a very beautiful woman--and her young boy was there with her. She had just washed his swaddling clothes and hung them over a post to dry. Then I took one and placed it over my head, at which point the demons came out and fled.” When his father heard all of these things from him, he jumped for joy and cried aloud, “My child, this might just be that boy--that Son of the Living God--who brought all of creation into existence; for the very moment that he came to us the idol was destroyed, and every single god, overwhelmed by a higher power, fell flat on its face.” In this was fulfilled that prophecy that reads, “Out of Egypt I have called my Son.”
THE ROBBERS FLEE
(ArIn 5:1-6)
Egypt, on a Road Frequented by Robbers
When Joseph and Mary heard that this Idol had fallen down and been destroyed, they grew fearful. And trembling they said, “Back when we were still in Israel, Herod put all of the infants that were in and around Bethlehem to death because he sought to murder Jesus. If the Egyptians should hear that this idol has fallen down and shattered to bits, they will set us all ablaze!” They therefore sought refuge where bandits lie in wait for passersby, to steal their clothing and their wagons, to bind them up and carry them off. And even as Joseph and Mary drew near to it, these robbers perceived their approach as a king with a mighty army, attended by legions of horses, complete with drums and trumpet blasts announcing the departure from his city. The sound of it so frightened them, that they left everything they had stolen behind and ran. When this happened, those who had been
captured got up and untied one another--each one took what was their own and they all went on their way. When they saw Joseph and Mary approaching, these people asked them, “Where is that king that we all heard--who so alarmed the bandits that they ran away, leaving us all here free and unharmed?” “He is following after us,” said Joseph.
captured got up and untied one another--each one took what was their own and they all went on their way. When they saw Joseph and Mary approaching, these people asked them, “Where is that king that we all heard--who so alarmed the bandits that they ran away, leaving us all here free and unharmed?” “He is following after us,” said Joseph.
SATANIC OPPRESSION AND SKIN DISEASES CURED
(ArIn 6:10-37) Another Egyptian city
Then, after receiving provisions for their journey, they traveled on. They entered into another town, where they truly wished to lodge, for it was a popular place. There was a woman in this town who had gone to the river to bathe one day, and behold, Satan, the Accursed One, sprang on her in the form of a snake and wrapped himself around her body; and he wrenched her every night thereafter. When this woman saw our Lady, Saint Mary, with the child, the Lord Jesus Christ, in her arms, she asked the Lady Saint Mary to hand the little one over to her, so that she might kiss and hold him in her arms. Now when Mary handed him over--even as she was taking hold of the child--Satan suddenly took off and abandoned her, and that woman never saw him again. Everyone in that place immediately broke into praises to the Most High God, and the woman gave them generous gifts.
The next day, that same woman bought perfumed water with which to bathe the Anointed Lord, and set it aside. Another girl was there whose skin was white with leprosy, and as soon as she was sprinkled with it, and had scrubbed herself off, her skin disease was washed away. So the people all proclaimed, “There can be no doubt that
Joseph, Mary, and this boy are gods, since they do not seem like mortal men.” And as they were getting set to travel on, the girl who had been afflicted by her skin disease approached them and asked if she could come along. And they answered that she could, so the girl traveled on with them until they came to a town in which stood the palace of a great king, and that place was near to the inn where they were staying. One day, when the girl went to visit the prince’s wife, she found her grieving and suffering terribly, so she asked her, “Why are you weeping?” “Please don’t ask me why I weep,” she pleaded, “for I am under such a trial that I dare not tell a soul about it!” “But if you’ll confide in me,” the girl replied, “and disclose to me the nature of your personal suffering, then I might just be able to find you a reme dy.” “Then you must keep it to yourself,” the princess insisted, “and not tell anyone about it! I have been married to this prince who reigns over many regions as a king, and had lived with him for quite a while before I bore him any children. At long last he managed to get me pregnant, but wouldn’t you know, I gave birth to a leprous son!
Now as soon as my husband saw him, he immediately denied his paternity and said, ‘You either take and destroy him, or else send him off to a nurse in a place so far away that he will never be heard from!
As for you, look to yourself, because I never want to see you again!’ So here I am, languishing and grieving over my horrible situation. Oh, for my son! Oh, for my husband! Do you get the idea?” “I have found a remedy for your plight that I know you can trust,” the girl replied, “even the one who is called Jesus, the son of the Lady Saint Mary. You see, I also had a skin disease, but then God washed me clean of it.” “Where,” asked the woman, “is this God of whom you speak?” The girl answered, “He is staying right here in your very own home!” “But how is this possible?” the princess said. “Tell me where this child could be!” “Behold,” the girl replied, “you know Joseph and Mary? The child who is with them is called Jesus; and he was the one who freed me from my own illness and suffering.” “Well then,” the princess asked, “just how were you cleansed of it? Will you at least explain that much to me?” “Why, of course I will,” the girl replied. “After I had bathed the boy, I took the water used to wash his body, and poured it over myself, and my skin disease disappeared.” The princess then got up and showed herself hospitable to them, throwing a banquet in
Joseph’s honor before a great many men. The following day, she took perfumed water in which to bathe the Lord Jesus, and later poured some over her own son, whom she had brought along, and immediately he was freed of his leprosy. She then sang praises of thanks to God, saying, “Oh, Jesus! How blessed is the mother who bore you! Is this how you restore mankind: making them even as you are yourself with the very water that was used to clean you off?” Then she offered lavish gifts to our Lady, Saint Mary, and bid her farewell with every conceivable honor.
WITCHCRAFTS OVERCOME (ArIn 7:1-35)
Several Egyptian Cities
After this, they came to another town and decided to lodge there. So they went to the house of a man who had just completed his nuptials, but due to the influence of some sorcerers, could not consummate his marriage. But they spent the night at this man’s
house, and he was relieved of his affliction. Early the next morning, as they were gathering their things to go their way, the newly wedded man did not let them go, but instead showed them great hospitality. Even so, they traveled on the following day.
And they entered into another town, where they saw three women who were weeping and wailing as they were leaving a certain graveyard. As soon as Saint Mary saw them, she asked the girl who had sought to travel with them, “Would you please go over to those women and find out what is troubling them, and what circumstances they are under.” They did not answer her question though, but questioned her instead, “Who are you, then, and where are you headed? For the day has nearly passed, and the night is on its heels.” “We are travelers searching for an inn in which to stay,” the girl replied. “Follow us,” they answered them, “You can come and stay with us.” So they followed after those women, and were ushered into a brand new house--all decorated with every kind of furniture imaginable. By now it was winter, and the girl entered into the parlor and found the women there, crying and lamenting over their plight, even as they had before. A mule was standing next to them all draped in silk. A black feedbag was hanging from his neck--and they were kissing him and feeding him. But when the girl remarked, “Ladies, that’s a fine looking mule you’ve got there!” they all burst into tears and said, “What you see as a mule was once our brother, born from the very same mother as we. For when our father passed away, he left us with a large estate, and this was our only brother. We tried to find him a suitable companion, thinking that he should wed as others do, but some woman got jealous and cast a spell on him without our knowing. Then one night, right before dawn, when the doors to the house were still shut tight, we saw that our brother here had been changed into a mule, as you can plainly see. And we, being in the sorry state that you see us in now, having no father to console us, have sought the services of all the sages, wizards, and sorcerers in the world, but they have not helped us in the least! So now when we find ourselves feeling down, we get up and travel with our mother to our father’s grave. And after we have cried it off, we all simply come back here.”
And as soon as the girl had heard all this, she said, “Now take heart, and have no fear, for truly a cure for what ails you is near. It is, in fact, right here with you--even in your very home! I was a victim of a skin disease, you see, but when I saw this woman with her child Jesus, I sprinkled my body with the bathwater that his mother had used to wash him off, and in that instant I was healed. Now I am certain that he can bring your troubles to an end. Get up, therefore, and go over to my lady Mary, and after you have brought her into this room, share your secret with her. And while you are at it, ask her to show you compassion for the circumstances you are under.” The moment the women heard what the girl had said, they went quickly to our Lady, Saint Mary, introduced themselves to her, seated themselves before her and wept. “Oh, our Lady, Saint Mary,” they pleaded, “show us some compassion, for our house is without a head, and we have no one who is older--neither father or brother--to lead us either in or out! What you see as a mule over here was once our brother. Some woman using witchcraft has brought him to his present state. And for this reason do we beg of you, please have pity on us all!” When she heard this, Mary felt sorry for them, so she took the Lord Jesus, placed him on the back of the mule and said, “Oh, Christ Jesus, through your absolute power, restore this mule into a man, having the same sense as he had before.” The Lady, Saint Mary, had scarcely finished speaking these words when the mule returned to the form of a young man without any deformity whatsoever. Then he, his sisters and his mother all worshiped our Lady, Saint Mary. Then they lifted up the child and held him out above their heads, kissing him, and proclaiming, “Oh Jesus, Savior of the World, how blessed is your mother! How blessed and joyful are the eyes that see you!” The two sisters then confessed to their mother, “Truly, it was the Lord Jesus
Christ who helped our brother, restoring him to his prior state; but it was also through the kindness of that girl who told us about Mary and her son. So seeing that our brother here is not yet wed, it seems good that we should marry him to this servant girl of theirs. So they consulted Mary about it, and when she had given them her consent, they threw a stylish wedding for her.”
So their sorrow turned to gladness, and their grieving into joy. And they dressed up in their finest clothing and bracelets, and began to celebrate and to be festive. Then they all broke out in song, and soon they were all exalting and praising God, saying, “Jesus, oh son of David, who changes sorrow into joy, and misery into elation!” And after these things, Joseph and Mary remained there with them ten days more, receiving tremendous appreciation from them. And after Joseph and Mary had gone away, they all went home weeping, but none of them wept more than the girl.
TITUS AND DUMACHUS
(DYSMAS AND GESTAS) (ArIn 8:1-8)
The Desert, Where Bandits Lie In Wait
And as they moved on from that district, they came into a desert, where they were warned about all of the robbers that lurked there. Joseph and Saint Mary therefore waited until nightfall to pass through. And even as they journeyed forth, they caught sight of two bandits who were sleeping in the road--and many of their companions were sleeping nearby. These two robbers were named Titus and
Dumachus. “Dumachus,” Titus implored him, “I beg you, please allow these people to pass us quietly by, so that no one in our band might notice them.” Now Dumachus refused to do it, so once again he said to him, “I will give you forty goats; and look, here is my belt, take it also as a pledge.” And he handed it over to Dumachus even as he was bargaining with him, so that he might not sound the alarm. When our Lady Saint Mary saw the kindness that this robber had done them, she informed him, “The Lord God will forgive you of your sins and place you at His own right hand.” “Mother,” the Lord Jesus said to her, “in thirty years time, the Jews will crucify me in Jerusalem. These two thieves will be crucified alongside me; Titus will be to my right, and Dumachus to my left--and Titus will pass into paradise even before I do.” “My son!” said Mary, “God forbid this should happen to you!”
Then they traveled to another town. There were several idols in that place that turned into mere sand dunes at their approach.
INFANCY
RETURN TO JUDEA; TO GALILEE (Matt 2:13-23; Luke 2:40; ArIn 8:14-17; PsMt 25; InThL 3; HJC 9)
Egypt, Judea, Nazareth
But after three years had come and gone, Herod passed away. (Now he died from the worst death that you can imagine, paying the price for those innocent children, whose blood he so wickedly shed.) After the death of that evil despot and the passing of Joseph from Egypt, (an angel of the Lord) led him out into the desert until those who sought after the boy’s life were no longer a threat and Jerusalem was once again at rest. Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Get up! Take your young child and his mother into Israel, for those who sought to kill him are dead.” And behold, one of the Lord’s angels came (also) to Mary, saying, “Take the child and return to the land of the Jews, because the ones who were trying to kill him have themselves passed on.” Joseph therefore got up, took the young child and his mother and entered into Israel. The closer he drew to Judea, however, the more reluctant he became to enter into it. (Joseph, you see, had heard that Herod had passed on and that his son Archelaus was reigning in his stead, so he was afraid to go there.) And on his arrival in Judea, an angel of God appeared to him in a dream, warning him: “Joseph, travel on to the city of Nazareth and settle in that place.” So Joseph and Mary got up and left with Jesus for the region of Galilee, and they entered into Nazareth, where she had an inheritance from her father; that what was spoken through the prophets, “He will be called a Nazarene,” might be fulfilled. And Joseph returned to his carpenter’s trade, earning a living with his own two hands; for he would never have tried to live off of another man’s labor; (even) as the Mosaic Law forbids. And he thanked the Lord God for His kindness, and for giving him such an understanding. It is truly mysterious that the Lord of every nation should be moved around all over like this--back and forth across so many lands. And the boy grew, and became strong, and extremely wise. And God endowed him with His nature.
(ArIn 6:10-37) Another Egyptian city
Then, after receiving provisions for their journey, they traveled on. They entered into another town, where they truly wished to lodge, for it was a popular place. There was a woman in this town who had gone to the river to bathe one day, and behold, Satan, the Accursed One, sprang on her in the form of a snake and wrapped himself around her body; and he wrenched her every night thereafter. When this woman saw our Lady, Saint Mary, with the child, the Lord Jesus Christ, in her arms, she asked the Lady Saint Mary to hand the little one over to her, so that she might kiss and hold him in her arms. Now when Mary handed him over--even as she was taking hold of the child--Satan suddenly took off and abandoned her, and that woman never saw him again. Everyone in that place immediately broke into praises to the Most High God, and the woman gave them generous gifts.
The next day, that same woman bought perfumed water with which to bathe the Anointed Lord, and set it aside. Another girl was there whose skin was white with leprosy, and as soon as she was sprinkled with it, and had scrubbed herself off, her skin disease was washed away. So the people all proclaimed, “There can be no doubt that
Joseph, Mary, and this boy are gods, since they do not seem like mortal men.” And as they were getting set to travel on, the girl who had been afflicted by her skin disease approached them and asked if she could come along. And they answered that she could, so the girl traveled on with them until they came to a town in which stood the palace of a great king, and that place was near to the inn where they were staying. One day, when the girl went to visit the prince’s wife, she found her grieving and suffering terribly, so she asked her, “Why are you weeping?” “Please don’t ask me why I weep,” she pleaded, “for I am under such a trial that I dare not tell a soul about it!” “But if you’ll confide in me,” the girl replied, “and disclose to me the nature of your personal suffering, then I might just be able to find you a reme dy.” “Then you must keep it to yourself,” the princess insisted, “and not tell anyone about it! I have been married to this prince who reigns over many regions as a king, and had lived with him for quite a while before I bore him any children. At long last he managed to get me pregnant, but wouldn’t you know, I gave birth to a leprous son!
Now as soon as my husband saw him, he immediately denied his paternity and said, ‘You either take and destroy him, or else send him off to a nurse in a place so far away that he will never be heard from!
As for you, look to yourself, because I never want to see you again!’ So here I am, languishing and grieving over my horrible situation. Oh, for my son! Oh, for my husband! Do you get the idea?” “I have found a remedy for your plight that I know you can trust,” the girl replied, “even the one who is called Jesus, the son of the Lady Saint Mary. You see, I also had a skin disease, but then God washed me clean of it.” “Where,” asked the woman, “is this God of whom you speak?” The girl answered, “He is staying right here in your very own home!” “But how is this possible?” the princess said. “Tell me where this child could be!” “Behold,” the girl replied, “you know Joseph and Mary? The child who is with them is called Jesus; and he was the one who freed me from my own illness and suffering.” “Well then,” the princess asked, “just how were you cleansed of it? Will you at least explain that much to me?” “Why, of course I will,” the girl replied. “After I had bathed the boy, I took the water used to wash his body, and poured it over myself, and my skin disease disappeared.” The princess then got up and showed herself hospitable to them, throwing a banquet in
Joseph’s honor before a great many men. The following day, she took perfumed water in which to bathe the Lord Jesus, and later poured some over her own son, whom she had brought along, and immediately he was freed of his leprosy. She then sang praises of thanks to God, saying, “Oh, Jesus! How blessed is the mother who bore you! Is this how you restore mankind: making them even as you are yourself with the very water that was used to clean you off?” Then she offered lavish gifts to our Lady, Saint Mary, and bid her farewell with every conceivable honor.
WITCHCRAFTS OVERCOME (ArIn 7:1-35)
Several Egyptian Cities
After this, they came to another town and decided to lodge there. So they went to the house of a man who had just completed his nuptials, but due to the influence of some sorcerers, could not consummate his marriage. But they spent the night at this man’s
house, and he was relieved of his affliction. Early the next morning, as they were gathering their things to go their way, the newly wedded man did not let them go, but instead showed them great hospitality. Even so, they traveled on the following day.
And they entered into another town, where they saw three women who were weeping and wailing as they were leaving a certain graveyard. As soon as Saint Mary saw them, she asked the girl who had sought to travel with them, “Would you please go over to those women and find out what is troubling them, and what circumstances they are under.” They did not answer her question though, but questioned her instead, “Who are you, then, and where are you headed? For the day has nearly passed, and the night is on its heels.” “We are travelers searching for an inn in which to stay,” the girl replied. “Follow us,” they answered them, “You can come and stay with us.” So they followed after those women, and were ushered into a brand new house--all decorated with every kind of furniture imaginable. By now it was winter, and the girl entered into the parlor and found the women there, crying and lamenting over their plight, even as they had before. A mule was standing next to them all draped in silk. A black feedbag was hanging from his neck--and they were kissing him and feeding him. But when the girl remarked, “Ladies, that’s a fine looking mule you’ve got there!” they all burst into tears and said, “What you see as a mule was once our brother, born from the very same mother as we. For when our father passed away, he left us with a large estate, and this was our only brother. We tried to find him a suitable companion, thinking that he should wed as others do, but some woman got jealous and cast a spell on him without our knowing. Then one night, right before dawn, when the doors to the house were still shut tight, we saw that our brother here had been changed into a mule, as you can plainly see. And we, being in the sorry state that you see us in now, having no father to console us, have sought the services of all the sages, wizards, and sorcerers in the world, but they have not helped us in the least! So now when we find ourselves feeling down, we get up and travel with our mother to our father’s grave. And after we have cried it off, we all simply come back here.”
And as soon as the girl had heard all this, she said, “Now take heart, and have no fear, for truly a cure for what ails you is near. It is, in fact, right here with you--even in your very home! I was a victim of a skin disease, you see, but when I saw this woman with her child Jesus, I sprinkled my body with the bathwater that his mother had used to wash him off, and in that instant I was healed. Now I am certain that he can bring your troubles to an end. Get up, therefore, and go over to my lady Mary, and after you have brought her into this room, share your secret with her. And while you are at it, ask her to show you compassion for the circumstances you are under.” The moment the women heard what the girl had said, they went quickly to our Lady, Saint Mary, introduced themselves to her, seated themselves before her and wept. “Oh, our Lady, Saint Mary,” they pleaded, “show us some compassion, for our house is without a head, and we have no one who is older--neither father or brother--to lead us either in or out! What you see as a mule over here was once our brother. Some woman using witchcraft has brought him to his present state. And for this reason do we beg of you, please have pity on us all!” When she heard this, Mary felt sorry for them, so she took the Lord Jesus, placed him on the back of the mule and said, “Oh, Christ Jesus, through your absolute power, restore this mule into a man, having the same sense as he had before.” The Lady, Saint Mary, had scarcely finished speaking these words when the mule returned to the form of a young man without any deformity whatsoever. Then he, his sisters and his mother all worshiped our Lady, Saint Mary. Then they lifted up the child and held him out above their heads, kissing him, and proclaiming, “Oh Jesus, Savior of the World, how blessed is your mother! How blessed and joyful are the eyes that see you!” The two sisters then confessed to their mother, “Truly, it was the Lord Jesus
Christ who helped our brother, restoring him to his prior state; but it was also through the kindness of that girl who told us about Mary and her son. So seeing that our brother here is not yet wed, it seems good that we should marry him to this servant girl of theirs. So they consulted Mary about it, and when she had given them her consent, they threw a stylish wedding for her.”
So their sorrow turned to gladness, and their grieving into joy. And they dressed up in their finest clothing and bracelets, and began to celebrate and to be festive. Then they all broke out in song, and soon they were all exalting and praising God, saying, “Jesus, oh son of David, who changes sorrow into joy, and misery into elation!” And after these things, Joseph and Mary remained there with them ten days more, receiving tremendous appreciation from them. And after Joseph and Mary had gone away, they all went home weeping, but none of them wept more than the girl.
TITUS AND DUMACHUS
(DYSMAS AND GESTAS) (ArIn 8:1-8)
The Desert, Where Bandits Lie In Wait
And as they moved on from that district, they came into a desert, where they were warned about all of the robbers that lurked there. Joseph and Saint Mary therefore waited until nightfall to pass through. And even as they journeyed forth, they caught sight of two bandits who were sleeping in the road--and many of their companions were sleeping nearby. These two robbers were named Titus and
Dumachus. “Dumachus,” Titus implored him, “I beg you, please allow these people to pass us quietly by, so that no one in our band might notice them.” Now Dumachus refused to do it, so once again he said to him, “I will give you forty goats; and look, here is my belt, take it also as a pledge.” And he handed it over to Dumachus even as he was bargaining with him, so that he might not sound the alarm. When our Lady Saint Mary saw the kindness that this robber had done them, she informed him, “The Lord God will forgive you of your sins and place you at His own right hand.” “Mother,” the Lord Jesus said to her, “in thirty years time, the Jews will crucify me in Jerusalem. These two thieves will be crucified alongside me; Titus will be to my right, and Dumachus to my left--and Titus will pass into paradise even before I do.” “My son!” said Mary, “God forbid this should happen to you!”
Then they traveled to another town. There were several idols in that place that turned into mere sand dunes at their approach.
INFANCY
RETURN TO JUDEA; TO GALILEE (Matt 2:13-23; Luke 2:40; ArIn 8:14-17; PsMt 25; InThL 3; HJC 9)
Egypt, Judea, Nazareth
But after three years had come and gone, Herod passed away. (Now he died from the worst death that you can imagine, paying the price for those innocent children, whose blood he so wickedly shed.) After the death of that evil despot and the passing of Joseph from Egypt, (an angel of the Lord) led him out into the desert until those who sought after the boy’s life were no longer a threat and Jerusalem was once again at rest. Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Get up! Take your young child and his mother into Israel, for those who sought to kill him are dead.” And behold, one of the Lord’s angels came (also) to Mary, saying, “Take the child and return to the land of the Jews, because the ones who were trying to kill him have themselves passed on.” Joseph therefore got up, took the young child and his mother and entered into Israel. The closer he drew to Judea, however, the more reluctant he became to enter into it. (Joseph, you see, had heard that Herod had passed on and that his son Archelaus was reigning in his stead, so he was afraid to go there.) And on his arrival in Judea, an angel of God appeared to him in a dream, warning him: “Joseph, travel on to the city of Nazareth and settle in that place.” So Joseph and Mary got up and left with Jesus for the region of Galilee, and they entered into Nazareth, where she had an inheritance from her father; that what was spoken through the prophets, “He will be called a Nazarene,” might be fulfilled. And Joseph returned to his carpenter’s trade, earning a living with his own two hands; for he would never have tried to live off of another man’s labor; (even) as the Mosaic Law forbids. And he thanked the Lord God for His kindness, and for giving him such an understanding. It is truly mysterious that the Lord of every nation should be moved around all over like this--back and forth across so many lands. And the boy grew, and became strong, and extremely wise. And God endowed him with His nature.
JUDAS STRIKES JESUS
(ArIn 14:1-10) Judea
Satan had taken possession of the son of another woman in that region. As often as Satan would take control of this boy, whose name was Judas, he would go around biting everyone in sight; and if there was no one around, he would bite his own hands and limbs. The mother of this wretched boy, hearing about Saint Mary and her son Jesus, rose up quickly and carried her child in her arms to our Lady Mary. Meanwhile James and Joses had taken the young Jesus to play with some other children, and while they were out, they all sat down alongside him. Then Judas, the possessed boy, came and sat down to his right. And when Satan was working through him in his usual manner, the boy attempted to bite the Lord Jesus. But because he was not able, he struck him so hard against his right hand side that he cried aloud. And the moment that he did so, Satan left the lad and ran away like a mad dog. This very child, the one who struck Jesus, and out of whom Satan fled in the form of a dog was he who betrayed him to the Jews--Judas Iscariot. And the Jews pierced him with a spear on the very spot where Judas had stricken him.
A BOY WRECKS JESUS’ POOLS AND DIES
(PsMt 26)
Galilee, by the Jordan River
And when he had returned from Egypt, by the time that he was four years old, it so happened that he was playing in Galilee by the banks of the Jordan with some other youngsters on a Sabbath Day. Now as he was sitting there, Jesus fashioned seven puddles out of mud, each complete with its own viaducts, and at his command the waters rushed into them and out again. Then one of those boys--a child of Satan who was jealous of Jesus--stopped up the channels that were feeding these pools and demolished all that Jesus had made. “Curse you, you son of the devil!” Jesus reproached him. “Will you tear down my hard work?” And right away the one who had done this dropped dead. The dead boy’s parents then loudly denounced Joseph and Mary, complaining, “Your boy has killed our son, and now he is dead.” And when Joseph and Mary heard the clamoring of the parents and the convergence of the Jews, they went out to where Jesus was. Privately, however, Joseph confided to Mary, “I do not dare to lecture him. You must therefore chasten him, and be sure to ask him why it is that he stirs the people’s anger against us and forces such animosity upon us.” And when Mary went and questioned him, “Oh my Lord, what did he do that he should die?” Jesus replied, “He deserved to die for scattering all that I worked so hard to build.” Then his mother pleaded with him, “My Lord, do not conduct yourself like this, for everyone is up in arms against us.” And Jesus, not wishing to cause his mother grief, kicked the boy who had died in the rump with his right foot and ordered him, “Get up, you child of darkness! Because you have destroyed all that I had worked so hard to make, you are unfit to enter my Father’s rest.” Then the one who had died got back up and ran away. And at Jesus’ command, the water gushed back through the channels and into the puddles.
AND QUICKENS CLAY ANIMALS
(InTh 2(3); QBar 2:11; PsMt 27) Galilee
When Jesus was five years old, he was playing near the shallow crossing of a stream. He diverted some of the flowing water into puddles and with a word he gave command and they instantly clarified.
Afterward, Jesus took some clay out of the puddles he had formed and, before them all fashioned twelve sparrows from it, representing the twelve apostles. There were many other children who were playing with him there. A certain Jew, when he saw what Jesus was doing as he played there on the Sabbath Day, hurried over right away to his father Joseph. “Look, the boy informed him, your son is playing down by the river. He has taken mud and made twelve sparrows with it, which is unlawful for him to do, thereby desecrating the Sabbath Day.” And when he heard this, Joseph made away for that place. And as soon as he got there, the boy said to him: “See? Your son, by doing work, is violating the Sabbath! He has fashioned twelve sparrows out of clay.” And Joseph chastened Jesus, saying, “Why do you break the Sabbath with such unlawful acts?” But when Jesus heard Joseph, he offered no reply, but instead turned toward the sparrows, clapped his hands and cried aloud before them all, “Fly now, and go your way!
Sail throughout the world and live, calling me to mind your whole life long.” And at the sound of his word they all flew into the air, flapping and chirping loudly even unto the ends of the earth. And when Joseph saw this miracle, he was astounded. And when the Jews saw it, they too were astounded. Everyone, in fact, upon seeing such wonders, was astounded. Many who were there praised Jesus and offered him thanks, but a few others denounced him --still others went and notified the high-ranking priests and the leaders of the Pharisees that Joseph’s boy Jesus had performed great signs and wonders in the sight of Israel. And word got around to the Israelite tribes.
BOY SCATTERS JESUS’ FISH POOL
(InTh 3(2); ArIn 19:16-21; PsMt 28,29) Galilee
Jesus left his mother in the house one day after a rain, and went to play on a riverbank with some boys. After making some ponds they dug little channels, drawing some of the river water into the small fish ponds. Then Jesus said to the waters: “Clarify and become fresh,” and they all became so right away. The Lord Jesus had also formed twelve sparrows around his puddle, placing three on each of the sides. But this all happened on the Sabbath, and the son of a Jew named Annas, a temple priest, happened along and saw them making all of these things and protested, “Are you making images of clay on the Sabbath Day?” Then he hurried over to them and ruined all of their ponds.
But when the Lord Jesus clapped his hands over the sparrows he had fashioned, they took off chirping. Soon the son of Annas the scribe again stood nearby, branch in hand before them all, this time with Joseph. And with bitter anger, he took the willow branch and approached Jesus’ fish pond to break down its dams that he had fashioned with his own two hands. And upon destroying the ponds with the branch, the waters that had flowed into it streamed out again. He sealed off the inlet, moreover, and broke down the channel supplying it. And when Jesus saw what he had done, he was angry, and he reproached the boy who had destroyed his levees, “You disrespectful fool! What an evil, godless, and lawless one you are! In what way were these ponds harming you that you have felt the need to drain them?” Then the water disappeared and the Lord Jesus reproved him, “Oh evil seed most foul! Oh, son of death! Oh, devil’s workshop! The fruit of your seed will be powerless indeed! Your roots will parch, and your fruitless branches wither. Behold, you will travel no further; but you also will waste away like a tree and sprout neither leaves, nor roots, nor any fruit; and your very life will evaporate even as this water has, and you will become as dried-up as the stick which you now hold.” Moments later, as he headed off along his way, the boy fell down before them all; withering up suddenly and completely, thus surrendering his spirit and passing on. Then Jesus left that place and entered into Joseph’s house. Now when the youngsters he was playing with saw what had happened, they were astonished and went to the dead boy’s father and let him know. He then ran over to the scene and saw that the youth was dead. The withered boy’s parents then carried him away, grieving over the loss of this child. And they took Jesus straight to Joseph, chastening him, “What kind of boy do you have that does such things?” Then Joseph, trembling, took hold of Jesus and went with him and his mother (back) into his house.
BOY ATTACKS JESUS AND DIES
(ArIn 19:22-24; InTh 4; PsMt 29) Nazareth?
And after a few days had passed, Jesus was again walking home one evening through the midst of town with a very frightened Joseph. And behold, a certain boy, another evildoer, threw a stone at Jesus and ran quickly up to him from the front wishing to make a laughingstock of him or even injure him if at all possible, pounding him so soundly against his shoulder that he slammed against the ground. Jesus became furious and condemned the boy, “May you go no further on your way (so as to) return from it unharmed! And even as you have knocked me down, so also will you fall to the ground, but you will never recover.” And in that instant the boy fell dead.
Some who had witnessed the event, however, including the dead boy’s parents shouted, “Where could this boy have come from, seeing how every word he speaks is true, and is carried out in fact, sometimes before he even utters it?” They all came up to Joseph, bringing with them the parents of the dead boys. And they started to reprove him saying, “Because your son does things like this, you may no longer live with him alongside us in this town. Take Jesus away from here--or else kindly teach him to bless and not to curse, for he is killing our children, since every word of his has an immediate effect.”
JOSEPH ADMONISHES JESUS; HIS REPLY
(InTh 5; PsMt 29) Jerusalem
Joseph then went up to Jesus, calling the boy privately to himself. Now after Joseph had seated himself upon his chair, the boy came and stood before him there. He then reproved Jesus saying, “Why do you do these kinds of things? Many of these people are heartbroken already because of you, and therefore they despise and harass us. Many of them are now talking bad about you and deride us both on your account, and we have no choice but to endure it.” Jesus answered them, “According to the knowledge of this age, unless a father has taught his son, he is not to be considered wise. Even so, the Father’s curse cannot hinder any man unless he is an evildoer. I recognize that these words are not coming from you, so for your sake I will speak no more. In either case, these people will be punishe d.” And those who had accused him were at that moment all made blind, and all who saw it were terrified and taken aback, and they proclaimed, “Good or bad, everything that this boy speaks becomes an action--and indeed, a miracle!” And when they had established that Jesus had done this, Joseph got up and pulled him hard by the ear.
Then Jesus stared him down in all severity, crying out, “That is quite enough! For you to seek and not to find is one thing,” the boy angrily rebuked, “but for you to act in so reckless a manner is quite another.
Are you not yet convinced that I’m not truly your own? Do not provoke me!” Then they banded together against Jesus, and
denounced him to Joseph. Now when Joseph saw what was going on, he grew fearful over the furious outcry of the Israelites. Jesus then grabbed the dead boy by the ear and lifted him up before them all, and they could see that he was scolding him as a father would scold his own son. The spirit of the boy was then returned and he was raised again to life, and all were amazed at his restoration.
ZACCHAEUS TAKES JESUS AS HIS PUPIL
(InTh 6:1-12,(6); ArIn 20:1-4; PsMt 30) Jerusalem
There was also a certain teacher in Jerusalem named Zacchaeus who was standing nearby and had heard what Jesus had said to his father. He was stunned that a mere child such as he would speak such things. And seeing that Jesus could not be vanquished, and recognizing the power that was within him, he was incensed, and started fearlessly, foolishly, and rudely denouncing Joseph, “Don’t you think that you should turn your son over to me, so that he might learn worldly wisdom and respect for other people? It is clear to me that you and Mary care more about your own son than you do the elders of Israel and what they have to say of him. You ought to have shown us all--the entire congregation of Israel--a little more respect, so that he might like other children and be better liked by them, and that he might receive a proper Jewish education.” Joseph, however, questioned them, “But who is capable of taking him on and teaching him anything? If you think that you can do it, then we are more than willing to let you try and provide him with a common education.” And a few days later he went up to Joseph, saying, “You know, your boy really is quite clever, and he has tremendous insight. Why not turn him over to me so that he might learn his letters? I will teach him all there is to know of them. I will also teach him the proper way to address his elders, giving them all their due respect as fathers and forefathers, as well as how to get along with those who are his age.” Joseph agreed and told Saint Mary.
The next day Joseph took Jesus by the hand and led him over to Zacchaeus saying, “Very well, Rabbi, take this boy and teach him letters.” “Brother,” he responded, “if you will turn him over to me, I will cast light on the Scriptures for him, convincing him that he ought to bless everything and curse nothing.” And Jesus, hearing what Zacchaeus had said, burst into laughter and answered them, “The lessons to which you refer, and the principles that underlie them are sufficient for an ordinary person’s education, and as such ought to be kept by them; but your law courts are alien to me. You speak as you
can understand, but I understand much more than you can, for before the ages came about I AM. I even know when your fathers’ fathers were born; yet I have no fleshly father. You who read from the law and know about it do indeed hold to it; but I existed before the law was given. Since, however, you imagine that no one else’s learning is a match for your own, I will teach you a thing or two about the things to which you refer that no one could possibly expound, unless he were worthy. For when I am exalted in this world at last, I will bring to an end all reference to your lineage. You see, you do not yourselves recall the occasion of your birth. I not only know when all of you were born, but also how much longer you will live on this earth.” “Oh, oh, oh!” they all responded in amazement. “What a great and incredible mystery this is. We have never heard any such claims before. No one else has ever said such things, not even the prophets themselves, or the scribes, or the Pharisees. We know where this boy came from. He is scarcely even five years old. Where does he get off saying things like this?” The Pharisees declared, “We have never heard such claims from any other child of his years.” But Jesus replied, “Does it surprise you that a child would say such things? How is it that you do not believe me when I speak these words to you? All of you were astonished when I revealed to you that I knew when you were born. I will go even further than this, so that you might marvel all the more. I have both seen Abraham and spoken with him--the one who you call ‘father’-- and Abraham has seen me too!” Everyone there was taken aback, and no one even dared to speak. And Jesus added, “I have been in your midst as a child among your children, and you have not even come to know me. I have spoken to you as with the wise, and you have failed to comprehend my speech. Indeed, you are more childish than I am, and your faith is stunted.”
Once again he said to them, “You find it hard to believe that I know how many years have been given you to live? Believe me; I know when the world was formed. Behold, though you don’t believe me now, when the day comes that you see my cross, you will know that I am telling the truth.” And when they heard these words they were all appalled.
JESUS ASTONISHES ZACCHAEUS
(ArIn 22:1-6; InTh 6:3-7:4(7)) Jerusalem
Zacchaeus wrote out the Hebrew alphabet and one by one pronounced for him all of the letters from [Aleph] to [Taw], asking him question after question. He said “[Aleph]” to him, and the boy said “[Aleph.]” The teacher repeated, “[Aleph,]” and so the boy repeated it also. Then, the third time that the master said “[Aleph,]” Jesus looked right at him and demanded, “You who do not know the [Aleph] according to its proper sense, how ever will you teach anyone about the [Beth]? You hypocrite, if you know the [Aleph], then explain it to us; only then will we believe you when you teach about the [Beth].” Then Jesus started to examine the teacher on the topic of the first letter, and the teacher could not answer. And the boy taught Zacchaeus loud enough for all to hear, “Listen, teacher, and pay close attention to the composition of the first letter; how it has lines and a stroke intersecting the two down the center, as you can see, intersecting, rising up, dancing there and turning together; three signs, each alike, subordinate to, yet supportive of one another, all of them the same dimensions. There you have it--the lines of the [Aleph]!”
Now when Zacchaeus the instructor heard so many allegorical interpretations of the first letter being elucidated by the boy, he was bewildered by his answer, and his exposition, and was utterly amazed and could give him no reply. And beginning at [Aleph], Jesus expounded all twenty-two letters without any prompting whatsoever. Then Zacchaeus confessed to the people there, “How miserable and wretched and troubled I am. By taking this boy to myself, I have gotten only shame. I beg you, Joseph, take this boy away from me, for I cannot bear the way he looks at me so demandingly. I cannot understand in the least the things about which he speaks. This child cannot be of this world. Perhaps he was born before the world was formed. What belly could carry him? Whose womb could nourish him? My friend, I am undone; he utterly perplexes me--I cannot even begin to scale the heights of his understanding. I have fooled myself, and been disgraced thrice over. I had sought after a student, but have instead gotten a teacher. I am, my friends, completely ashamed that a mere child such as he has gotten the better of an old man like me. Depression and death overwhelm me on account of this lad. I cannot look him in the face--and when everyone goes around saying that I have been bested by a little boy, how am I supposed to reply? What am I to say about the first letter and its lines as he explained it to me? My friends, I have no idea, for I understand neither beginning nor end.”
And turning to Joseph he remarked, “Without a doubt, brother, this child was not born of this earth, so I implore you, brother Joseph, take him back home with you. Be he a god or an angel or some other magnificent being I do not know, and cannot say.”
ZACCHAEUS TAKES JESUS TO LEVI
(ArIn 20:7-12; PsMt 31; InTh 8) Jerusalem
Then the doctor of the law, master Zacchaeus urged Joseph and Mary a second time, “Turn the boy over to me and I will take him to Master Levi--he will teach him letters and give him an education!”
Then Joseph and Mary pacified Jesus and took him over to the school so that the elderly Levi might teach him letters. And from the moment he entered that place, Jesus remained silent. And starting with the first letter, Aleph, Master Levi kept saying just that one letter to Jesus, and ordering him to explain it, but he held his peace and gave no answer. Then Master Levi, his instructor, grabbed his storax rod and cracked him over the head with it. Then Jesus, standing up to his teacher Levi, demanded, “Why did you hit me? You can be quite sure of this: the one who has been stricken can teach the one who struck him much more than he could ever learn from him. You see, I can teach you all about what you claim to know. Everyone who speaks, and everyone who hears is as blind as the noise of brass or the clang of a cymbal; which cannot hear the sounds they make.” To Zacchaeus he added, “Every letter from Aleph to [Taw] is understood by the way that it’s composed. Explain what the [Taw] is first, and then I will make clear to you what the Aleph is.” And once again he said to him, “How can those who know not the Aleph, ever come to know the [Taw], seeing how hypocritical they are? Say what Aleph is first and then I will believe you when you expound to me the Beth.” Then, one by one, Jesus started asking about the names of each, and said, “Let the law teacher explain to us what the first letter is, or why it has so many triangles, which gradually flow from pointed to broad, bringing together, drawing across, and reaching over; being perpendicular, prostrate, and curving.” And when the teacher threatened him with a whipping, the Lord Jesus expounded the meaning of the letters Aleph and Beth to him. He also pointed out which parts of the letters were straight, which were diagonal; which of them had double strokes; those with and without points; the reason that one preceded another; and he began to make plain to him one thing after another, explaining things that his instructor had never so much as heard of before, nor read out of any book.
And when Levi heard this, he was surprised at such an arrangement of letters and names, and started loudly denouncing Jesus before them all, “Does he even deserve to live on this earth? No, he ought to be hung instead upon a giant cross! He can put out any fire and talk his way out of any punishment.” The Lord Jesus went on to explain to the teacher, “Listen carefully to the way that I speak them.” Then he started plainly and intelligibly to pronounce, “Aleph, Beth, Gimel, Daleth...” and all of the others to the end of the alphabet. Upon hearing this, the teacher was so beside himself that he cried out, “I honestly believe that this child lived before the deluge and was born before Noah. What womb gave rise to him? What mother brought him into this world? What breasts nursed him? I flee from his presence. I cannot endure the words from his mouth, and my heart is amazed at the sound of such speech. I do not believe that any man could comprehend his expositions unless God were with him. Now I-- pitiful fool that I am--have allowed myself to become a joke in his eyes, for the whole time that I was thinking of him as a student, ignorant of who he was, I have come to see that he’s my better. Now what can I say? Because I cannot endure the words that this boy speaks, nor do I find myself able to plumb their depths, I must surely leave this town. For seeing as how I am able to grasp neither beginning nor end of his exposition, an old man like me stands vanquished by a little child. It is no small matter to ascertain even the first thing about him. I tell you most assuredly, and do not lie when I say that from where I stand, the actions of this boy, the source of his speaking, and the thought that underlies his objective, seem to have nothing to do with those of mortal men. Hence I cannot tell whether he is a sorcerer, or a god, or if, perhaps, there is some angel of God speaking through him. From where he derives his essence, or from where he came, or what ever will become of him I cannot say.” Turning to Joseph, he confessed, “You brought me a boy who is more knowledgeable than any master, as though he were in need of learning.” And turning to Mary the teacher affirmed, “This son of yours has not the slightest need of any teaching.”
And even as the Jews were attempting to console Zacchaeus, the boy Jesus cracked a smile and laughed out loud. Then he said to the sons of Israel who were standing there listening, “Let those among you who have borne no fruit now bring it forth, and let those whose hearts are blind now see, those who are lame now walk straight, the poor enjoy good things, the dead come back to life, and everyone be restored to their original stature to live in Him Who is the fountainhead of life and of eternal sweetness. I have come down here from on high that I might bring a curse on these for their own good, so
that I might summon them again to what is above, even as it has been decreed by the One Who sent me.”
And when the boy Jesus had spoken these things, those who had fallen victim to grave disorders were immediately healed. After that, no one dared to say a thing to him, or to hear anything from him, or to anger him for fear that they might be cursed by him and thereby suffer harm.
BOYS ROUGHHOUSING ON THE ROOF
(ArIn 19:4-11; InTh 9(8); PsMt 32) Nazareth
Joseph and Mary then went away and took Jesus into the city of Nazareth, and he lived with his parents there. And a few days later, on the first day of the week, Jesus was playing on a housetop in Nazareth with some other youngsters. One of them shoved another headlong to the ground from the upper floor, whereupon the child died. And when they saw it, all of the other children who had been playing with him ran away, leaving Jesus standing there by himself on the housetop where the boy had been pushed off. And when the dead boy’s parents heard of it, they ran over to that place in tears. And when they found the dead boy lying on the ground and Jesus standing up above, they assumed that he had pushed him down. And the dead boy’s parents, who had not witnessed the event, confronted Joseph and Mary, saying, “Your son has thrown our boy to the ground, and now he is dead.” But Jesus held his peace and did not answer. Then they looked up at Jesus and denounced him, accusing him of having thrown him off: “Surely it was you who threw our boy from the top of that house!”
Joseph and Mary quickly ran over to where Jesus was; and his mother questioned him, “My Lord, tell me, was it you who pushed him down?” But Jesus denied it, answering, “I did not throw him off--he jumped down from it himself. He was simply being careless and hurled himself from the roof to his death.” But they shouted and threatened him, saying, “Our son has been killed, and this is the one who murdered him!” And sizing up the situation, the Lord Jesus answered them, “Do not accuse me of a crime that you have no way of proving. Let us go and ask him ourselves. He will tell us what really happened.”
And immediately Jesus jumped down from the roof and yelled out as loud as he could, “Zeno! Zeno!” For that was the young boy’s name. And Zeno answered Jesus, “Yes, Lord?” “Was I the one who pushed you from the roof to the ground?” Jesus asked him. “Get up and say who threw you down!” And at his word, the boy got up and worshiped Jesus saying, “Lord, you were not the one who threw me down. That indeed was someone else. Rather, it was you who raised me from death to life!”
And when they saw what had happened, everyone was astounded, including the parents of the previously dead boy. And when the Lord Jesus advised those who had gathered around to consider the boy’s words carefully, they praised God for the miracle. And the parents praised God for the sign that Jesus had shown and worshiped him. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus then moved on to Jericho.
JESUS DRAWS WATER WITH HIS GARMENT
(ArIn 19:12-15; InTh 11(10); PsMt 33) Jericho
Now when Jesus was six years old, his mother handed him a pitcher and sent him out with some children to draw water from the well and return with it. He pulled it out completely full, and after he had drawn it out, as he was walking in a crowd, one of the children bumped against him and hit the jug, whereupon he stumbled and it broke! And going over to the well, he laid out the garment he was wearing, drew up as much well water with it as had been in the pitcher, and carried it to his mother in his robe. And when his mother saw this astonishing miracle, she pondered it within herself, and she was completely amazed; she then hugged and kissed him all over. Mary etched this and all of the other wonders that she had seen in her heart, keeping the mysteries she had seen him perform to herself.
THE THREE MEASURES OF CORN
(PsMt 34) Jericho
On another day, Jesus took a tiny measure of grain from his mother’s storehouse and went out to the field and seeded it himself.
Then it sprang forth and grew, bearing increase with astonishing speed. In time he harvested it alone; and it yielded him three measures, which he freely gave to his many friends.
JESUS, MARY, AND SALOME HELP OUT JOHN THE BAPTIST
(LJB pt.10)
The Wilderness of Judea
Now as for the blessed John, he wandered with his mother out in the desert, and God supplied locusts and wild honey for him to eat, even as it had been spoken to his mother about him, that he might not let any unclean food pass through his mouth. After five years had come and gone, the devout, exalted, and aged mother Elizabeth passed away and the holy John sat weeping over her body. He had no idea how to enshroud or bury her, for he was but seven-and-a-half at the time of her passing. (Now the blessed Elizabeth died on the same day as had Herod, which was February the fifteenth.)
Jesus, who could see both the heavens and the earth, saw his cousin John sitting and wailing over his mother. And Jesus also started weeping at length, but no one knew the cause of his tears. When Mary saw the grieving of Jesus, she asked him, “Why are you weeping? Did Joseph or someone else scold you?” “No, mother,” answered the Mouth Abounding with Life. “The truth is that Elizabeth, your aged kinswoman, has left my dearly beloved John an orphan. Even now he is weeping over her body, which is lying on the mountain.”
When Mary heard this, she began to mourn over the loss of her kinswoman. “Weep not, dearest mother,” Jesus consoled her. “We will go and visit her this very hour.” And even as he was saying this to his mother, a bright cloud came down and settled in between them.
Then Jesus said, “Call upon Salome, and have her come along with us.” Then they all climbed onto the cloud, which flew them out to the wilderness of ’Ain Karim where John was sitting, and Elizabeth’s body was laying. The Savior then commanded the cloud, “Drop us off on this side of it.” Then the cloud, without delay, traveled there and went away. But the sound carried over to John. And when John heard the noise of their approach, he was afraid and abandoned the body of his mother. He then heard a voice that said, “John, do not be afraid. I am your kinsman Jesus. I have come with my mother to see to the proper
burial of your own hallowed mother Elizabeth, for she is near of kin to my mother and me.” When John heard this, he turned around and headed back in the direction of Christ and his mother Mary and embraced them. Then the Savior said to his mother, “Mother, Salome, rise up and wash her body off.” They bathed it in the spring from which she used to wash herself and her boy. Mary then held John close and wept with him, cursing Herod for his many crimes.
Then the Angels Michael and Gabriel came down from the heavens and dug a grave. “Go now,” said the Savior, “and return with the souls of Zechariah and Simeon the priest, that they might sing as you bury her body.” Immediately Michael returned with the souls of Simeon and Zechariah, who placed the shroud over Elizabeth’s body and sang for rather a while. Now the mother of Jesus wept, as did Salome, and the two priests traced the sign of the cross upon her corpse and prayed over it three times before laying it to rest in the grave. Then they buried her body there, sealing the plot with the sign of the cross, and they each returned in peace to their places. For seven days Jesus and his mother remained with John--consoling him on the loss of his mother, and teaching him how to survive in the desert. Then Jesus said to his mother, “Let us move on to where I can resume my work.”
And Mary burst into tears over the isolation of the young boy John, so she suggested, “Since he has been left an orphan and there’s no one here to care for him, we will take him home with us.” But Jesus replied, “This is not the will of my heavenly Father. He is to remain in the wilderness until the day that he’s revealed to Israel. He will not remain in a wasteland full of wild beasts, but will instead walk in a desert full of prophets and angels, as though there were great multitudes of people there. Archangel Gabriel is also with us, and I have charged him with protecting John and granting him power from on high. What is more, I will make the water from this spring as sweet and pleasing to him as his own mother’s milk. Who was it that watched over him in his youth? Oh, mother, do I not love him more than the world itself? Zechariah loved him too, and I have decreed that he should also come and care for John, for though his body lies buried in the ground, his soul indeed lives on.”
Jesus spoke these words to his mother in the wilderness, even as John remained behind. They then climbed back onto the cloud, and John watched and grieved as they left him there. Mary agonized and mourned for John saying, “How wretched I feel, seeing you alone out here in the desert. Where is your father Zechariah? Where is your mother Elizabeth? Let them come today and weep alongside me.”
“Mother,” Jesus reassured her, “do not weep over this child, for I will never forget him.” And even as he was saying these things, behold, the cloud picked them up and carried them off to Nazareth. And while in Nazareth, Jesus fulfilled all things human except for sinning. And John lived in the desert with great simplicity and devotion. God and His angels were with him there, and his only nourishment came from grasses and wild honey. He prayed without ceasing, fasted often, and remained in expectation of the salvation of Israel.
JESUS COMMANDS CLAY ANIMALS
(ArIn 15:1-7)
Jericho?
One day, when the Lord Jesus was seven years old, he was playing with some friends of his who were about his age. As the boys were playing, they molded clay into various shapes--donkeys, cattle, birds, and other creatures. Each of them was boasting to the others about how much better their own was, and each of them was attempting to outdo the others. Finally the Lord Jesus said to the young men, “I will order the forms that I have fashioned to walk.” And right away they started walking, and when he ordered them to return, all of them came back to him. He had, moreover, modeled images of sparrows and other birds, which flew around when he ordered them to fly, stayed in place when he said “hover,” and ate and drank when he gave them food and drink. After a while, the boys went off and reported to their parents all that had happened, and their fathers all admonished them,
“From now on, children, beware of his companionship, for he is an enchanter. Steer clear of him and have nothing at all to do with him, for from this time forward you are forbidden ever to play with him.”
MIRACLE AT THE DYER’S
(ArIn 15:8-15; InTh: Paris Manuscript #239)
Jericho?
On another day, when the Lord Jesus was playing and running around with the boys, he passed by the shop of a dyer named Salem. There were many clothes in that shop belonging to the people of that town; each with orders to be dyed in various ways. He saw a young man dipping some clothing and leggings into a rather gloomy color, dying them according to the instructions given by each of his customers, and placing them into the vat. The boy Jesus, entering into the dyer’s shop, approached the young man who was doing this, took all of the garments and threw them into the dryer. When Salem returned and saw that the clothes had all been ruined, he started to rant and to rave, and to take Jesus to task, saying, “Oh Son of Mary, what have you done to me? You have not wronged me alone, but my neighbors as well. They all wanted their clothing to be dyed properly, but you came along and ruined them entirely!”
Then the Lord Jesus answered him, “I will restore each and every piece to whatever color you wish.” And he immediately started pulling the cloths from out of the dryer, and they all were colored as the dyer had intended. And when the Jews saw this amazing miracle, they all started praising God.
ANOTHER MIRACLE AT THE DYER’S
(GPh 37, 47; Qur 2:138)
The Lord entered into the shop of a dyer named Levi, took seventytwo different pigments and poured them all into the vat. Now as Jesus took them out, they all turned white. Then he said, “The Son has come as one who dyes in the selfsame manner.”
God is a dyer, and even as the excellent dyes are called “true,” and fuse with everything that is colored within them, so it also happens to whomever God dyes. Even as His are dyes of immortality, so also do they achieve eternal life by means of His tinctures. These days what God dips, He dips in water. We soak in the dye of God. Who can boast of a dye that is better than God’s? Truly we will worship Him!
JESUS STRETCHES THE THRONE
(ArIn 16:1-16)
Jerusalem
Now whenever Joseph would go into town, he would take the Lord Jesus along. Whether his work involved making gates, milking buckets, sieves, or crates, anywhere that he would go, the Lord Jesus would go there with him. Now any time Joseph was working on something that needed lengthening or shortening; widening or narrowing, the Lord Jesus would reach his hand out toward it, and it would immediately become as he needed it to be. He therefore had no need to complete any job with his own two hands, for Joseph was not an expert in this line of work.
The king of Jerusalem once summoned Joseph and instructed him, “I want you to fashion a throne for me of precisely the same dimensions as the place where I usually sit.” Joseph agreed and started working on the project. He labored for two whole years in the palace of the king before he was able to finish it off, and when he brought it to the spot to fit it in, he found that it was two spans short of the commissioned size on either side. And when the king saw it, he seethed with rage at Joseph. Joseph was so distraught over the king’s anger, that he did not even eat his supper, but went straight to bed, taking nothing with him to eat.
The Lord Jesus then inquired, “What are you upset about?” “Because,” Joseph replied, “I have wasted two whole years of labor in this effort!” “Do not fear,” Jesus reassured him, “neither should you be distraught. You take hold of one side of the throne, and I will take hold of the other, and we will stretch it to its proper length.” And when Joseph did what Jesus had said, and each had pulled as hard as they could, the throne obediently stretched itself to fit the space exactly.
When those who were standing there saw it, they were all astounded and gave praise to God, for this throne was made from the same kind of wood as was used in Solomon’s day, decorated as it was with many intricate figures and designs.
JOSEPH AND JESUS STRETCH THE BEAM
(InTh 13(11); PsMt 37)
And when Jesus was eight years old, Joseph was commissioned by a wealthy young man to build for him a bed of six cubits, because at that time he was working as a carpenter specializing in wooden plows, yokes for oxen, farm equipment, and beds. And Joseph went out to the field to collect some wood, and Jesus went along with him. He ordered his servant to cut a beam with an iron saw to the given length. But he did not keep to the specified measure, cutting one of the timbers a bit too short. And after sawing two wooden planks, he produced one and placed it up against the other. Then Joseph, noticing that one board was shorter than the other, grew troubled. Then he measured it and confirmed that it was wanting, so he became frustrated and was not sure what he should do about it. As he started thinking about what to do, he headed off to find another. Jesus, when he saw what had happened, and marking the perplexity of Joseph, that to him the situation seemed hopeless, comforted him, saying, “Come now, let us take hold of both ends of these beams and position them together, lining up the ends; for by fitting them together precisely and pulling them to ourselves, we will make the one the same as the other.” And Joseph, unsure of what Jesus had in mind by saying this, did as he was told, since he knew full well that Jesus could do whatever he willed. So Joseph grabbed the ends of the two wooden beams and pressed them flush against the wall beside him, and Jesus took the opposite ends. Once again Jesus said, “Hold tight to this shorter piece.” And Joseph, still bewildered, took hold of it. Jesus then grabbed the other end and stretched it to himself until it was the same as the other beam. “From now on,” Jesus assured him, “be anxious for nothing, but go back now and finish your work, even as you have agreed to do, with nothing whatever to stand in your way.”
His father Joseph took it all in and was dumfounded. Then he hugged and kissed the boy, saying in his heart, “How blessed I am that God has given me a son like this!” Then Joseph went ahead and finished the job, even as he had promised.
And as soon as they returned to town, Joseph explained all that had happened to Mary. Now when Mary heard about and had seen the glorious miracles that were done by her Son, she exulted, worshipping him along with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forevermore; throughout an eternity of ages. Amen.
JESUS’ SECOND VISIT TO A TEACHER
(InTh 14; PsMt 38; ArIn 20:13-16)
Jerusalem?
When all of the people started urging Joseph and Mary to enroll Jesus in a school so that he might learn his letters, Joseph came to accept just how much the boy truly understood for a child of his years, and that he was becoming much more mature. So he, not refusing, decided that Jesus should not go on any longer without learning them, and complied with the order of the elders. They took him to school a second time around, to an even more learned teacher, who would instruct him in human knowledge. “First I will teach him Greek,” the teacher said to Joseph, “then I will move on to Hebrew.” That teacher, you see, knew all about the knowledge that this boy possessed and it frightened him. Even so he wrote out the alphabet for him and went over it with him for several hours; but Jesus did not answer him. Then the instructor started teaching him in a forceful way, saying, “Say Alpha!” Then Jesus challenged him, “If you are such a clever teacher, and know the letters so well, then tell me the strength of the Alpha, and I will show you that of the Beta--or, if you prefer, you may tell me first what is the Beta, and then I will explain the Alpha.” Now the teacher was enraged at this, but when he lifted his hand to flog the child, and beat him over the head, the boy winced in pain and cursed him, and his hand immediately withered. Then he fell face down to the ground and died.
Then the boy returned to the house of Joseph and Mary. Joseph, however, grew anxious and fearful. He called Jesus’ mother Mary over
to himself and issued her the following command: “Never again will we let him out of this house. Do not let him set so much as a single foot outside the door, because everyone who angers him ends up dead. Know that my soul suffers almost to death because of him! Who knows but that one day someone might strike and kill him out of rage!” “Oh man of God,” Mary replied, “do not even think this way, but have faith instead that the One Who sent him as one born among mankind will keep him from all spite and in His name guard him against all evil.”
FINAL ATTEMPT TO EDUCATE JESUS; JESUS TEACHES LIKE A TORRENT OF LIVING WATER
(InTh 15; PsMt 39)
Jerusalem?
Now a little while later the Jews asked Joseph a third time to coax Jesus into being schooled by yet another teacher. This teacher-- someone who was close to Joseph --advised him, “Bring the boy to me at my school; and if I can win him over, perhaps I’ll be able to teach him letters.” And Joseph, knowing that it was impossible for any man to teach him anything, since his knowledge came from God alone, answered him, “Brother, if you think that you can teach him, then go ahead and take him to yourself.” Joseph and Mary, fearful of the people, intimidated by the rulers, and broken by the priests, went ahead and delivered him up to the school despite the misgivings of Joseph. The boy, however, went along cheerfully. And Jesus walked boldly into the classroom, saw the book on the podium and, moved by the Holy Spirit, pulled it from the instructor’s hands even as he was teaching from the law. Then in the sight and hearing of all, Jesus started reading and teaching them from out of the law, though he did not read from the words inscribed. It was instead through the power of the Living God that he opened his mouth and, by means of the Holy Spirit that he taught them all--as a never-ending flood of water gushing from a fountain of life! And it was with this kind of power that he taught the people the sublime things of the Living God. And the hearts of the people seated there changed to absolute astonishment upon hearing such words from him. And a great crowd gathered around, and they stood there, listening in amazement over the excellence of his teaching and the fluency of his speech. Everyone there, including the teacher, who dropped to the ground in adoration, was utterly astounded that a mere child like him could bring such things as these to light.
But as soon as Joseph heard of it, he grew anxious and raced over to Jesus at the school, wondering to himself if this teacher might, for his lack of experience with him, be dead already. But when the schoolmaster caught sight of Joseph, he confessed, “Brother, I realize that I took this boy on as a pupil, but he is brimming with all grace and wisdom. This is no mere student that you have brought to me, but a great teacher! Who can hear the words he speaks? Brother, I beg you, take him home with you.” This fulfilled the Scripture that reads, “The river of God overflows with water. Their food You have readied, for even thus is the preparation thereof.” And when the boy heard all these things, he quickly smiled at the teacher and said, “Because you have spoken so aptly and testified so truthfully, the one who was stricken will now be made whole.” And just then his former instructor was healed. Then Joseph took the young man and returned to his home.
JOSEPH HEALS ANOTHER JOSEPH
(PsMt 40)
Capernaum
After this, because their enemies had been acting so spitefully toward them, Joseph took Jesus and Mary and went away to Capernaum by the sea. Now during the time that Jesus was there, there lived this other, rather wealthy man whose name also happened to be Joseph. But this man had withered up and died from an illness, and was laying lifeless on his bed. Now when Jesus heard the townspeople sorrowing and wailing and grieving over the departed, he asked Joseph, “Why not do this man a kindness that’s in line with your benevolence, seeing that you and he both share the same name?” Joseph then inquired of Jesus, “How is it within my authority or capacity to do anything for this man?” And Jesus answered him, “Take the cloth off of your head and lay it over the face of the man who is dead, and say to him, ‘The Anointed One is saving you.’ The lifeless man will then be restored and rise again from his bed.” Joseph, when he heard what Jesus had said, quickly rose up and ran into the house of the deceased, placed the cloth he had been wearing around his head over the face of the man on the bed and said, “Jesus is saving you.”
And the man who had died immediately got up from his bed and asked, “Who is this Jesus?”
JESUS BLOWS ON JAMES’ SNAKEBITE
(ArIn 19:1-3; InTh 16; PsMt 41)
Bethlehem
They moved on from Capernaum to Bethlehem, where Joseph could stay with Mary and Jesus in his own house. One day Joseph summoned his eldest boy James and sent him out into the garden to collect herbs and firewood for the stew and return home with them. The young Jesus, however, tagged along behind him into the garden without either Joseph or Mary knowing about it. When they got to the spot where the firewood was, James started gathering vegetables, and behold, a poisonous snake shot out of its hole and bit James on the hand, whereupon he started yelling and screaming in great pain. Then he grew faint and cried out in anguish, “Oh, no! No! An accursed snake has bitten my hand!” The Lord Jesus, who was standing there across from him, hearing his cries of agony and seeing him in this state--all sprawled out and nearly dead--ran up to him, took him by the hand, and with nothing but a puff to the wound, he cooled it off, and James was immediately healed. His pain disappeared, and the serpent split apart.
Joseph and Mary, when they heard the cry of James and the call of Jesus, ran to the garden unaware of what had happened, and found the snake dead and James healed.
JESUS REVIVES A DEAD CHILD
(InTh 17)
Bethlehem?
Now after this had come to pass, there happened to be a little child who lived near Joseph who had died from an illness, and his mother was crying out in bitter anguish. Hearing that horrible wailing and the ensuing commotion, Jesus hurried over there, found the child dead, laid his hand upon his chest and said, “I say to you, do not die, but go and live at your mother’s side.” And looking up, the child laughed. “Take this boy and suckle him,” he instructed the woman, “and remember me.” Now when the bystanders saw it, they were all amazed and they confessed, “Without a doubt, this lad is either himself a god or else he is an angel of God, for every single word he speaks brings about a reality.” And Jesus left them there and went to play with some other children.
JESUS REVIVES A DEAD CONSTRUCTION WORKER
(InTh 18)
Bethlehem?
Some time later a rather large disturbance broke out where a house was being built, so Jesus got up and headed there. When he saw a man lying there dead, Jesus took him by the hand and said, “Get up sir, and do your work!” And the man rose right up and worshiped
him. And when the people saw this thing, they were all astounded, and cried aloud, “This boy assuredly comes from heaven, since he has delivered so many from death, and as long as he remains alive, he has the power to save them all.”
JESUS BLESSES HIS FAMILY; THE GLORY OF GOD SHINES UPON HIM
(PsMt 42)
Bethlehem?
Joseph took his sons, James, Joseph, Judah, Simeon, and his two daughters to a banquet. Jesus and his mother Mary met them there, along with her sister Mary, daughter of Cleophas. And when they had all arrived, he sanctified and blessed them all.
(The Lord God had given this Mary over to Cleophas and Anna, her father and mother, since they had presented Jesus’ mother to the Lord. She was known by the same name, Mary, that her parents might feel somewhat consoled. Now Jesus would always be the first to eat, for not one of them would ever venture to dine, drink, recline at table, or break bread unless he had blessed them first. And if for some reason he was not present, they would wait around for him. And whenever he did not wish to come for food and drink, then neither did Joseph, Mary, or any of his brothers, the sons of Joseph. These brothers of his would obey him with all severity, seeing his life as the light of a lamp. And whenever Jesus would sleep, be it either night or day, the glory of God would shine on him. May all praise and honor be to him forevermore. Amen and amen!)
JESUS STAYS BEHIND IN THE TEMPLE
(Luke 2:41-43a; ArIn 21:1-8; InTh 19:1a)
aravan to Nazareth, The temple in Jerusalem
Every year, Jesus’ parents would go to the Passover feast in Jerusalem. And when he was twelve years old they traveled up, as their custom was. And after the feast was over and they had satisfied the number of days required, they all started out for home. And even as they were all returning, the Lord Jesus headed back for Jerusalem. His parents knew nothing about him staying behind in the temple among the teachers, elders, and learned men of Jerusalem. He posed many questions to them and answered them concerning many issues having to do with their expertise.
For example, Jesus asked them: “Whose son is this ‘Messiah’?” “David’s,” they replied. Jesus therefore questioned them, “Then why in the Spirit does David call him ‘Lord’ when it states, ‘The Lord said to my Lord “Sit here to my right until I have made all who oppose you a stool for your feet?”’” Then this particularly eminent Rabbi prodded him, “Have you read books?” “Not only have I read books,” Jesus replied, “but also what is in those books.” Then he gave them a detailed explanation of the books of the Law--the rules, the legislations, and all of the riddles that were interwoven into the prophetic Scriptures--matters that were too profound for the mind of any ever to unravel. At that point the Rabbi said, “I have never seen, or even heard of such things before! What do all of you suppose will become of this boy?”
JESUS ASTONISHES AN ASTRONOMER AND A PHILOSOPHER
(ArIn 20:9-21)
The Temple in Jerusalem
And when this astronomer who was there asked the Lord Jesus, “Have you ever studied astronomy?” he answered him by revealing to him the number of spheres and celestial objects, together with their triangular, square, and sextile facets; which ones moved prograde and which ones moved retrograde, their various proportions and their various forecasts, along with many other depths, never yet plumbed by the minds of men.
There was also this Philosopher among them who was very skilled in medicine and the physical sciences, who asked the Lord Jesus, “Have you ever studied medicine?” He answered him with an explanation of both medicine and its theoretical underpinnings. Moreover, he defined precisely what lies above the powers of nature, along with all that is subject thereto; the physical potential, and the interactions between the body and its fluids, and how they respond to one another. He also revealed the number of its constituent parts, such as bones, arteries, veins, and nerves; the various physical aspects of the body, namely warmth and dryness, coolness and moisture, as well as their various functions; how the soul controls the body, and the various senses and modalities that are open to them; the capacity for language; desire and anger; and last of all, the composition and decomposition of the body; and a whole host of other subjects that have eluded the grasp of all mankind. Then that philosopher got up and worshiped Jesus, saying, “Oh Jesus, my Lord! From now on, I will follow you and work for you.”
JOSEPH AND MARY DISCOVER THAT JESUS IS MISSING
(Luke 2:43b; InTh 19:1b-5; ArIn 21:22-29)
Caravan to Nazareth, The Temple in Jerusalem
But his parents imagined that Jesus must have been in the crowd with them somewhere. And after they had done a full day’s walking, they went looking for him among their kin, and when he was nowhere to be found, they grew troubled and headed back to the city to search for him. They found him at last on the third day, sitting in the temple amid the Teachers, hearing the law and posing questions to them. And all of those who heard him there were astounded by his understanding and his exposition. And everyone there paid careful attention to him and wondered how in the world a mere child like this could throw so much light on passages from out of the law and parables within the prophets, leaving the elders and the Teachers of the People utterly unable to speak.
It was even as they were all addressing these and other issues that the Lady Saint Mary came walking in after having wandered around all over with Joseph for three days seeking after him. And when she saw that he was seated in the presence of doctors, asking them questions and giving them answers, Joseph and Mary were both astonished. Then his mother Mary approached him and asked, “Why have you put us through all this, my child? I’ll have you know that your father and I have gone through a great deal of trouble in searching for you, and we worried about you all that time!” Jesus then replied to them, “Why did you go looking all over? Were you not aware that it was needful for me to be employed in the house of my Father, taking care of His affairs?” But they failed to grasp the sense in which he meant for them to hear his words.
But the scribes and Pharisees then spoke up, “Are you the mother of this lad?” “Yes I am,” she replied. “Oh Mary,” they all confessed, “how joyful are you among women! You are truly blessed to have brought forth a boy like him, for such a blessing has God lavished on the fruit of your womb. Never before have we seen or heard such glorious and excellent wisdom.” Jesus then rose up and followed his mother, going down with them, and traveling with them on to Nazareth, where he lived in obedience to them. His mother treasured up all that had been said in her heart. And Jesus waxed ever wiser and wiser, all the time growing in grace and stature; and the esteem of God and men. To him be boundless glory forevermore. Amen.
JESUS BEGINS TO HIDE HIS ACTIVITIES; DILIGENTLY STUDIES THE LAW
(ArIn 22) Nazareth
This marks the time when Jesus began hiding his miracles and secret works. He dedicated himself to a careful study of the law until the end of his thirtieth year, the age at which the Father acknowledged him openly at the Jordan with the sound of His voice, and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, addressing him with this declaration from the sky above: “This is My Son, whom I love and in whom I take delight!” He is the one we worship with all honor, because he brought us from the womb of our mother; calling us into being and bringing us to life. He who for our sakes has taken on a human form and rescued us, that he might embrace us with eternal kindness, and freely show us the greatness and abundance of his mercy and goodness. May all glory, praise, power and dominion be to him from now on and forevermore. Amen.
(ArIn 14:1-10) Judea
Satan had taken possession of the son of another woman in that region. As often as Satan would take control of this boy, whose name was Judas, he would go around biting everyone in sight; and if there was no one around, he would bite his own hands and limbs. The mother of this wretched boy, hearing about Saint Mary and her son Jesus, rose up quickly and carried her child in her arms to our Lady Mary. Meanwhile James and Joses had taken the young Jesus to play with some other children, and while they were out, they all sat down alongside him. Then Judas, the possessed boy, came and sat down to his right. And when Satan was working through him in his usual manner, the boy attempted to bite the Lord Jesus. But because he was not able, he struck him so hard against his right hand side that he cried aloud. And the moment that he did so, Satan left the lad and ran away like a mad dog. This very child, the one who struck Jesus, and out of whom Satan fled in the form of a dog was he who betrayed him to the Jews--Judas Iscariot. And the Jews pierced him with a spear on the very spot where Judas had stricken him.
A BOY WRECKS JESUS’ POOLS AND DIES
(PsMt 26)
Galilee, by the Jordan River
And when he had returned from Egypt, by the time that he was four years old, it so happened that he was playing in Galilee by the banks of the Jordan with some other youngsters on a Sabbath Day. Now as he was sitting there, Jesus fashioned seven puddles out of mud, each complete with its own viaducts, and at his command the waters rushed into them and out again. Then one of those boys--a child of Satan who was jealous of Jesus--stopped up the channels that were feeding these pools and demolished all that Jesus had made. “Curse you, you son of the devil!” Jesus reproached him. “Will you tear down my hard work?” And right away the one who had done this dropped dead. The dead boy’s parents then loudly denounced Joseph and Mary, complaining, “Your boy has killed our son, and now he is dead.” And when Joseph and Mary heard the clamoring of the parents and the convergence of the Jews, they went out to where Jesus was. Privately, however, Joseph confided to Mary, “I do not dare to lecture him. You must therefore chasten him, and be sure to ask him why it is that he stirs the people’s anger against us and forces such animosity upon us.” And when Mary went and questioned him, “Oh my Lord, what did he do that he should die?” Jesus replied, “He deserved to die for scattering all that I worked so hard to build.” Then his mother pleaded with him, “My Lord, do not conduct yourself like this, for everyone is up in arms against us.” And Jesus, not wishing to cause his mother grief, kicked the boy who had died in the rump with his right foot and ordered him, “Get up, you child of darkness! Because you have destroyed all that I had worked so hard to make, you are unfit to enter my Father’s rest.” Then the one who had died got back up and ran away. And at Jesus’ command, the water gushed back through the channels and into the puddles.
AND QUICKENS CLAY ANIMALS
(InTh 2(3); QBar 2:11; PsMt 27) Galilee
When Jesus was five years old, he was playing near the shallow crossing of a stream. He diverted some of the flowing water into puddles and with a word he gave command and they instantly clarified.
Afterward, Jesus took some clay out of the puddles he had formed and, before them all fashioned twelve sparrows from it, representing the twelve apostles. There were many other children who were playing with him there. A certain Jew, when he saw what Jesus was doing as he played there on the Sabbath Day, hurried over right away to his father Joseph. “Look, the boy informed him, your son is playing down by the river. He has taken mud and made twelve sparrows with it, which is unlawful for him to do, thereby desecrating the Sabbath Day.” And when he heard this, Joseph made away for that place. And as soon as he got there, the boy said to him: “See? Your son, by doing work, is violating the Sabbath! He has fashioned twelve sparrows out of clay.” And Joseph chastened Jesus, saying, “Why do you break the Sabbath with such unlawful acts?” But when Jesus heard Joseph, he offered no reply, but instead turned toward the sparrows, clapped his hands and cried aloud before them all, “Fly now, and go your way!
Sail throughout the world and live, calling me to mind your whole life long.” And at the sound of his word they all flew into the air, flapping and chirping loudly even unto the ends of the earth. And when Joseph saw this miracle, he was astounded. And when the Jews saw it, they too were astounded. Everyone, in fact, upon seeing such wonders, was astounded. Many who were there praised Jesus and offered him thanks, but a few others denounced him --still others went and notified the high-ranking priests and the leaders of the Pharisees that Joseph’s boy Jesus had performed great signs and wonders in the sight of Israel. And word got around to the Israelite tribes.
BOY SCATTERS JESUS’ FISH POOL
(InTh 3(2); ArIn 19:16-21; PsMt 28,29) Galilee
Jesus left his mother in the house one day after a rain, and went to play on a riverbank with some boys. After making some ponds they dug little channels, drawing some of the river water into the small fish ponds. Then Jesus said to the waters: “Clarify and become fresh,” and they all became so right away. The Lord Jesus had also formed twelve sparrows around his puddle, placing three on each of the sides. But this all happened on the Sabbath, and the son of a Jew named Annas, a temple priest, happened along and saw them making all of these things and protested, “Are you making images of clay on the Sabbath Day?” Then he hurried over to them and ruined all of their ponds.
But when the Lord Jesus clapped his hands over the sparrows he had fashioned, they took off chirping. Soon the son of Annas the scribe again stood nearby, branch in hand before them all, this time with Joseph. And with bitter anger, he took the willow branch and approached Jesus’ fish pond to break down its dams that he had fashioned with his own two hands. And upon destroying the ponds with the branch, the waters that had flowed into it streamed out again. He sealed off the inlet, moreover, and broke down the channel supplying it. And when Jesus saw what he had done, he was angry, and he reproached the boy who had destroyed his levees, “You disrespectful fool! What an evil, godless, and lawless one you are! In what way were these ponds harming you that you have felt the need to drain them?” Then the water disappeared and the Lord Jesus reproved him, “Oh evil seed most foul! Oh, son of death! Oh, devil’s workshop! The fruit of your seed will be powerless indeed! Your roots will parch, and your fruitless branches wither. Behold, you will travel no further; but you also will waste away like a tree and sprout neither leaves, nor roots, nor any fruit; and your very life will evaporate even as this water has, and you will become as dried-up as the stick which you now hold.” Moments later, as he headed off along his way, the boy fell down before them all; withering up suddenly and completely, thus surrendering his spirit and passing on. Then Jesus left that place and entered into Joseph’s house. Now when the youngsters he was playing with saw what had happened, they were astonished and went to the dead boy’s father and let him know. He then ran over to the scene and saw that the youth was dead. The withered boy’s parents then carried him away, grieving over the loss of this child. And they took Jesus straight to Joseph, chastening him, “What kind of boy do you have that does such things?” Then Joseph, trembling, took hold of Jesus and went with him and his mother (back) into his house.
BOY ATTACKS JESUS AND DIES
(ArIn 19:22-24; InTh 4; PsMt 29) Nazareth?
And after a few days had passed, Jesus was again walking home one evening through the midst of town with a very frightened Joseph. And behold, a certain boy, another evildoer, threw a stone at Jesus and ran quickly up to him from the front wishing to make a laughingstock of him or even injure him if at all possible, pounding him so soundly against his shoulder that he slammed against the ground. Jesus became furious and condemned the boy, “May you go no further on your way (so as to) return from it unharmed! And even as you have knocked me down, so also will you fall to the ground, but you will never recover.” And in that instant the boy fell dead.
Some who had witnessed the event, however, including the dead boy’s parents shouted, “Where could this boy have come from, seeing how every word he speaks is true, and is carried out in fact, sometimes before he even utters it?” They all came up to Joseph, bringing with them the parents of the dead boys. And they started to reprove him saying, “Because your son does things like this, you may no longer live with him alongside us in this town. Take Jesus away from here--or else kindly teach him to bless and not to curse, for he is killing our children, since every word of his has an immediate effect.”
JOSEPH ADMONISHES JESUS; HIS REPLY
(InTh 5; PsMt 29) Jerusalem
Joseph then went up to Jesus, calling the boy privately to himself. Now after Joseph had seated himself upon his chair, the boy came and stood before him there. He then reproved Jesus saying, “Why do you do these kinds of things? Many of these people are heartbroken already because of you, and therefore they despise and harass us. Many of them are now talking bad about you and deride us both on your account, and we have no choice but to endure it.” Jesus answered them, “According to the knowledge of this age, unless a father has taught his son, he is not to be considered wise. Even so, the Father’s curse cannot hinder any man unless he is an evildoer. I recognize that these words are not coming from you, so for your sake I will speak no more. In either case, these people will be punishe d.” And those who had accused him were at that moment all made blind, and all who saw it were terrified and taken aback, and they proclaimed, “Good or bad, everything that this boy speaks becomes an action--and indeed, a miracle!” And when they had established that Jesus had done this, Joseph got up and pulled him hard by the ear.
Then Jesus stared him down in all severity, crying out, “That is quite enough! For you to seek and not to find is one thing,” the boy angrily rebuked, “but for you to act in so reckless a manner is quite another.
Are you not yet convinced that I’m not truly your own? Do not provoke me!” Then they banded together against Jesus, and
denounced him to Joseph. Now when Joseph saw what was going on, he grew fearful over the furious outcry of the Israelites. Jesus then grabbed the dead boy by the ear and lifted him up before them all, and they could see that he was scolding him as a father would scold his own son. The spirit of the boy was then returned and he was raised again to life, and all were amazed at his restoration.
ZACCHAEUS TAKES JESUS AS HIS PUPIL
(InTh 6:1-12,(6); ArIn 20:1-4; PsMt 30) Jerusalem
There was also a certain teacher in Jerusalem named Zacchaeus who was standing nearby and had heard what Jesus had said to his father. He was stunned that a mere child such as he would speak such things. And seeing that Jesus could not be vanquished, and recognizing the power that was within him, he was incensed, and started fearlessly, foolishly, and rudely denouncing Joseph, “Don’t you think that you should turn your son over to me, so that he might learn worldly wisdom and respect for other people? It is clear to me that you and Mary care more about your own son than you do the elders of Israel and what they have to say of him. You ought to have shown us all--the entire congregation of Israel--a little more respect, so that he might like other children and be better liked by them, and that he might receive a proper Jewish education.” Joseph, however, questioned them, “But who is capable of taking him on and teaching him anything? If you think that you can do it, then we are more than willing to let you try and provide him with a common education.” And a few days later he went up to Joseph, saying, “You know, your boy really is quite clever, and he has tremendous insight. Why not turn him over to me so that he might learn his letters? I will teach him all there is to know of them. I will also teach him the proper way to address his elders, giving them all their due respect as fathers and forefathers, as well as how to get along with those who are his age.” Joseph agreed and told Saint Mary.
The next day Joseph took Jesus by the hand and led him over to Zacchaeus saying, “Very well, Rabbi, take this boy and teach him letters.” “Brother,” he responded, “if you will turn him over to me, I will cast light on the Scriptures for him, convincing him that he ought to bless everything and curse nothing.” And Jesus, hearing what Zacchaeus had said, burst into laughter and answered them, “The lessons to which you refer, and the principles that underlie them are sufficient for an ordinary person’s education, and as such ought to be kept by them; but your law courts are alien to me. You speak as you
can understand, but I understand much more than you can, for before the ages came about I AM. I even know when your fathers’ fathers were born; yet I have no fleshly father. You who read from the law and know about it do indeed hold to it; but I existed before the law was given. Since, however, you imagine that no one else’s learning is a match for your own, I will teach you a thing or two about the things to which you refer that no one could possibly expound, unless he were worthy. For when I am exalted in this world at last, I will bring to an end all reference to your lineage. You see, you do not yourselves recall the occasion of your birth. I not only know when all of you were born, but also how much longer you will live on this earth.” “Oh, oh, oh!” they all responded in amazement. “What a great and incredible mystery this is. We have never heard any such claims before. No one else has ever said such things, not even the prophets themselves, or the scribes, or the Pharisees. We know where this boy came from. He is scarcely even five years old. Where does he get off saying things like this?” The Pharisees declared, “We have never heard such claims from any other child of his years.” But Jesus replied, “Does it surprise you that a child would say such things? How is it that you do not believe me when I speak these words to you? All of you were astonished when I revealed to you that I knew when you were born. I will go even further than this, so that you might marvel all the more. I have both seen Abraham and spoken with him--the one who you call ‘father’-- and Abraham has seen me too!” Everyone there was taken aback, and no one even dared to speak. And Jesus added, “I have been in your midst as a child among your children, and you have not even come to know me. I have spoken to you as with the wise, and you have failed to comprehend my speech. Indeed, you are more childish than I am, and your faith is stunted.”
Once again he said to them, “You find it hard to believe that I know how many years have been given you to live? Believe me; I know when the world was formed. Behold, though you don’t believe me now, when the day comes that you see my cross, you will know that I am telling the truth.” And when they heard these words they were all appalled.
JESUS ASTONISHES ZACCHAEUS
(ArIn 22:1-6; InTh 6:3-7:4(7)) Jerusalem
Zacchaeus wrote out the Hebrew alphabet and one by one pronounced for him all of the letters from [Aleph] to [Taw], asking him question after question. He said “[Aleph]” to him, and the boy said “[Aleph.]” The teacher repeated, “[Aleph,]” and so the boy repeated it also. Then, the third time that the master said “[Aleph,]” Jesus looked right at him and demanded, “You who do not know the [Aleph] according to its proper sense, how ever will you teach anyone about the [Beth]? You hypocrite, if you know the [Aleph], then explain it to us; only then will we believe you when you teach about the [Beth].” Then Jesus started to examine the teacher on the topic of the first letter, and the teacher could not answer. And the boy taught Zacchaeus loud enough for all to hear, “Listen, teacher, and pay close attention to the composition of the first letter; how it has lines and a stroke intersecting the two down the center, as you can see, intersecting, rising up, dancing there and turning together; three signs, each alike, subordinate to, yet supportive of one another, all of them the same dimensions. There you have it--the lines of the [Aleph]!”
Now when Zacchaeus the instructor heard so many allegorical interpretations of the first letter being elucidated by the boy, he was bewildered by his answer, and his exposition, and was utterly amazed and could give him no reply. And beginning at [Aleph], Jesus expounded all twenty-two letters without any prompting whatsoever. Then Zacchaeus confessed to the people there, “How miserable and wretched and troubled I am. By taking this boy to myself, I have gotten only shame. I beg you, Joseph, take this boy away from me, for I cannot bear the way he looks at me so demandingly. I cannot understand in the least the things about which he speaks. This child cannot be of this world. Perhaps he was born before the world was formed. What belly could carry him? Whose womb could nourish him? My friend, I am undone; he utterly perplexes me--I cannot even begin to scale the heights of his understanding. I have fooled myself, and been disgraced thrice over. I had sought after a student, but have instead gotten a teacher. I am, my friends, completely ashamed that a mere child such as he has gotten the better of an old man like me. Depression and death overwhelm me on account of this lad. I cannot look him in the face--and when everyone goes around saying that I have been bested by a little boy, how am I supposed to reply? What am I to say about the first letter and its lines as he explained it to me? My friends, I have no idea, for I understand neither beginning nor end.”
And turning to Joseph he remarked, “Without a doubt, brother, this child was not born of this earth, so I implore you, brother Joseph, take him back home with you. Be he a god or an angel or some other magnificent being I do not know, and cannot say.”
ZACCHAEUS TAKES JESUS TO LEVI
(ArIn 20:7-12; PsMt 31; InTh 8) Jerusalem
Then the doctor of the law, master Zacchaeus urged Joseph and Mary a second time, “Turn the boy over to me and I will take him to Master Levi--he will teach him letters and give him an education!”
Then Joseph and Mary pacified Jesus and took him over to the school so that the elderly Levi might teach him letters. And from the moment he entered that place, Jesus remained silent. And starting with the first letter, Aleph, Master Levi kept saying just that one letter to Jesus, and ordering him to explain it, but he held his peace and gave no answer. Then Master Levi, his instructor, grabbed his storax rod and cracked him over the head with it. Then Jesus, standing up to his teacher Levi, demanded, “Why did you hit me? You can be quite sure of this: the one who has been stricken can teach the one who struck him much more than he could ever learn from him. You see, I can teach you all about what you claim to know. Everyone who speaks, and everyone who hears is as blind as the noise of brass or the clang of a cymbal; which cannot hear the sounds they make.” To Zacchaeus he added, “Every letter from Aleph to [Taw] is understood by the way that it’s composed. Explain what the [Taw] is first, and then I will make clear to you what the Aleph is.” And once again he said to him, “How can those who know not the Aleph, ever come to know the [Taw], seeing how hypocritical they are? Say what Aleph is first and then I will believe you when you expound to me the Beth.” Then, one by one, Jesus started asking about the names of each, and said, “Let the law teacher explain to us what the first letter is, or why it has so many triangles, which gradually flow from pointed to broad, bringing together, drawing across, and reaching over; being perpendicular, prostrate, and curving.” And when the teacher threatened him with a whipping, the Lord Jesus expounded the meaning of the letters Aleph and Beth to him. He also pointed out which parts of the letters were straight, which were diagonal; which of them had double strokes; those with and without points; the reason that one preceded another; and he began to make plain to him one thing after another, explaining things that his instructor had never so much as heard of before, nor read out of any book.
And when Levi heard this, he was surprised at such an arrangement of letters and names, and started loudly denouncing Jesus before them all, “Does he even deserve to live on this earth? No, he ought to be hung instead upon a giant cross! He can put out any fire and talk his way out of any punishment.” The Lord Jesus went on to explain to the teacher, “Listen carefully to the way that I speak them.” Then he started plainly and intelligibly to pronounce, “Aleph, Beth, Gimel, Daleth...” and all of the others to the end of the alphabet. Upon hearing this, the teacher was so beside himself that he cried out, “I honestly believe that this child lived before the deluge and was born before Noah. What womb gave rise to him? What mother brought him into this world? What breasts nursed him? I flee from his presence. I cannot endure the words from his mouth, and my heart is amazed at the sound of such speech. I do not believe that any man could comprehend his expositions unless God were with him. Now I-- pitiful fool that I am--have allowed myself to become a joke in his eyes, for the whole time that I was thinking of him as a student, ignorant of who he was, I have come to see that he’s my better. Now what can I say? Because I cannot endure the words that this boy speaks, nor do I find myself able to plumb their depths, I must surely leave this town. For seeing as how I am able to grasp neither beginning nor end of his exposition, an old man like me stands vanquished by a little child. It is no small matter to ascertain even the first thing about him. I tell you most assuredly, and do not lie when I say that from where I stand, the actions of this boy, the source of his speaking, and the thought that underlies his objective, seem to have nothing to do with those of mortal men. Hence I cannot tell whether he is a sorcerer, or a god, or if, perhaps, there is some angel of God speaking through him. From where he derives his essence, or from where he came, or what ever will become of him I cannot say.” Turning to Joseph, he confessed, “You brought me a boy who is more knowledgeable than any master, as though he were in need of learning.” And turning to Mary the teacher affirmed, “This son of yours has not the slightest need of any teaching.”
And even as the Jews were attempting to console Zacchaeus, the boy Jesus cracked a smile and laughed out loud. Then he said to the sons of Israel who were standing there listening, “Let those among you who have borne no fruit now bring it forth, and let those whose hearts are blind now see, those who are lame now walk straight, the poor enjoy good things, the dead come back to life, and everyone be restored to their original stature to live in Him Who is the fountainhead of life and of eternal sweetness. I have come down here from on high that I might bring a curse on these for their own good, so
that I might summon them again to what is above, even as it has been decreed by the One Who sent me.”
And when the boy Jesus had spoken these things, those who had fallen victim to grave disorders were immediately healed. After that, no one dared to say a thing to him, or to hear anything from him, or to anger him for fear that they might be cursed by him and thereby suffer harm.
BOYS ROUGHHOUSING ON THE ROOF
(ArIn 19:4-11; InTh 9(8); PsMt 32) Nazareth
Joseph and Mary then went away and took Jesus into the city of Nazareth, and he lived with his parents there. And a few days later, on the first day of the week, Jesus was playing on a housetop in Nazareth with some other youngsters. One of them shoved another headlong to the ground from the upper floor, whereupon the child died. And when they saw it, all of the other children who had been playing with him ran away, leaving Jesus standing there by himself on the housetop where the boy had been pushed off. And when the dead boy’s parents heard of it, they ran over to that place in tears. And when they found the dead boy lying on the ground and Jesus standing up above, they assumed that he had pushed him down. And the dead boy’s parents, who had not witnessed the event, confronted Joseph and Mary, saying, “Your son has thrown our boy to the ground, and now he is dead.” But Jesus held his peace and did not answer. Then they looked up at Jesus and denounced him, accusing him of having thrown him off: “Surely it was you who threw our boy from the top of that house!”
Joseph and Mary quickly ran over to where Jesus was; and his mother questioned him, “My Lord, tell me, was it you who pushed him down?” But Jesus denied it, answering, “I did not throw him off--he jumped down from it himself. He was simply being careless and hurled himself from the roof to his death.” But they shouted and threatened him, saying, “Our son has been killed, and this is the one who murdered him!” And sizing up the situation, the Lord Jesus answered them, “Do not accuse me of a crime that you have no way of proving. Let us go and ask him ourselves. He will tell us what really happened.”
And immediately Jesus jumped down from the roof and yelled out as loud as he could, “Zeno! Zeno!” For that was the young boy’s name. And Zeno answered Jesus, “Yes, Lord?” “Was I the one who pushed you from the roof to the ground?” Jesus asked him. “Get up and say who threw you down!” And at his word, the boy got up and worshiped Jesus saying, “Lord, you were not the one who threw me down. That indeed was someone else. Rather, it was you who raised me from death to life!”
And when they saw what had happened, everyone was astounded, including the parents of the previously dead boy. And when the Lord Jesus advised those who had gathered around to consider the boy’s words carefully, they praised God for the miracle. And the parents praised God for the sign that Jesus had shown and worshiped him. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus then moved on to Jericho.
JESUS DRAWS WATER WITH HIS GARMENT
(ArIn 19:12-15; InTh 11(10); PsMt 33) Jericho
Now when Jesus was six years old, his mother handed him a pitcher and sent him out with some children to draw water from the well and return with it. He pulled it out completely full, and after he had drawn it out, as he was walking in a crowd, one of the children bumped against him and hit the jug, whereupon he stumbled and it broke! And going over to the well, he laid out the garment he was wearing, drew up as much well water with it as had been in the pitcher, and carried it to his mother in his robe. And when his mother saw this astonishing miracle, she pondered it within herself, and she was completely amazed; she then hugged and kissed him all over. Mary etched this and all of the other wonders that she had seen in her heart, keeping the mysteries she had seen him perform to herself.
THE THREE MEASURES OF CORN
(PsMt 34) Jericho
On another day, Jesus took a tiny measure of grain from his mother’s storehouse and went out to the field and seeded it himself.
Then it sprang forth and grew, bearing increase with astonishing speed. In time he harvested it alone; and it yielded him three measures, which he freely gave to his many friends.
JESUS, MARY, AND SALOME HELP OUT JOHN THE BAPTIST
(LJB pt.10)
The Wilderness of Judea
Now as for the blessed John, he wandered with his mother out in the desert, and God supplied locusts and wild honey for him to eat, even as it had been spoken to his mother about him, that he might not let any unclean food pass through his mouth. After five years had come and gone, the devout, exalted, and aged mother Elizabeth passed away and the holy John sat weeping over her body. He had no idea how to enshroud or bury her, for he was but seven-and-a-half at the time of her passing. (Now the blessed Elizabeth died on the same day as had Herod, which was February the fifteenth.)
Jesus, who could see both the heavens and the earth, saw his cousin John sitting and wailing over his mother. And Jesus also started weeping at length, but no one knew the cause of his tears. When Mary saw the grieving of Jesus, she asked him, “Why are you weeping? Did Joseph or someone else scold you?” “No, mother,” answered the Mouth Abounding with Life. “The truth is that Elizabeth, your aged kinswoman, has left my dearly beloved John an orphan. Even now he is weeping over her body, which is lying on the mountain.”
When Mary heard this, she began to mourn over the loss of her kinswoman. “Weep not, dearest mother,” Jesus consoled her. “We will go and visit her this very hour.” And even as he was saying this to his mother, a bright cloud came down and settled in between them.
Then Jesus said, “Call upon Salome, and have her come along with us.” Then they all climbed onto the cloud, which flew them out to the wilderness of ’Ain Karim where John was sitting, and Elizabeth’s body was laying. The Savior then commanded the cloud, “Drop us off on this side of it.” Then the cloud, without delay, traveled there and went away. But the sound carried over to John. And when John heard the noise of their approach, he was afraid and abandoned the body of his mother. He then heard a voice that said, “John, do not be afraid. I am your kinsman Jesus. I have come with my mother to see to the proper
burial of your own hallowed mother Elizabeth, for she is near of kin to my mother and me.” When John heard this, he turned around and headed back in the direction of Christ and his mother Mary and embraced them. Then the Savior said to his mother, “Mother, Salome, rise up and wash her body off.” They bathed it in the spring from which she used to wash herself and her boy. Mary then held John close and wept with him, cursing Herod for his many crimes.
Then the Angels Michael and Gabriel came down from the heavens and dug a grave. “Go now,” said the Savior, “and return with the souls of Zechariah and Simeon the priest, that they might sing as you bury her body.” Immediately Michael returned with the souls of Simeon and Zechariah, who placed the shroud over Elizabeth’s body and sang for rather a while. Now the mother of Jesus wept, as did Salome, and the two priests traced the sign of the cross upon her corpse and prayed over it three times before laying it to rest in the grave. Then they buried her body there, sealing the plot with the sign of the cross, and they each returned in peace to their places. For seven days Jesus and his mother remained with John--consoling him on the loss of his mother, and teaching him how to survive in the desert. Then Jesus said to his mother, “Let us move on to where I can resume my work.”
And Mary burst into tears over the isolation of the young boy John, so she suggested, “Since he has been left an orphan and there’s no one here to care for him, we will take him home with us.” But Jesus replied, “This is not the will of my heavenly Father. He is to remain in the wilderness until the day that he’s revealed to Israel. He will not remain in a wasteland full of wild beasts, but will instead walk in a desert full of prophets and angels, as though there were great multitudes of people there. Archangel Gabriel is also with us, and I have charged him with protecting John and granting him power from on high. What is more, I will make the water from this spring as sweet and pleasing to him as his own mother’s milk. Who was it that watched over him in his youth? Oh, mother, do I not love him more than the world itself? Zechariah loved him too, and I have decreed that he should also come and care for John, for though his body lies buried in the ground, his soul indeed lives on.”
Jesus spoke these words to his mother in the wilderness, even as John remained behind. They then climbed back onto the cloud, and John watched and grieved as they left him there. Mary agonized and mourned for John saying, “How wretched I feel, seeing you alone out here in the desert. Where is your father Zechariah? Where is your mother Elizabeth? Let them come today and weep alongside me.”
“Mother,” Jesus reassured her, “do not weep over this child, for I will never forget him.” And even as he was saying these things, behold, the cloud picked them up and carried them off to Nazareth. And while in Nazareth, Jesus fulfilled all things human except for sinning. And John lived in the desert with great simplicity and devotion. God and His angels were with him there, and his only nourishment came from grasses and wild honey. He prayed without ceasing, fasted often, and remained in expectation of the salvation of Israel.
JESUS COMMANDS CLAY ANIMALS
(ArIn 15:1-7)
Jericho?
One day, when the Lord Jesus was seven years old, he was playing with some friends of his who were about his age. As the boys were playing, they molded clay into various shapes--donkeys, cattle, birds, and other creatures. Each of them was boasting to the others about how much better their own was, and each of them was attempting to outdo the others. Finally the Lord Jesus said to the young men, “I will order the forms that I have fashioned to walk.” And right away they started walking, and when he ordered them to return, all of them came back to him. He had, moreover, modeled images of sparrows and other birds, which flew around when he ordered them to fly, stayed in place when he said “hover,” and ate and drank when he gave them food and drink. After a while, the boys went off and reported to their parents all that had happened, and their fathers all admonished them,
“From now on, children, beware of his companionship, for he is an enchanter. Steer clear of him and have nothing at all to do with him, for from this time forward you are forbidden ever to play with him.”
MIRACLE AT THE DYER’S
(ArIn 15:8-15; InTh: Paris Manuscript #239)
Jericho?
On another day, when the Lord Jesus was playing and running around with the boys, he passed by the shop of a dyer named Salem. There were many clothes in that shop belonging to the people of that town; each with orders to be dyed in various ways. He saw a young man dipping some clothing and leggings into a rather gloomy color, dying them according to the instructions given by each of his customers, and placing them into the vat. The boy Jesus, entering into the dyer’s shop, approached the young man who was doing this, took all of the garments and threw them into the dryer. When Salem returned and saw that the clothes had all been ruined, he started to rant and to rave, and to take Jesus to task, saying, “Oh Son of Mary, what have you done to me? You have not wronged me alone, but my neighbors as well. They all wanted their clothing to be dyed properly, but you came along and ruined them entirely!”
Then the Lord Jesus answered him, “I will restore each and every piece to whatever color you wish.” And he immediately started pulling the cloths from out of the dryer, and they all were colored as the dyer had intended. And when the Jews saw this amazing miracle, they all started praising God.
ANOTHER MIRACLE AT THE DYER’S
(GPh 37, 47; Qur 2:138)
The Lord entered into the shop of a dyer named Levi, took seventytwo different pigments and poured them all into the vat. Now as Jesus took them out, they all turned white. Then he said, “The Son has come as one who dyes in the selfsame manner.”
God is a dyer, and even as the excellent dyes are called “true,” and fuse with everything that is colored within them, so it also happens to whomever God dyes. Even as His are dyes of immortality, so also do they achieve eternal life by means of His tinctures. These days what God dips, He dips in water. We soak in the dye of God. Who can boast of a dye that is better than God’s? Truly we will worship Him!
JESUS STRETCHES THE THRONE
(ArIn 16:1-16)
Jerusalem
Now whenever Joseph would go into town, he would take the Lord Jesus along. Whether his work involved making gates, milking buckets, sieves, or crates, anywhere that he would go, the Lord Jesus would go there with him. Now any time Joseph was working on something that needed lengthening or shortening; widening or narrowing, the Lord Jesus would reach his hand out toward it, and it would immediately become as he needed it to be. He therefore had no need to complete any job with his own two hands, for Joseph was not an expert in this line of work.
The king of Jerusalem once summoned Joseph and instructed him, “I want you to fashion a throne for me of precisely the same dimensions as the place where I usually sit.” Joseph agreed and started working on the project. He labored for two whole years in the palace of the king before he was able to finish it off, and when he brought it to the spot to fit it in, he found that it was two spans short of the commissioned size on either side. And when the king saw it, he seethed with rage at Joseph. Joseph was so distraught over the king’s anger, that he did not even eat his supper, but went straight to bed, taking nothing with him to eat.
The Lord Jesus then inquired, “What are you upset about?” “Because,” Joseph replied, “I have wasted two whole years of labor in this effort!” “Do not fear,” Jesus reassured him, “neither should you be distraught. You take hold of one side of the throne, and I will take hold of the other, and we will stretch it to its proper length.” And when Joseph did what Jesus had said, and each had pulled as hard as they could, the throne obediently stretched itself to fit the space exactly.
When those who were standing there saw it, they were all astounded and gave praise to God, for this throne was made from the same kind of wood as was used in Solomon’s day, decorated as it was with many intricate figures and designs.
JOSEPH AND JESUS STRETCH THE BEAM
(InTh 13(11); PsMt 37)
And when Jesus was eight years old, Joseph was commissioned by a wealthy young man to build for him a bed of six cubits, because at that time he was working as a carpenter specializing in wooden plows, yokes for oxen, farm equipment, and beds. And Joseph went out to the field to collect some wood, and Jesus went along with him. He ordered his servant to cut a beam with an iron saw to the given length. But he did not keep to the specified measure, cutting one of the timbers a bit too short. And after sawing two wooden planks, he produced one and placed it up against the other. Then Joseph, noticing that one board was shorter than the other, grew troubled. Then he measured it and confirmed that it was wanting, so he became frustrated and was not sure what he should do about it. As he started thinking about what to do, he headed off to find another. Jesus, when he saw what had happened, and marking the perplexity of Joseph, that to him the situation seemed hopeless, comforted him, saying, “Come now, let us take hold of both ends of these beams and position them together, lining up the ends; for by fitting them together precisely and pulling them to ourselves, we will make the one the same as the other.” And Joseph, unsure of what Jesus had in mind by saying this, did as he was told, since he knew full well that Jesus could do whatever he willed. So Joseph grabbed the ends of the two wooden beams and pressed them flush against the wall beside him, and Jesus took the opposite ends. Once again Jesus said, “Hold tight to this shorter piece.” And Joseph, still bewildered, took hold of it. Jesus then grabbed the other end and stretched it to himself until it was the same as the other beam. “From now on,” Jesus assured him, “be anxious for nothing, but go back now and finish your work, even as you have agreed to do, with nothing whatever to stand in your way.”
His father Joseph took it all in and was dumfounded. Then he hugged and kissed the boy, saying in his heart, “How blessed I am that God has given me a son like this!” Then Joseph went ahead and finished the job, even as he had promised.
And as soon as they returned to town, Joseph explained all that had happened to Mary. Now when Mary heard about and had seen the glorious miracles that were done by her Son, she exulted, worshipping him along with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forevermore; throughout an eternity of ages. Amen.
JESUS’ SECOND VISIT TO A TEACHER
(InTh 14; PsMt 38; ArIn 20:13-16)
Jerusalem?
When all of the people started urging Joseph and Mary to enroll Jesus in a school so that he might learn his letters, Joseph came to accept just how much the boy truly understood for a child of his years, and that he was becoming much more mature. So he, not refusing, decided that Jesus should not go on any longer without learning them, and complied with the order of the elders. They took him to school a second time around, to an even more learned teacher, who would instruct him in human knowledge. “First I will teach him Greek,” the teacher said to Joseph, “then I will move on to Hebrew.” That teacher, you see, knew all about the knowledge that this boy possessed and it frightened him. Even so he wrote out the alphabet for him and went over it with him for several hours; but Jesus did not answer him. Then the instructor started teaching him in a forceful way, saying, “Say Alpha!” Then Jesus challenged him, “If you are such a clever teacher, and know the letters so well, then tell me the strength of the Alpha, and I will show you that of the Beta--or, if you prefer, you may tell me first what is the Beta, and then I will explain the Alpha.” Now the teacher was enraged at this, but when he lifted his hand to flog the child, and beat him over the head, the boy winced in pain and cursed him, and his hand immediately withered. Then he fell face down to the ground and died.
Then the boy returned to the house of Joseph and Mary. Joseph, however, grew anxious and fearful. He called Jesus’ mother Mary over
to himself and issued her the following command: “Never again will we let him out of this house. Do not let him set so much as a single foot outside the door, because everyone who angers him ends up dead. Know that my soul suffers almost to death because of him! Who knows but that one day someone might strike and kill him out of rage!” “Oh man of God,” Mary replied, “do not even think this way, but have faith instead that the One Who sent him as one born among mankind will keep him from all spite and in His name guard him against all evil.”
FINAL ATTEMPT TO EDUCATE JESUS; JESUS TEACHES LIKE A TORRENT OF LIVING WATER
(InTh 15; PsMt 39)
Jerusalem?
Now a little while later the Jews asked Joseph a third time to coax Jesus into being schooled by yet another teacher. This teacher-- someone who was close to Joseph --advised him, “Bring the boy to me at my school; and if I can win him over, perhaps I’ll be able to teach him letters.” And Joseph, knowing that it was impossible for any man to teach him anything, since his knowledge came from God alone, answered him, “Brother, if you think that you can teach him, then go ahead and take him to yourself.” Joseph and Mary, fearful of the people, intimidated by the rulers, and broken by the priests, went ahead and delivered him up to the school despite the misgivings of Joseph. The boy, however, went along cheerfully. And Jesus walked boldly into the classroom, saw the book on the podium and, moved by the Holy Spirit, pulled it from the instructor’s hands even as he was teaching from the law. Then in the sight and hearing of all, Jesus started reading and teaching them from out of the law, though he did not read from the words inscribed. It was instead through the power of the Living God that he opened his mouth and, by means of the Holy Spirit that he taught them all--as a never-ending flood of water gushing from a fountain of life! And it was with this kind of power that he taught the people the sublime things of the Living God. And the hearts of the people seated there changed to absolute astonishment upon hearing such words from him. And a great crowd gathered around, and they stood there, listening in amazement over the excellence of his teaching and the fluency of his speech. Everyone there, including the teacher, who dropped to the ground in adoration, was utterly astounded that a mere child like him could bring such things as these to light.
But as soon as Joseph heard of it, he grew anxious and raced over to Jesus at the school, wondering to himself if this teacher might, for his lack of experience with him, be dead already. But when the schoolmaster caught sight of Joseph, he confessed, “Brother, I realize that I took this boy on as a pupil, but he is brimming with all grace and wisdom. This is no mere student that you have brought to me, but a great teacher! Who can hear the words he speaks? Brother, I beg you, take him home with you.” This fulfilled the Scripture that reads, “The river of God overflows with water. Their food You have readied, for even thus is the preparation thereof.” And when the boy heard all these things, he quickly smiled at the teacher and said, “Because you have spoken so aptly and testified so truthfully, the one who was stricken will now be made whole.” And just then his former instructor was healed. Then Joseph took the young man and returned to his home.
JOSEPH HEALS ANOTHER JOSEPH
(PsMt 40)
Capernaum
After this, because their enemies had been acting so spitefully toward them, Joseph took Jesus and Mary and went away to Capernaum by the sea. Now during the time that Jesus was there, there lived this other, rather wealthy man whose name also happened to be Joseph. But this man had withered up and died from an illness, and was laying lifeless on his bed. Now when Jesus heard the townspeople sorrowing and wailing and grieving over the departed, he asked Joseph, “Why not do this man a kindness that’s in line with your benevolence, seeing that you and he both share the same name?” Joseph then inquired of Jesus, “How is it within my authority or capacity to do anything for this man?” And Jesus answered him, “Take the cloth off of your head and lay it over the face of the man who is dead, and say to him, ‘The Anointed One is saving you.’ The lifeless man will then be restored and rise again from his bed.” Joseph, when he heard what Jesus had said, quickly rose up and ran into the house of the deceased, placed the cloth he had been wearing around his head over the face of the man on the bed and said, “Jesus is saving you.”
And the man who had died immediately got up from his bed and asked, “Who is this Jesus?”
JESUS BLOWS ON JAMES’ SNAKEBITE
(ArIn 19:1-3; InTh 16; PsMt 41)
Bethlehem
They moved on from Capernaum to Bethlehem, where Joseph could stay with Mary and Jesus in his own house. One day Joseph summoned his eldest boy James and sent him out into the garden to collect herbs and firewood for the stew and return home with them. The young Jesus, however, tagged along behind him into the garden without either Joseph or Mary knowing about it. When they got to the spot where the firewood was, James started gathering vegetables, and behold, a poisonous snake shot out of its hole and bit James on the hand, whereupon he started yelling and screaming in great pain. Then he grew faint and cried out in anguish, “Oh, no! No! An accursed snake has bitten my hand!” The Lord Jesus, who was standing there across from him, hearing his cries of agony and seeing him in this state--all sprawled out and nearly dead--ran up to him, took him by the hand, and with nothing but a puff to the wound, he cooled it off, and James was immediately healed. His pain disappeared, and the serpent split apart.
Joseph and Mary, when they heard the cry of James and the call of Jesus, ran to the garden unaware of what had happened, and found the snake dead and James healed.
JESUS REVIVES A DEAD CHILD
(InTh 17)
Bethlehem?
Now after this had come to pass, there happened to be a little child who lived near Joseph who had died from an illness, and his mother was crying out in bitter anguish. Hearing that horrible wailing and the ensuing commotion, Jesus hurried over there, found the child dead, laid his hand upon his chest and said, “I say to you, do not die, but go and live at your mother’s side.” And looking up, the child laughed. “Take this boy and suckle him,” he instructed the woman, “and remember me.” Now when the bystanders saw it, they were all amazed and they confessed, “Without a doubt, this lad is either himself a god or else he is an angel of God, for every single word he speaks brings about a reality.” And Jesus left them there and went to play with some other children.
JESUS REVIVES A DEAD CONSTRUCTION WORKER
(InTh 18)
Bethlehem?
Some time later a rather large disturbance broke out where a house was being built, so Jesus got up and headed there. When he saw a man lying there dead, Jesus took him by the hand and said, “Get up sir, and do your work!” And the man rose right up and worshiped
him. And when the people saw this thing, they were all astounded, and cried aloud, “This boy assuredly comes from heaven, since he has delivered so many from death, and as long as he remains alive, he has the power to save them all.”
JESUS BLESSES HIS FAMILY; THE GLORY OF GOD SHINES UPON HIM
(PsMt 42)
Bethlehem?
Joseph took his sons, James, Joseph, Judah, Simeon, and his two daughters to a banquet. Jesus and his mother Mary met them there, along with her sister Mary, daughter of Cleophas. And when they had all arrived, he sanctified and blessed them all.
(The Lord God had given this Mary over to Cleophas and Anna, her father and mother, since they had presented Jesus’ mother to the Lord. She was known by the same name, Mary, that her parents might feel somewhat consoled. Now Jesus would always be the first to eat, for not one of them would ever venture to dine, drink, recline at table, or break bread unless he had blessed them first. And if for some reason he was not present, they would wait around for him. And whenever he did not wish to come for food and drink, then neither did Joseph, Mary, or any of his brothers, the sons of Joseph. These brothers of his would obey him with all severity, seeing his life as the light of a lamp. And whenever Jesus would sleep, be it either night or day, the glory of God would shine on him. May all praise and honor be to him forevermore. Amen and amen!)
JESUS STAYS BEHIND IN THE TEMPLE
(Luke 2:41-43a; ArIn 21:1-8; InTh 19:1a)
aravan to Nazareth, The temple in Jerusalem
Every year, Jesus’ parents would go to the Passover feast in Jerusalem. And when he was twelve years old they traveled up, as their custom was. And after the feast was over and they had satisfied the number of days required, they all started out for home. And even as they were all returning, the Lord Jesus headed back for Jerusalem. His parents knew nothing about him staying behind in the temple among the teachers, elders, and learned men of Jerusalem. He posed many questions to them and answered them concerning many issues having to do with their expertise.
For example, Jesus asked them: “Whose son is this ‘Messiah’?” “David’s,” they replied. Jesus therefore questioned them, “Then why in the Spirit does David call him ‘Lord’ when it states, ‘The Lord said to my Lord “Sit here to my right until I have made all who oppose you a stool for your feet?”’” Then this particularly eminent Rabbi prodded him, “Have you read books?” “Not only have I read books,” Jesus replied, “but also what is in those books.” Then he gave them a detailed explanation of the books of the Law--the rules, the legislations, and all of the riddles that were interwoven into the prophetic Scriptures--matters that were too profound for the mind of any ever to unravel. At that point the Rabbi said, “I have never seen, or even heard of such things before! What do all of you suppose will become of this boy?”
JESUS ASTONISHES AN ASTRONOMER AND A PHILOSOPHER
(ArIn 20:9-21)
The Temple in Jerusalem
And when this astronomer who was there asked the Lord Jesus, “Have you ever studied astronomy?” he answered him by revealing to him the number of spheres and celestial objects, together with their triangular, square, and sextile facets; which ones moved prograde and which ones moved retrograde, their various proportions and their various forecasts, along with many other depths, never yet plumbed by the minds of men.
There was also this Philosopher among them who was very skilled in medicine and the physical sciences, who asked the Lord Jesus, “Have you ever studied medicine?” He answered him with an explanation of both medicine and its theoretical underpinnings. Moreover, he defined precisely what lies above the powers of nature, along with all that is subject thereto; the physical potential, and the interactions between the body and its fluids, and how they respond to one another. He also revealed the number of its constituent parts, such as bones, arteries, veins, and nerves; the various physical aspects of the body, namely warmth and dryness, coolness and moisture, as well as their various functions; how the soul controls the body, and the various senses and modalities that are open to them; the capacity for language; desire and anger; and last of all, the composition and decomposition of the body; and a whole host of other subjects that have eluded the grasp of all mankind. Then that philosopher got up and worshiped Jesus, saying, “Oh Jesus, my Lord! From now on, I will follow you and work for you.”
JOSEPH AND MARY DISCOVER THAT JESUS IS MISSING
(Luke 2:43b; InTh 19:1b-5; ArIn 21:22-29)
Caravan to Nazareth, The Temple in Jerusalem
But his parents imagined that Jesus must have been in the crowd with them somewhere. And after they had done a full day’s walking, they went looking for him among their kin, and when he was nowhere to be found, they grew troubled and headed back to the city to search for him. They found him at last on the third day, sitting in the temple amid the Teachers, hearing the law and posing questions to them. And all of those who heard him there were astounded by his understanding and his exposition. And everyone there paid careful attention to him and wondered how in the world a mere child like this could throw so much light on passages from out of the law and parables within the prophets, leaving the elders and the Teachers of the People utterly unable to speak.
It was even as they were all addressing these and other issues that the Lady Saint Mary came walking in after having wandered around all over with Joseph for three days seeking after him. And when she saw that he was seated in the presence of doctors, asking them questions and giving them answers, Joseph and Mary were both astonished. Then his mother Mary approached him and asked, “Why have you put us through all this, my child? I’ll have you know that your father and I have gone through a great deal of trouble in searching for you, and we worried about you all that time!” Jesus then replied to them, “Why did you go looking all over? Were you not aware that it was needful for me to be employed in the house of my Father, taking care of His affairs?” But they failed to grasp the sense in which he meant for them to hear his words.
But the scribes and Pharisees then spoke up, “Are you the mother of this lad?” “Yes I am,” she replied. “Oh Mary,” they all confessed, “how joyful are you among women! You are truly blessed to have brought forth a boy like him, for such a blessing has God lavished on the fruit of your womb. Never before have we seen or heard such glorious and excellent wisdom.” Jesus then rose up and followed his mother, going down with them, and traveling with them on to Nazareth, where he lived in obedience to them. His mother treasured up all that had been said in her heart. And Jesus waxed ever wiser and wiser, all the time growing in grace and stature; and the esteem of God and men. To him be boundless glory forevermore. Amen.
JESUS BEGINS TO HIDE HIS ACTIVITIES; DILIGENTLY STUDIES THE LAW
(ArIn 22) Nazareth
This marks the time when Jesus began hiding his miracles and secret works. He dedicated himself to a careful study of the law until the end of his thirtieth year, the age at which the Father acknowledged him openly at the Jordan with the sound of His voice, and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, addressing him with this declaration from the sky above: “This is My Son, whom I love and in whom I take delight!” He is the one we worship with all honor, because he brought us from the womb of our mother; calling us into being and bringing us to life. He who for our sakes has taken on a human form and rescued us, that he might embrace us with eternal kindness, and freely show us the greatness and abundance of his mercy and goodness. May all glory, praise, power and dominion be to him from now on and forevermore. Amen.
INTRODUCTION TO THE LIFE OF JOSEPH THE CARPENTER; INSTRUCTIONS TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL
(HJC Intro,1)
{In the name of God; three Who are comprised of one. The narrative of the death of our father, the aged and venerable Joseph the carpenter. Brothers, may his blessings and his prayers sustain us all. Amen.
His entire lifetime amounted to one hundred and eleven years, and his passing from this world took place on the twenty -sixth of Abib, which is also known as Ab. May we be upheld by his prayer! Amen.
And it was truly none other than our Lord Jesus Christ who disclosed this narrative to his most reverend disciples on the Mount of Olives; all about the labors of Joseph, and also of his final days. And the holy apostles preserved this address, and left it in written form in the Jerusalem library. May their prayers sustain us all! Amen.}
One day it happened that our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ, was sitting on the Mount of Olives with his followers who had gathered there. And he addressed them as follows: “Brothers, friends, and sons whom the Father has chosen out of all mankind; you know how I have frequently spoken to you about the crucifixion I must undergo, and of the death that I must endure in order to redeem Adam and his children, and how I will arise from death. I will now entrust you with the teaching of the sacred gospel which has been preached to you already, so that you might make it known around the world. I will, moreover, give you power from on high, filling you with the Holy Spirit. And you are to preach repentance and the remission of sin throughout each and every nation. For if a man could find so much as a single cup of water that is from the world to come, it would seem far greater and more vast to him than the collective riches of this earth.
Moreover, the ground covered by even a single foot in my Father’s house is beyond the wealth of this whole world. Truly a single, joyful hour in the home of the godly is more gracious and dear than a thousand years among evildoers: since their wailing and mourning will never cease, nor ever will their tears stop flowing, nor will they even once enjoy any comfort or rest.
“And now, oh my distinguished members, go and proclaim this in every nation, saying to them, ‘Truly the Savior, the Administrator of Justice, is looking diligently into the inheritance that is due. And the angels will throw down their opponents and fight on their behalf on the Day of Battle. And he will closely scrutinize every senseless and baseless word that mankind has spoken, and they will all be forced to give account. For even as death is inescapable, so also will every single one of man’s works, whether they are good or bad, be spread out on the Day of Judgment.’ Also, be sure to relate to them this message I am giving you today, ‘Let not the strong man glory in his might, nor the rich man in his wealth; but if any man must glory, let him glorify the Lord.’”
(HJC Intro,1)
{In the name of God; three Who are comprised of one. The narrative of the death of our father, the aged and venerable Joseph the carpenter. Brothers, may his blessings and his prayers sustain us all. Amen.
His entire lifetime amounted to one hundred and eleven years, and his passing from this world took place on the twenty -sixth of Abib, which is also known as Ab. May we be upheld by his prayer! Amen.
And it was truly none other than our Lord Jesus Christ who disclosed this narrative to his most reverend disciples on the Mount of Olives; all about the labors of Joseph, and also of his final days. And the holy apostles preserved this address, and left it in written form in the Jerusalem library. May their prayers sustain us all! Amen.}
One day it happened that our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ, was sitting on the Mount of Olives with his followers who had gathered there. And he addressed them as follows: “Brothers, friends, and sons whom the Father has chosen out of all mankind; you know how I have frequently spoken to you about the crucifixion I must undergo, and of the death that I must endure in order to redeem Adam and his children, and how I will arise from death. I will now entrust you with the teaching of the sacred gospel which has been preached to you already, so that you might make it known around the world. I will, moreover, give you power from on high, filling you with the Holy Spirit. And you are to preach repentance and the remission of sin throughout each and every nation. For if a man could find so much as a single cup of water that is from the world to come, it would seem far greater and more vast to him than the collective riches of this earth.
Moreover, the ground covered by even a single foot in my Father’s house is beyond the wealth of this whole world. Truly a single, joyful hour in the home of the godly is more gracious and dear than a thousand years among evildoers: since their wailing and mourning will never cease, nor ever will their tears stop flowing, nor will they even once enjoy any comfort or rest.
“And now, oh my distinguished members, go and proclaim this in every nation, saying to them, ‘Truly the Savior, the Administrator of Justice, is looking diligently into the inheritance that is due. And the angels will throw down their opponents and fight on their behalf on the Day of Battle. And he will closely scrutinize every senseless and baseless word that mankind has spoken, and they will all be forced to give account. For even as death is inescapable, so also will every single one of man’s works, whether they are good or bad, be spread out on the Day of Judgment.’ Also, be sure to relate to them this message I am giving you today, ‘Let not the strong man glory in his might, nor the rich man in his wealth; but if any man must glory, let him glorify the Lord.’”
THE DEATH OF JOSEPH
(HJC 10-32; ArIn 22:7b)
After many years had come and gone, the elderly Joseph arrived at a ripe old age. Despite working continuously, his body never grew frail, nor did his vision ever fail, nor ever did his teeth fall out, nor was he ever senile his whole life long; but he, like a young lad, went about his business spryly and energetically, with his arms and legs intact and free from aches and pains. All together, his lifetime amounted to one hundred and eleven years, stretching his days to their furthest extent.
Now two of Joseph’s oldest boys, Justus and Simeon, were married and had their own families. Both of his daughters were also married and living in their own homes. That left Joses and the Lesser James living in Joseph’s house with my virgin mother. I lived with them blamelessly as one of his sons, calling Mary my mother and Joseph my father, doing whatever they would tell me to. I never defied them, but always obeyed them no matter what they would say, even as other men who are brought forth on this earth are inclined to do. I never did provoke them to anger, nor did I talk back to them, or contradict them, either. On the contrary, as the apple of my eye did I lavish them both with love and affection.
And after all this, it happened that the death and passing from this world of the pious and elderly Joseph was drawing near, as is the case for every man that is born of this earth. And even as he was at the point of death, an angel of the Lord informed him that his passing was near. He therefore grew fearful and perplexed. He then rose up and traveled on to Jerusalem. And when he went into the Lord’s temple, he poured forth his prayers before the sanctuary, pleading, “Oh, God, author of every solace; God of all pity, and Lord over the whole human race; God of my soul; God of my body; and God of my spirit; I worship You and plead with You. Oh, my Lord, my God, if my days are at an end, and the hour of my passing from this world is at hand, I beg of You, send Michael, the great prince of Your holy angels, to accompany me, that my miserable soul might leave this tortured frame of mine without incident; free from any threat or fear. For unspeakable fear and dread seize all bodies on their dying day; be they either male or female, wild or domestic animal, or whatever crawls along the ground, or flies through the air. Every creature under heaven that breathes in the breath of life becomes panic-stricken as their souls fearfully and woefully pass away from their bodies. Oh, my Lord and my God, let Your holy angel be there to help ease the separation between my body and soul, and do not let the face of the guardian angel appointed to me from the time of my birth turn away from me now; but may he accompany me on my journey even until he brings me to You. Let his expression be pleasing to me and comfort my heart, and let him go with me in peace. Let not the demons approach me with their frightful faces on the way that I must go, until I arrive in Your delightful presence. Let not the gatekeepers keep my soul from paradise. Show not forth my sins so as to condemn me before the terror of Your judgment seat. Do not permit the lions to lunge on me, nor allow the swells of the fiery sea to overwhelm my soul before I have gazed upon Your face, so glorious and divine; for every soul must face these things. Oh, God, most upright Judge, Who with justice and fairness will pass judgment on all mankind, and will pay them back for what they have done. Oh, my Lord, my God, I beg of You, draw near to me with Your compassion, and shine Your light upon my path, that I might draw near to You; for You are a fountain overflowing with every glorious thing, and are possessed of everlasting glory. Amen.”
And it happened afterward that when he had returned to his own home in Nazareth of Galilee, Joseph was stricken by an illness that confined him to his bed. And it was at that time that he passed on, as is the lot of all mankind. This disease, you see, completely overwhelmed him. From the day that he was born, he had never yet suffered such an affliction, and truly it pleased Christ to arrange this end for the righteous Joseph. And for forty years he remained unwed;
afterward he cared for his wife another forty-nine until she died. And a year after her death, the priests entrusted my mother, the blessed Mary to him, to look after her until such time as she should wed. She lived in his house for two whole years; and during her third year in the house of Joseph, when she was fifteen, she brought me into this world by a means so mysterious that no created being can recount it, nor yet understand it, but only myself, my Father, and the Holy Spirit, who are of one substance with me.
The age of my father therefore, that venerable old man, was one hundred and eleven years, as it had been decreed by my Father in heaven. And it was on the twenty-sixth of Abib that his soul left his body. For it was then that the choice gold started to lose its luster, and the silver to wear out through use. (By this I mean his wisdom and his intellect.) He also refused all food and drink. And having lost his carpentry skills, he began to let his business go. And so it happened that, in the early morning hours of the twenty-sixth day of Abib, that that honorable man, the aged Joseph, lay upon his bed, surrendering his troubled soul. He therefore opened his mouth and cried:
“Cursed was the day I was brought into this world! Cursed was the womb that carried me!
Cursed were the bowels that moved for me! Cursed were the feet that I sat and rested on! Cursed were the breasts that nursed me!
Cursed were the hands that carried me and cared for me until I was grown!
For in sin was I conceived, and in sin did my mother long for me. Cursed are my lips and my tongue, which have brought up and spoken foolishness, scandal, lies, ignorance, ridicule, gossip, dishonesty, and hypocrisy!
Cursed are my eyes, which have gazed upon scandal!
Cursed are my ears, which have rejoiced in the slanderous words of others!
Cursed are my hands which have taken things that were not theirs! Cursed are my stomach and my guts, which have longed for forbidden foods!
Cursed is my throat, which as a blazing fire has consumed all that it has come across!
Cursed are my feet, which have taken paths offensive to God! Cursed is my body, as is also my pathetic soul, which has already deserted God, Who fashioned it!
What will I do when I am made to stand before the Righteous
Judge; when He will demand an account for all the deeds that have been accumulating from my youth? Cursed is every man who dies in his sins! Behold, that same event that overtook my father Jacob as his soul sailed away from his body has truly overtaken me! Oh, how miserable I am today, and fit to be mourned! God, however, and no one else, will concern Himself with my body and soul; and deal with them as He sees fit.”
Then I went over to Joseph and found his soul in its distress, for he was suffering terribly. And I said to him, “Bless you, father Joseph! How are you feeling, oh man of honor?” And he responded, “Bless you too, my beloved son. Truly do I say to you that pain and fear encompass me, but my soul grew still when I heard your voice. Oh Jesus of Nazareth! Jesus who rescues me! Jesus who sets my soul free! Jesus who defends me! Oh, Jesus! How sweet is your name in my mouth--and in the mouths of all who cherish it! Oh All-Seeing Eye, and All-Hearing Ear, hearken to the words I speak! I worship you and serve you today in all humility, and my tears rain down before your face. You are my God, and my Lord, even as the angel has reminded me so many times, particularly on that day when wayward thoughts tossed my soul to and fro concerning the holy and virgin Mary, of whom I was secretly plotting to rid myself, though she was bearing you within her womb. At the time that I was weighing my options, behold, these angels of the Lord appeared in my sleep, and related this incredible myste ry to me: ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take on Mary as your wife; do not be sad or speak such unbecoming words with regard to her conception, for she is carrying the child of the Divine Inspiration, and will bring a son into the world, who will be called Jesus, since he will free his people from their sins.’
Oh my Lord, please do not permit me to suffer on account of my lack of knowledge concerning your birth, neither of the mystery involved. Oh my Lord, I also recall the occasion when that boy died of a snakebite--how his family wished to turn you over to Herod, accusing you of killing him--but even so, you brought him back from death and restored him to his mother and father. How I then came up to you, grabbed your hand and admonished you, ‘Watch yourself, my son!’ At that time you answered me, ‘Are you not seen as my fleshly father? I will show you who I truly am!’ For all of these reasons, my Lord and my God, please do not be mad at me, nor call me to account for that instance. I am your servant, your servant girl’s son; but you are my Lord, my God and my Deliverer, and assuredly the Son of God.”
Now when my father Joseph had spoken this, he was worn from all his weeping. And I could see that death clearly held him in its sway. Then my unblemished virgin mother stood to her feet, walked over to me and said, “Oh, my beloved son, this honorable old man Joseph is even now at the point of death.” “Oh, dearest mother,” I replied, “truly the burden of death is shared by all things that are brought forth on earth; for death has its way with all of mankind. Even you, oh virgin mother, must experience the same fate as other mortals. Nevertheless, neither your departure, nor that of this righteous man, qualifies as the true death, but rather as eternal life. Furthermore, even I must die with regard to the body that I got from you. Even so, rise up dearest mother of mine, and go over to the blessed old man Joseph, that you might bear witness to all that takes place as his soul rises up from his body.”
My spotless mother Mary walked over to where Joseph was and went inside. There at his feet I sat and watched over him, for by then the signs of death could be seen in his face. And that honorable old man lifted up his head and fixed his eyes upon me, but had no strength to speak to me on account of the pains of death that had taken him. But he kept on gasping for air, and I held his hands for an entire hour, at which time he turned and looked at me, motioning to me not to leave his side. At that moment, I held my hand up to his chest, and sensed his soul around his throat, ready to depart its chamber.
And when my virgin mother saw me touching his body, she also felt his feet. And when she found that they were lifeless and cold, she said to me, “Oh, my beloved son, truly his feet are stiffening, and are even now as cold as snow.” She then called Joseph’s sons and daughters, saying, “Come now, all of you, and gather all around your father; for he is surely at the gates of death.” Then his daughter Assia remarked, “Oh my brothers, this is certainly the same affliction that claimed the life of my own dear mother!” And she mourned and wept in bitterness; whereupon all of Joseph’s other children likewise cried alongside her, my mother and myself weeping along with them.
And glancing southward, I saw Death already drawing near, and all of Gehenna with him, closely guarded by his army and his helpers; flames shooting out of their clothing, faces, and mouths. And when my father Joseph saw them coming, his eyes welled up with tears, and at that moment he groaned in a very strange way. When I saw him gasping furiously, I pushed Death back, and all his minions. And I called upon my holy Father and said, “Oh Father of every mercy--the All-Seeing Eye and the All-Hearing Ear--hearken to my prayers and petitions on behalf of the elderly Joseph. Send in the brightness of all Your angels, Michael, the Prince of Angels, together with Gabriel, the Proclaimer of Light. Allow the entire host of them to walk alongside the soul of my father Joseph until they bring it near to You. This is the moment when my father needs Your compassion the most.” (And I say to you also that each and every saint--indeed each and every man that is born to this world, be they either just or corrupt--must necessarily pass away.)
Then Michael and Gabriel approached the soul of my father Joseph. Then they took and wrapped it in a glistening cloth. This was the means by which his spirit was given into the hands of my good Father, Who granted him peace. None of his children yet knew that Joseph had died. And the angels defended his soul from the demons of darkness who were blocking the way, glorifying God until they had conveyed it into the abode of the devout.
Now his corpse was lying flat on its back and devoid of blood. I therefore reached out and straightened his eyes, shut his mouth with my own hand, and said to the Virgin Mary, “Oh, mother of mine, where is that ability which he so aptly showed throughout his lifetime in this world? Sadly, it has gone away, and is as though it never was.” And when his children overheard my conversation with my spotless and virgin mother, they knew that he had breathed his last, and they burst into tears and mourned for him. “Your father’s death,” I explained to them, “is in truth not really death, but rather it is endless life: for he has been freed from this world and its concerns, and has moved on to endless and eternal rest.” And hearing these words, they tore their clothes and wept aloud.
And the people of Nazareth and Galilee converged on the scene when they heard their weeping, and they wept from the third hour all the way until the ninth. And at the ninth hour they all went together to the bed of Joseph. And they rubbed his body with precious ointments and raised it up. But I prayed that same prayer to my Father in the heavenly language which I had made with my own hand before I was carried in the womb of my mother Mary. And when I had completed it, I said “Amen,” and the entire host of angels appeared.
And I ordered two of them to extend their glistening robes and to enshroud the body of the blessed old man Joseph in them.
At that point I spoke to Joseph, saying, “The stench of death and corruption will have no power over you, nor will so much as a single worm ever come from out of your body. None of its limbs will ever be broken, nor will a hair on your head be moved from its place. Oh Joseph, my father, no part of your body will ever be lost, but it will remain intact and never decompose, even until the thousand-year feast. I will bless and repay in the assembly of virgins anyone who should make an offering on your special day. And on the day of your memorial, whosoever should feed the wretched, the poor, the widows, and the orphans in your name from the work of his hands will never lack any thing good as long as he lives. And to anyone who has so much as offered a cup of water or wine to drink to either widow or orphan in your name, I will place him in your care, that you may travel along with him as he enters into the millennial feast. And to every man who should offer a gift on the day of your commemoration, I will bless and repay in the assembly of virgins: to one I will give thirty times over, to another, sixty, and to yet another, a hundred. And as for anyone who should write down the story of your life, and of your labors, and of your passing from this earth--and even this narrative that is from my mouth --him I will commit to your keeping as long as he lives. And when his soul leaves his body and he has parted from this realm, I will burn the book of his sins and not afflict him with any penalty on Judgment Day; but he will travel through the sea of flames, passing across without trouble or pain. And to every poor man who can offer none of these things, this will be what he should do: if a son is born to him, he is to name him Joseph, so that neither poverty nor untimely death might ever come to pass in that house.”
After this, the leading men of that town gathered together at the spot where Joseph’s body had been placed, bringing with them burial shrouds with which they wished to wrap him up, according to the way the Jews prepare the bodies of their dead. But they found that his shroud held tight--clinging like iron to his body--for when they would have taken it off, they found it impossible to loosen or budge, nor could they find a linen edge, which astonished them to no end. Finally they carried him over to a place where there was a cave and opened the gate so they could lay his body to rest alongside those of his forebears. Just then I called to mind the day that he traveled with me into Egypt, and of the tremendous hardships that for my sake he was compelled to endure. And I mourned his passing for quite some time; saying as I was sprawled out over his corpse: “Oh Death, which causes all knowledge to disappear and brings about tears and sorrows in abundance, surely it is my Father, God Himself, who has given you this power. Because men perish for the transgression of Adam and his wife Eve, and Death does not spare anyone. Even so, nothing ever happens to anyone, or is brought upon him without my Father commanding it first. Surely there have been men whose lives reached nine hundred years; but even these have passed away. And though there were others who lived even longer, all of them have come to this end, and not one of them can say, ‘I have never tasted death.’ For the Lord does not send the same affliction twice; hence it has satisfied my Father to inflict it upon mankind but once.
“Death goes out the very instant that it sees the order coming down from heaven, and it says, ‘I will go forth against that man, and afflict him most grievously.’ Then, in a flash it sets upon the soul and overpowers it, doing with it as it pleases. Because Adam violated my Father’s decree, you see, and failed to act in line with His will, the anger of my Father seethed over him, and He then condemned him to death; and this was how Death came into the world. If, however,
Adam had kept my Father’s laws, Death would never have gotten the better of him. Don’t you know that I could ask my Father to send me down a chariot of fire to take my father Joseph’s body up to the peaceful place that it might live among the spirits there? But because of Adam’s disobedience, the trouble and violence that come with Death has befallen all of mankind. And it is for this reason that I myself must die in the flesh; that I might secure grace for those who are my handiwork.”
Having said this, I embraced the body of my father Joseph, and wept over it. Then they opened up the mouth of the tomb and placed his body into it, near to that of his father Jacob. And at the time of his passing, he had lived one hundred and eleven years. Never had a tooth in his mouth pained him, nor had his eyesight ever grown dim, nor ever did his body bend, or his strength ever fail him, but he worked at his carpenter’s trade even until his dying day, which was on the twenty-sixth of Abib. And after Joseph, who was worn out by old age, had died and received a burial alongside his forebears, the blessed Mary went to live with her sisters’ children.
And when we apostles heard these words from our Savior, we rose up in joy and prostrated ourselves in his honor. “Oh Savior of us all,”we implored him, “show us your grace. Now we all have heard the lifegiving word! Even so, we still have questions about the fates of Enoch and Elijah, oh Savior of ours, for they were both reprieved from death. For truly they dwell in the place of the just even unto this very day, nor have their bodies known decay. Even so, that aged carpenter, Joseph was, after all, your father according to the flesh. And you have ordered us to go throughout the world and preach to them your holy Gospel;
and you have said, ‘Relate to them the account of the passing of my father Joseph, and honor him every year with a solemn holiday and festival, and let them know that anyone who takes anything away from this narrative, or adds anything to it, sins by so doing.’ Yet we are especially eager to understand why it is that you did not cause Joseph to be immortal like these, though he called you his son from the day that you were born in Bethlehem, and you say yourself that he was both chosen and righteous?”
And our Savior answered us, “Truly my Father’s prophecy regarding the disobedience of Adam has now been fulfilled. Everything is ordered by my Father according to His will and pleasure. For if any man should despise the commands of God, and in imitation of the devil continue to sin, his life is prolonged, that he might have a change of heart, and think about how he must be given over to death. If, however, anyone is quick to do good works, his life is also prolonged, that the more his life is lengthened and discussed, the more that upright men might imitate him. But when you see a man whose mind tends toward anger, his days are indeed cut short; for these are the ones who are taken in the prime of their lives. Therefore every prophecy that has been spoken by my Father concerning mankind must be fulfilled in every one of its aspects. Yet with regard to Enoch and Elijah, and how they are alive to this day in the very flesh in which they were born, and with regard to my father Joseph, whose body has not been spared as were theirs; indeed, even if a man were to live many thousands of years upon this earth, he would nevertheless at some point be compelled to exchange his life for death. And my brothers I say to you that Enoch and Elijah must return to this world toward the close of time and be slain as well. To be more specific, this will happen on the day of upset, terror, confusion, and evil. For because of the reproach with which he will be revealed, the Antichrist will mutilate the bodies of the four who are to disgrace him utterly when they expose him for his ungodliness during the time that they are alive, and he will pour their blood out like water.”
“Oh, our Lord, God, and Savior,” we asked, “who are these four about whom you have spoken, those whom the Antichrist will cut off on account of the reproach that they will lay to his charge?” “They are Enoch, Elijah, Schila, and Tabitha,” the Lord replied. When we heard our Savior say this to us, we all exulted and rejoiced, giving glory and thanks to the Lord God, and our Savior, Jesus Christ. To him be glory, honor, dignity, power, authority, and praise, the good Father along with him, together with the life-giving Holy Spirit, from now on and forevermore. Amen.
(HJC 10-32; ArIn 22:7b)
After many years had come and gone, the elderly Joseph arrived at a ripe old age. Despite working continuously, his body never grew frail, nor did his vision ever fail, nor ever did his teeth fall out, nor was he ever senile his whole life long; but he, like a young lad, went about his business spryly and energetically, with his arms and legs intact and free from aches and pains. All together, his lifetime amounted to one hundred and eleven years, stretching his days to their furthest extent.
Now two of Joseph’s oldest boys, Justus and Simeon, were married and had their own families. Both of his daughters were also married and living in their own homes. That left Joses and the Lesser James living in Joseph’s house with my virgin mother. I lived with them blamelessly as one of his sons, calling Mary my mother and Joseph my father, doing whatever they would tell me to. I never defied them, but always obeyed them no matter what they would say, even as other men who are brought forth on this earth are inclined to do. I never did provoke them to anger, nor did I talk back to them, or contradict them, either. On the contrary, as the apple of my eye did I lavish them both with love and affection.
And after all this, it happened that the death and passing from this world of the pious and elderly Joseph was drawing near, as is the case for every man that is born of this earth. And even as he was at the point of death, an angel of the Lord informed him that his passing was near. He therefore grew fearful and perplexed. He then rose up and traveled on to Jerusalem. And when he went into the Lord’s temple, he poured forth his prayers before the sanctuary, pleading, “Oh, God, author of every solace; God of all pity, and Lord over the whole human race; God of my soul; God of my body; and God of my spirit; I worship You and plead with You. Oh, my Lord, my God, if my days are at an end, and the hour of my passing from this world is at hand, I beg of You, send Michael, the great prince of Your holy angels, to accompany me, that my miserable soul might leave this tortured frame of mine without incident; free from any threat or fear. For unspeakable fear and dread seize all bodies on their dying day; be they either male or female, wild or domestic animal, or whatever crawls along the ground, or flies through the air. Every creature under heaven that breathes in the breath of life becomes panic-stricken as their souls fearfully and woefully pass away from their bodies. Oh, my Lord and my God, let Your holy angel be there to help ease the separation between my body and soul, and do not let the face of the guardian angel appointed to me from the time of my birth turn away from me now; but may he accompany me on my journey even until he brings me to You. Let his expression be pleasing to me and comfort my heart, and let him go with me in peace. Let not the demons approach me with their frightful faces on the way that I must go, until I arrive in Your delightful presence. Let not the gatekeepers keep my soul from paradise. Show not forth my sins so as to condemn me before the terror of Your judgment seat. Do not permit the lions to lunge on me, nor allow the swells of the fiery sea to overwhelm my soul before I have gazed upon Your face, so glorious and divine; for every soul must face these things. Oh, God, most upright Judge, Who with justice and fairness will pass judgment on all mankind, and will pay them back for what they have done. Oh, my Lord, my God, I beg of You, draw near to me with Your compassion, and shine Your light upon my path, that I might draw near to You; for You are a fountain overflowing with every glorious thing, and are possessed of everlasting glory. Amen.”
And it happened afterward that when he had returned to his own home in Nazareth of Galilee, Joseph was stricken by an illness that confined him to his bed. And it was at that time that he passed on, as is the lot of all mankind. This disease, you see, completely overwhelmed him. From the day that he was born, he had never yet suffered such an affliction, and truly it pleased Christ to arrange this end for the righteous Joseph. And for forty years he remained unwed;
afterward he cared for his wife another forty-nine until she died. And a year after her death, the priests entrusted my mother, the blessed Mary to him, to look after her until such time as she should wed. She lived in his house for two whole years; and during her third year in the house of Joseph, when she was fifteen, she brought me into this world by a means so mysterious that no created being can recount it, nor yet understand it, but only myself, my Father, and the Holy Spirit, who are of one substance with me.
The age of my father therefore, that venerable old man, was one hundred and eleven years, as it had been decreed by my Father in heaven. And it was on the twenty-sixth of Abib that his soul left his body. For it was then that the choice gold started to lose its luster, and the silver to wear out through use. (By this I mean his wisdom and his intellect.) He also refused all food and drink. And having lost his carpentry skills, he began to let his business go. And so it happened that, in the early morning hours of the twenty-sixth day of Abib, that that honorable man, the aged Joseph, lay upon his bed, surrendering his troubled soul. He therefore opened his mouth and cried:
“Cursed was the day I was brought into this world! Cursed was the womb that carried me!
Cursed were the bowels that moved for me! Cursed were the feet that I sat and rested on! Cursed were the breasts that nursed me!
Cursed were the hands that carried me and cared for me until I was grown!
For in sin was I conceived, and in sin did my mother long for me. Cursed are my lips and my tongue, which have brought up and spoken foolishness, scandal, lies, ignorance, ridicule, gossip, dishonesty, and hypocrisy!
Cursed are my eyes, which have gazed upon scandal!
Cursed are my ears, which have rejoiced in the slanderous words of others!
Cursed are my hands which have taken things that were not theirs! Cursed are my stomach and my guts, which have longed for forbidden foods!
Cursed is my throat, which as a blazing fire has consumed all that it has come across!
Cursed are my feet, which have taken paths offensive to God! Cursed is my body, as is also my pathetic soul, which has already deserted God, Who fashioned it!
What will I do when I am made to stand before the Righteous
Judge; when He will demand an account for all the deeds that have been accumulating from my youth? Cursed is every man who dies in his sins! Behold, that same event that overtook my father Jacob as his soul sailed away from his body has truly overtaken me! Oh, how miserable I am today, and fit to be mourned! God, however, and no one else, will concern Himself with my body and soul; and deal with them as He sees fit.”
Then I went over to Joseph and found his soul in its distress, for he was suffering terribly. And I said to him, “Bless you, father Joseph! How are you feeling, oh man of honor?” And he responded, “Bless you too, my beloved son. Truly do I say to you that pain and fear encompass me, but my soul grew still when I heard your voice. Oh Jesus of Nazareth! Jesus who rescues me! Jesus who sets my soul free! Jesus who defends me! Oh, Jesus! How sweet is your name in my mouth--and in the mouths of all who cherish it! Oh All-Seeing Eye, and All-Hearing Ear, hearken to the words I speak! I worship you and serve you today in all humility, and my tears rain down before your face. You are my God, and my Lord, even as the angel has reminded me so many times, particularly on that day when wayward thoughts tossed my soul to and fro concerning the holy and virgin Mary, of whom I was secretly plotting to rid myself, though she was bearing you within her womb. At the time that I was weighing my options, behold, these angels of the Lord appeared in my sleep, and related this incredible myste ry to me: ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take on Mary as your wife; do not be sad or speak such unbecoming words with regard to her conception, for she is carrying the child of the Divine Inspiration, and will bring a son into the world, who will be called Jesus, since he will free his people from their sins.’
Oh my Lord, please do not permit me to suffer on account of my lack of knowledge concerning your birth, neither of the mystery involved. Oh my Lord, I also recall the occasion when that boy died of a snakebite--how his family wished to turn you over to Herod, accusing you of killing him--but even so, you brought him back from death and restored him to his mother and father. How I then came up to you, grabbed your hand and admonished you, ‘Watch yourself, my son!’ At that time you answered me, ‘Are you not seen as my fleshly father? I will show you who I truly am!’ For all of these reasons, my Lord and my God, please do not be mad at me, nor call me to account for that instance. I am your servant, your servant girl’s son; but you are my Lord, my God and my Deliverer, and assuredly the Son of God.”
Now when my father Joseph had spoken this, he was worn from all his weeping. And I could see that death clearly held him in its sway. Then my unblemished virgin mother stood to her feet, walked over to me and said, “Oh, my beloved son, this honorable old man Joseph is even now at the point of death.” “Oh, dearest mother,” I replied, “truly the burden of death is shared by all things that are brought forth on earth; for death has its way with all of mankind. Even you, oh virgin mother, must experience the same fate as other mortals. Nevertheless, neither your departure, nor that of this righteous man, qualifies as the true death, but rather as eternal life. Furthermore, even I must die with regard to the body that I got from you. Even so, rise up dearest mother of mine, and go over to the blessed old man Joseph, that you might bear witness to all that takes place as his soul rises up from his body.”
My spotless mother Mary walked over to where Joseph was and went inside. There at his feet I sat and watched over him, for by then the signs of death could be seen in his face. And that honorable old man lifted up his head and fixed his eyes upon me, but had no strength to speak to me on account of the pains of death that had taken him. But he kept on gasping for air, and I held his hands for an entire hour, at which time he turned and looked at me, motioning to me not to leave his side. At that moment, I held my hand up to his chest, and sensed his soul around his throat, ready to depart its chamber.
And when my virgin mother saw me touching his body, she also felt his feet. And when she found that they were lifeless and cold, she said to me, “Oh, my beloved son, truly his feet are stiffening, and are even now as cold as snow.” She then called Joseph’s sons and daughters, saying, “Come now, all of you, and gather all around your father; for he is surely at the gates of death.” Then his daughter Assia remarked, “Oh my brothers, this is certainly the same affliction that claimed the life of my own dear mother!” And she mourned and wept in bitterness; whereupon all of Joseph’s other children likewise cried alongside her, my mother and myself weeping along with them.
And glancing southward, I saw Death already drawing near, and all of Gehenna with him, closely guarded by his army and his helpers; flames shooting out of their clothing, faces, and mouths. And when my father Joseph saw them coming, his eyes welled up with tears, and at that moment he groaned in a very strange way. When I saw him gasping furiously, I pushed Death back, and all his minions. And I called upon my holy Father and said, “Oh Father of every mercy--the All-Seeing Eye and the All-Hearing Ear--hearken to my prayers and petitions on behalf of the elderly Joseph. Send in the brightness of all Your angels, Michael, the Prince of Angels, together with Gabriel, the Proclaimer of Light. Allow the entire host of them to walk alongside the soul of my father Joseph until they bring it near to You. This is the moment when my father needs Your compassion the most.” (And I say to you also that each and every saint--indeed each and every man that is born to this world, be they either just or corrupt--must necessarily pass away.)
Then Michael and Gabriel approached the soul of my father Joseph. Then they took and wrapped it in a glistening cloth. This was the means by which his spirit was given into the hands of my good Father, Who granted him peace. None of his children yet knew that Joseph had died. And the angels defended his soul from the demons of darkness who were blocking the way, glorifying God until they had conveyed it into the abode of the devout.
Now his corpse was lying flat on its back and devoid of blood. I therefore reached out and straightened his eyes, shut his mouth with my own hand, and said to the Virgin Mary, “Oh, mother of mine, where is that ability which he so aptly showed throughout his lifetime in this world? Sadly, it has gone away, and is as though it never was.” And when his children overheard my conversation with my spotless and virgin mother, they knew that he had breathed his last, and they burst into tears and mourned for him. “Your father’s death,” I explained to them, “is in truth not really death, but rather it is endless life: for he has been freed from this world and its concerns, and has moved on to endless and eternal rest.” And hearing these words, they tore their clothes and wept aloud.
And the people of Nazareth and Galilee converged on the scene when they heard their weeping, and they wept from the third hour all the way until the ninth. And at the ninth hour they all went together to the bed of Joseph. And they rubbed his body with precious ointments and raised it up. But I prayed that same prayer to my Father in the heavenly language which I had made with my own hand before I was carried in the womb of my mother Mary. And when I had completed it, I said “Amen,” and the entire host of angels appeared.
And I ordered two of them to extend their glistening robes and to enshroud the body of the blessed old man Joseph in them.
At that point I spoke to Joseph, saying, “The stench of death and corruption will have no power over you, nor will so much as a single worm ever come from out of your body. None of its limbs will ever be broken, nor will a hair on your head be moved from its place. Oh Joseph, my father, no part of your body will ever be lost, but it will remain intact and never decompose, even until the thousand-year feast. I will bless and repay in the assembly of virgins anyone who should make an offering on your special day. And on the day of your memorial, whosoever should feed the wretched, the poor, the widows, and the orphans in your name from the work of his hands will never lack any thing good as long as he lives. And to anyone who has so much as offered a cup of water or wine to drink to either widow or orphan in your name, I will place him in your care, that you may travel along with him as he enters into the millennial feast. And to every man who should offer a gift on the day of your commemoration, I will bless and repay in the assembly of virgins: to one I will give thirty times over, to another, sixty, and to yet another, a hundred. And as for anyone who should write down the story of your life, and of your labors, and of your passing from this earth--and even this narrative that is from my mouth --him I will commit to your keeping as long as he lives. And when his soul leaves his body and he has parted from this realm, I will burn the book of his sins and not afflict him with any penalty on Judgment Day; but he will travel through the sea of flames, passing across without trouble or pain. And to every poor man who can offer none of these things, this will be what he should do: if a son is born to him, he is to name him Joseph, so that neither poverty nor untimely death might ever come to pass in that house.”
After this, the leading men of that town gathered together at the spot where Joseph’s body had been placed, bringing with them burial shrouds with which they wished to wrap him up, according to the way the Jews prepare the bodies of their dead. But they found that his shroud held tight--clinging like iron to his body--for when they would have taken it off, they found it impossible to loosen or budge, nor could they find a linen edge, which astonished them to no end. Finally they carried him over to a place where there was a cave and opened the gate so they could lay his body to rest alongside those of his forebears. Just then I called to mind the day that he traveled with me into Egypt, and of the tremendous hardships that for my sake he was compelled to endure. And I mourned his passing for quite some time; saying as I was sprawled out over his corpse: “Oh Death, which causes all knowledge to disappear and brings about tears and sorrows in abundance, surely it is my Father, God Himself, who has given you this power. Because men perish for the transgression of Adam and his wife Eve, and Death does not spare anyone. Even so, nothing ever happens to anyone, or is brought upon him without my Father commanding it first. Surely there have been men whose lives reached nine hundred years; but even these have passed away. And though there were others who lived even longer, all of them have come to this end, and not one of them can say, ‘I have never tasted death.’ For the Lord does not send the same affliction twice; hence it has satisfied my Father to inflict it upon mankind but once.
“Death goes out the very instant that it sees the order coming down from heaven, and it says, ‘I will go forth against that man, and afflict him most grievously.’ Then, in a flash it sets upon the soul and overpowers it, doing with it as it pleases. Because Adam violated my Father’s decree, you see, and failed to act in line with His will, the anger of my Father seethed over him, and He then condemned him to death; and this was how Death came into the world. If, however,
Adam had kept my Father’s laws, Death would never have gotten the better of him. Don’t you know that I could ask my Father to send me down a chariot of fire to take my father Joseph’s body up to the peaceful place that it might live among the spirits there? But because of Adam’s disobedience, the trouble and violence that come with Death has befallen all of mankind. And it is for this reason that I myself must die in the flesh; that I might secure grace for those who are my handiwork.”
Having said this, I embraced the body of my father Joseph, and wept over it. Then they opened up the mouth of the tomb and placed his body into it, near to that of his father Jacob. And at the time of his passing, he had lived one hundred and eleven years. Never had a tooth in his mouth pained him, nor had his eyesight ever grown dim, nor ever did his body bend, or his strength ever fail him, but he worked at his carpenter’s trade even until his dying day, which was on the twenty-sixth of Abib. And after Joseph, who was worn out by old age, had died and received a burial alongside his forebears, the blessed Mary went to live with her sisters’ children.
And when we apostles heard these words from our Savior, we rose up in joy and prostrated ourselves in his honor. “Oh Savior of us all,”we implored him, “show us your grace. Now we all have heard the lifegiving word! Even so, we still have questions about the fates of Enoch and Elijah, oh Savior of ours, for they were both reprieved from death. For truly they dwell in the place of the just even unto this very day, nor have their bodies known decay. Even so, that aged carpenter, Joseph was, after all, your father according to the flesh. And you have ordered us to go throughout the world and preach to them your holy Gospel;
and you have said, ‘Relate to them the account of the passing of my father Joseph, and honor him every year with a solemn holiday and festival, and let them know that anyone who takes anything away from this narrative, or adds anything to it, sins by so doing.’ Yet we are especially eager to understand why it is that you did not cause Joseph to be immortal like these, though he called you his son from the day that you were born in Bethlehem, and you say yourself that he was both chosen and righteous?”
And our Savior answered us, “Truly my Father’s prophecy regarding the disobedience of Adam has now been fulfilled. Everything is ordered by my Father according to His will and pleasure. For if any man should despise the commands of God, and in imitation of the devil continue to sin, his life is prolonged, that he might have a change of heart, and think about how he must be given over to death. If, however, anyone is quick to do good works, his life is also prolonged, that the more his life is lengthened and discussed, the more that upright men might imitate him. But when you see a man whose mind tends toward anger, his days are indeed cut short; for these are the ones who are taken in the prime of their lives. Therefore every prophecy that has been spoken by my Father concerning mankind must be fulfilled in every one of its aspects. Yet with regard to Enoch and Elijah, and how they are alive to this day in the very flesh in which they were born, and with regard to my father Joseph, whose body has not been spared as were theirs; indeed, even if a man were to live many thousands of years upon this earth, he would nevertheless at some point be compelled to exchange his life for death. And my brothers I say to you that Enoch and Elijah must return to this world toward the close of time and be slain as well. To be more specific, this will happen on the day of upset, terror, confusion, and evil. For because of the reproach with which he will be revealed, the Antichrist will mutilate the bodies of the four who are to disgrace him utterly when they expose him for his ungodliness during the time that they are alive, and he will pour their blood out like water.”
“Oh, our Lord, God, and Savior,” we asked, “who are these four about whom you have spoken, those whom the Antichrist will cut off on account of the reproach that they will lay to his charge?” “They are Enoch, Elijah, Schila, and Tabitha,” the Lord replied. When we heard our Savior say this to us, we all exulted and rejoiced, giving glory and thanks to the Lord God, and our Savior, Jesus Christ. To him be glory, honor, dignity, power, authority, and praise, the good Father along with him, together with the life-giving Holy Spirit, from now on and forevermore. Amen.