childhood know the Protevangelium and draw upon it as a

source.

Among the other apocrypha of the childhood, that of Thomas is probably the oldest. It is a brief book, claiming the authorship of "Thomas the Israelite," supposedly the Apostle, the "Doubting Thomas" of Scripture. This apocryphal gospel was so popular during the Middle Ages that several quite different versions of it have sprung up. Of these we give the earliest Greek version, which probably dates from about the year A.D. 200. The amazing feature about this series of legends of boyhood miracles is the writer's complete misconception of the character of Jesus. The child Christ is represented almost as an imp, cursing and destroying those who annoy him. The style of the Greek language in this book is as rude and boorish as its spirit. It represents the apocrypha in their lowest type.

The third gospel of the childhood given here, the "Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew," is of another kind. The resemblances and differences between the four accepted Gospels have led to a much disputed theory among scholars, that the four may all be founded on some still earlier gospel, known to their day but afterward lost. This theory has been encouraged by a statement in a very early Christian writer that "Matthew wrote the discourses of our Lord in the Jewish dialect, and each one interpreted them as he could." The possibility thus suggested, of a very early collection of the sayings of Jesus, has led to much searching for this theoretical "protevangelium," or primary gospel, and to a special study of the false Gospel of Matthew here presented. It can not possibly be the sought-for "Discourses of our Lord," because it is founded on the apocrypha of James and Thomas. It is apparently a product of about the fifth century, and is known only in a Latin text incorporating the two preceding books with a third book now lost, which described the flight into Egypt. Pseudo-Matthew is thus the fullest of the gospels of the infancy.

The Arabic gospel, which completes this group of apocrypha, is of yet another type. It shows how upon the same

groundwork, the apocrypha of James and Thomas, the other tales grew up. This Arabic gospel is of the sixth century or later, and by that period Eastern Christianity was accepting legends almost as freely as was Mohammedanism. The gospel is interesting mainly for its author's absolute readiness to include any tale, no matter how extravagant or puerile.

THE PROTEVANGELIUM 1

OR

GOSPEL OF JAMES

The Birth of Mary, the Holy Mother of God and Very Glorious Mother of Jesus Christ.

2

CHAPTER I

In the histories of the twelve tribes of Israel there was one Joachim, who was very rich, and he offered his gifts twofold, saying, There shall be of my substance for all the people, and for my forgiveness with the Lord as a propitiation for me. And the great day of the Lord drew nigh, and the children of Israel offered their gifts. And Reuben, the high priest, resisted him, saying, It is not lawful for thee to offer thy gifts first, because thou hast not produced seed in Israel. And Joachim was very grieved, and went to the genealogy of the twelve tribes of the people, saying, I will see the genealogy of the twelve tribes of Israel, whether I alone have not produced seed in Israel. And he sought and found that all the righteous had raised up seed in Israel; and he remembered the patriarch Abraham, that at the last day God gave him his son Isaac. And Joachim was very grieved, and did not show himself to his wife, but betook himself into the wilderness, and there pitched his tent, and fasted forty days and forty nights, saying in himself, I will not go down either 1 These gospels are given in the established translations of Mr. B. Harris Cowper.

2 Some think that Mary's father was called Heli, understanding Luke iii. 23, to mean as much. Jerome supposed he was called Cleophas; but we have no evidence that the name Joachim was given him before the appearance of this document. In like manner the name Anna is quite without Biblical authority. Reuben also, as the name of the high priest, is supported by no authority.

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for meat or for drink, until the Lord my God shall visit me; and prayer shall be my meat and drink.

CHAPTER II

Now his wife Anna grieved with double grief, and lamented with a double lamentation, saying, I will bewail my widowhood, and I will bewail my childless condition. And the great day of the Lord drew nigh, and Judith, her maiden, said, How long dost thou humble thy soul? Behold the great day of the Lord is at hand, and it is not lawful for thee to mourn; but take this headband, which the lady who made it gave to me, and it is not proper for me to put it on, because I am a servant, and it hath a royal character. And Anna said, Leave me, and, I would not do thus, and, The Lord hath greatly humbled me. Perhaps some crafty person gave thee this, and thou hast come to make me partaker in thy sin. And Judith said, Why shall I curse thee, because the Lord hath closed thy womb, so as not to give thee fruit in Israel? And Anna was very grieved, and took off her mourning garments, and anointed her head, and put on her wedding garments, and about the ninth hour went down into her garden to walk, and she saw a laurel-tree, and sat under it, and supplicated the Lord, saying, O God of our fathers, bless me, and harken to my prayer, as thou didst bless the womb of Sarah, and gavest her a son, Isaac.3

CHAPTER III

And as she looked toward heaven she saw a nest of sparrows in the laurel-tree, and she made a lamentation in herself, saying, Woe is me; who begat me? and what womb. bare me? For I have become a curse before the children of Israel, and I am reproached, and they revile me from the temple of the Lord. Woe is me; what am I like unto? I am not like the fowls of heaven, for even the fowls of heaven are fruitful before thee, O Lord. Woe is me; what am I like unto? I am not like the beasts of the earth, for even the 3 Compare 1 Sam. i. 9-18.

beasts of the earth are fruitful before thee, O Lord. Woe is me; what am I like unto? I am not like these waters, for even these waters are fruitful before thee, O Lord. Woe is me; what am I like unto? I am not like this earth, for even the earth produceth its fruits in due season, and blesseth thee, O Lord.

CHAPTER IV

And, behold, an angel of the Lord stood by, saying unto her, Anna, Anna, the Lord hath heard thy prayer, and thou shalt conceive and bring forth, and thy seed shall be spoken of in all the world. And Anna said, As the Lord my God liveth, if I bring forth either male or female, I will bring it as a gift to the Lord my God, and it shall minister to him all the days of its life. And behold, there came two angels, saying unto her, Behold, Joachim thy husband is coming with his flocks. For an angel of the Lord went down to him, saying, Joachim, Joachim, the Lord God hath heard thy prayer; go down hence: for, behold, thy wife Anna shall conceive. And Joachim went down, and called his shepherds, saying, Bring me hither ten she-lambs without spot and blemish, and they shall be for the Lord my God. And bring me twelve tender calves, and they shall be for the priests and the elders; also a hundred goats for all the people. And behold, Joachim came with his flocks, and Anna stood at the gate, and saw Joachim coming, and she ran and hung upon his neck, saying, Now I know that the Lord God hath blessed me greatly; for behold, the widow is no more a widow, and I that am childless shall conceive. And Joachim rested the first day in his house.

CHAPTER V

Now on the morrow he offered his gifts, saying in himself, If the Lord God be propitious to me, he will make the plate on the priest's forehead manifest to me. And Joachim offered his gifts, and observed the plate on the priest's forehead, as he went up to the altar of the Lord, and he saw no sin in himself, and Joachim said, Now I know that the Lord is