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Originating as part of the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew, around the 9th century it began to be regarded as an independent work. As the name implies, it details the nativity of Mary, the mother of Jesus.
The blessed and glorious Mary, ever-virgin, sprung from the royal lineage and family of David, and born in the city of Nazareth, was brought up at Jerusalem in the temple of the Lord. Her father was called Joachim and her mother Anna. Her father’s house was of Galilee and the city of Nazareth, and her mother’s race was of Beth-Lehem. Their life was simple and upright before the Lord, and pious and blameless before men. For they divided all their substance into three parts: one part they gave to the temple and the servants of the temple, another they devoted to strangers and the poor, the third they reserved for the use of their family and for themselves. Thus, these persons, dear to God, and good to men, passed about twenty years in chaste matrimony at home without producing children. But they vowed that if God should perhaps give them offspring, they would yield it to the service of the Lord; for which reason they were accustomed to frequent the temple of the Lord at every festival in the year.
Now it came to pass that the Celebration of Dedication drew near; therefore, Joachim also with some of his relatives went up to Jerusalem. Now at that time, Issachar was chief priest there. And when among his other fellow townsmen he also saw Joachim with his offering, he despised him and spurned his gifts, asking why he who was childless should presume to stand among those who had children, saying that his gifts could not at all seem worthy to God, seeing that He had judged him unworthy of offspring, when the Writing says that everyone is accursed who has not begotten male or female in Israel. He therefore said that he must first be released from this curse by having offspring, and then finally he was to come before the Lord with his offerings. Joachim being covered with much shame by this reproach cast on him, withdrew to the shepherds who were with the flocks in their pastures, for he would not return home, lest he should be stigmatized with the same reproach by his kinsmen, who were also present and heard this from the priest.
But when he had been there some time, on a certain day when he was alone, the messenger of the Lord stood by him with a very great light. He being troubled at the sight of him, the messenger who appeared to him relieved his fear, saying, “Do not fear, Joachim, nor be troubled at the sight of me; for I am a messenger of the Lord, sent by Him to you to tell you that your prayers are heard, and that your alms have come up in His sight. For He has truly seen your shame and heard the reproach of barrenness not rightly cast on you. For God is the avenger of sin, not of nature, and therefore when He makes anyone childless, He does it for this reason: that He may the more wonderfully offer relief, and that that which is born may be known not to be of lust but of the divine gift. For was not Sarah the first mother of your race unfruitful until her eightieth year? And yet in the last period of old age she bore Isaac, to whom was promised the blessing of all nations. Rachel also, so pleasant to the Lord and so loved by holy Jacob, was long barren, and yet bore Joseph—not only lord of Egypt, but the deliverer of many nations who were about to perish of hunger. Who among the princes was stronger than Samson, or holier than Samuel? And yet both of them had barren mothers. If then reason does not persuade you by my words, believe in fact that conceptions long delayed and barren births are accustomed to be more wonderful. Therefore, your wife Anna will bear you a daughter, and you will call her name Mary; she will be, as you have vowed, consecrated to the Lord from her infancy, and will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from her mother’s womb. She will neither eat nor drink anything impure, nor will her conversation be among public crowds out of doors, but in the temple of the Lord, so that nothing evil may be said or so much as suspected of her. Therefore, with advancing age, as she will be marvelously born of one barren, so she who is incomparably a virgin will conceive the Son of the Most High who will be called Jesus, and according to the etymology of His Name will be the Savior of all nations. And this will be to you a sign of what I announce: when you come to the Golden Gate at Jerusalem, you will have your wife Anna there to meet you, who now being anxious through the delay of your return, will then rejoice in seeing you.” This said, the messenger departed from him.
Then he appeared to his wife Anna, saying, “Do not fear, Anna, nor think it is an apparition which you see. For I am that messenger which has offered your prayers and alms in the sight of God, and am now sent to you to announce that a daughter will be born to you, who will be called Mary and be blessed above all women. She, being full of the grace of the Lord from her very birth, will remain in the house of her parents the three years of her suckling. Afterward, being given up to the service of the Lord, she will not leave the temple until her years of understanding; there in short, serving God night and day in fastings and prayers, she will abstain from everything unclean, she will never know man, but alone, without example, without spot, without corruption, without intercourse with man, as a virgin will conceive a Son, and as a handmaid [will conceive] the Lord who by grace, and Name, and work will be the Savior of the world. Therefore, go up to Jerusalem, and when you come to the gate, which is called Golden, because it is gilded, there for a sign will you meet your husband for whose safety and welfare you are anxious. Therefore, when these things happen thus, know that what I tell you will be without doubt accomplished.”
Therefore, according to the precept of the messenger, both of them leaving the places in which they were, went up to Jerusalem; and when they had come to the place indicated by the angelic prediction, there they met together. Then rejoicing at the sight of one another, and certainly sure of the promised offspring, they gave due thanks to the Lord, the exalter of the humble. Therefore, having adored the Lord, they returned home sure of the divine promise; and they waited cheerfully. Therefore, Anna conceived and bore a daughter, and according to the messenger’s command, her parents called her name Mary.
And when the course of three years had elapsed, and the time for weaning was accomplished, they brought the virgin to the temple of the Lord with their offerings. Now there were around the temple, according to the fifteen psalms of degrees, fifteen steps to go up: for since the temple was set on a mount, the altar of burnt offering, which was outside, could not be approached except by steps. On one of these, therefore, her parents set the blessed little virgin Mary. And while they took off the garments which they had worn on the journey, and arrayed themselves according to custom, in vesture more bright and clean, the virgin of the Lord went up all the steps in order, without the hand of anyone to lead and lift her, so that, in this case, you might suppose she came nothing short of perfect age. Already then, the Lord worked something great in the infancy of His virgin and showed beforehand, by the indication of this miracle, how great she should be. Therefore, when the sacrifice was accomplished, according to the custom of the Law, and their vow performed, they left the virgin with other virgins within the precincts of the temple to be brought up there; but they themselves returned home.
Now the virgin of the Lord, with advancing age, also made progress in virtue; and, according to the psalmist, her father and mother left her, but the Lord took her up. For she was daily attended by messengers, and daily she enjoyed the divine vision, which kept her from all evil, and caused her to abound in all good. She came, therefore, to her fourteenth year, and not only could they devise against her no evil, nor anything worthy of blame, but all good men who knew her judged her life and conversation worthy of admiration. Then the chief priest publicly announced that the virgins who were publicly placed in the temple, and had arrived at this time of life, should return home and seek to be married, according to the custom of the nation, and the maturity of their age. But when the others had promptly obeyed this command, Mary alone, the virgin of the Lord, answered that she could not do this, saying that her parents had given her up to the service of the Lord; and that, moreover, she had herself vowed her virginity to the Lord and would never violate it by any carnal association with man. Now the chief priest, being perplexed in mind, because he did not think the vow should be broken against the Writing, which says, “Vow and pay,” neither dared introduce a custom unusual with the nation: so he gave an order that at the impending festival all the chief men of Jerusalem and the neighboring places should attend, with whose counsel he might know what was to be done in such a doubtful a matter. When this took place, it pleased them all alike, that the Lord should be consulted in this affair. And while they all bowed down in prayer, the chief priest went to consult God, according to custom; nor was there any delay, for in the hearing of all, there came a voice from the oracle and the place of the propitiatory covering, that, according to the prophecy of Isaiah, inquiry must be made, to whom that virgin ought to be commended and espoused. For it is clear that Isaiah says, “A rod will go forth from the root of Jesse, || And a flower will arise from his root, || And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, || A Spirit of wisdom and understanding, || A Spirit of counsel and might, || A Spirit of knowledge and piety, || And the Spirit of the fear of the Lord will fill him.” According to this prophecy, therefore, he foretold that all of the house and family of David who were suitable to be married, but were not married, should bring their rods to the altar; and he whose rod, after it was brought, should produce a flower, while on its top the Spirit of the Lord sat in the form of a dove, it was he to whom the virgin ought to be commended and espoused.
Now among others was Joseph, an aged man of the house and family of David; but when all of them brought their rods in order, he alone withdrew his. Therefore, when nothing appeared agreeable to the divine voice, the chief priest thought that God should be consulted again; and He answered that of those who were designated, he alone to whom He must espouse the virgin had not brought his rod. Joseph therefore was betrayed, for when he brought his rod, and a dove came from Heaven and sat on the top of it, it was plainly apparent to all that the virgin was to be espoused to him. When, therefore, the betrothal had been celebrated in the customary manner, he retired to the city of Beth-Lehem to set his house in order, and to procure what was required by his marriage. But Mary, the virgin of the Lord, with seven other virgins of similar age, and brought up with her, which she had received from the priest, returned to the house of her parents in Galilee.
Now in those days, namely, at the time when she first came into Galilee, the messenger Gabriel was sent to her from God, and made known to her the Lord’s conception, and explained to her the method or order of the conception. At last, having entered to her, he filled the chamber where she resided with an immense light, and saluting her most courteously, he said, “Hail, Mary! Most agreeable virgin of the Lord! Virgin, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you before all women; blessed are you before all men previously born.” But the virgin, who already well knew the countenances of messengers, and was not unused to heavenly light, was neither terrified by the angelic vision, nor dazed by the greatness of the light, but was troubled at his word alone and began to think what that salutation, so unusual, could be, or what it portended, or what end it would have. But the messenger, divinely inspired, counteracting this thought, said: “Do not fear, Mary, as though I meant something contrary to your chastity by this salutation; for you have found grace with the Lord, because you have chosen chastity; therefore, you will conceive without sin, as a virgin, and will bear a Son. He will be great, for He will rule from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the world; and He will be called the Son of the Most High, for He who is born humble on earth, reigns exalted in Heaven: and the Lord God will give to Him the seat of His father David, and He will reign in the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end, since He is Himself King of kings, and Lord of lords, and His throne [is] forever and ever.” The virgin, not incredulous at these words of the messenger, but only wishing to know, answered, “How can this be? For since according to my vow I never knew man, how can I bring forth without human seed?” To this the messenger replied, “Do not think, Mary, that you will conceive in human manner, for without intercourse with man, as a virgin, you will conceive, as a virgin you will bring forth, as a virgin you will nourish; for the Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you, contrary to all fire of lust; therefore, what is born of you will be alone holy, because alone conceived and born without sin, and will be called the Son of God.” Then Mary, with outspread hands and eyes lifted up to Heaven, said, “Behold, the handmaid of the Lord, for I am unworthy of the name of lady; let it be to me according to your word.” It would perhaps be long and tedious to some, if we wished to insert, in this little work, all that we read preceded or followed the Lord’s nativity; therefore, omitting those things which are more fully written in the Gospel, we come to the narration of those things which are less detailed.
Joseph, therefore, having come from Judea into Galilee, intended to take as a wife the virgin who was espoused to him, for three months had now elapsed, and the fourth approached from the time when she had been espoused to him. Meanwhile, her pregnancy began to gradually show itself, and it could not be hidden from Joseph, for entering freely to the virgin in the manner of a spouse, and talking familiarly with her, he perceived her to be with child. Therefore, he began to be disturbed and troubled in mind, because he did not know what it was best for him to do, for he neither wished to expose her, because he was a just man, nor to defame her by a suspicion of unchastity, because he was a pious man. Therefore, he thought to dissolve his marriage privately, and to put her away secretly. But while he thought thus, behold, the messenger of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear: that is, cherish no suspicion of unchastity against the virgin, nor think anything bad, nor fear to take her for a wife, for that which she has conceived and now vexes your mind, is not the work of man, but of the Holy Spirit. For she alone, of all, as a virgin, will bear the Son of God; and you will call His Name Jesus, that is, a Savior, for He will save His people from their sins.” Therefore, Joseph, according to the command of the messenger, took the virgin for a wife, yet did not know her, but kept her carefully under his protection in chastity. And now the ninth month from her conception drew near, when Joseph, having taken his wife, with what else was necessary, went to the city of Beth-Lehem, where he was from. And it came to pass while they were there, her days were accomplished that she should bring forth, and she brought forth her firstborn Son, as the holy evangelists have taught, our Lord Jesus Christ, who, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns—God—forever and ever.