Why Catholics understand that 'the brothers and sisters of the Lord' were not children of Mary, but children of Joseph from a previous marriage.
By the way, I believe the story..
(I'd be interested in your comments after reading.)
The
Protoevangelium of James: The Birth of Mary the Holy Mother of God, and Very
Glorious Mother of Jesus Christ
In the records
of the twelve tribes of Israel was Joachim, a man rich exceedingly; and he
brought his offerings double, saying: There shall be of my superabundance to
all the people, and there shall be the offering for my forgiveness to the Lord
for a propitiation for me. For the great day of the Lord was at hand, and the
sons of Israel were bringing their offerings. And there stood over against him
Rubim, saying: It is not meet for thee first to bring thine offerings, because
thou hast not made seed in Israel. And Joachim was exceedingly grieved, and
went away to the registers of the twelve tribes of the people, saying: I shall
see the registers of the twelve tribes of Israel, as to whether I alone have
not made seed in Israel. And he searched, and found that all the righteous had
raised up seed in Israel. And he called to mind the patriarch Abraham, that in
the last day God gave him a son Isaac. And Joachim was exceedingly grieved, and
did not come into the presence of his wife; but he retired to the desert, and
there pitched his tent, and fasted forty days and forty nights, saying in himself:
I will not go down either for food or for drink until the Lord my God shall
look upon me, and prayer shall be my food and drink.
2. And his wife Anna mourned in two mournings, and
lamented in two lamentations, saying: I shall bewail my widowhood; I shall
bewail my childlessness. And the great day of the Lord was at hand; and Judith
her maid-servant said: How long dost thou humiliate thy soul? Behold, the great
day of the Lord is at hand, and it is unlawful for thee to mourn. But take this
head-band, which the woman that made it gave to me; for it is not proper that I
should wear it, because I am a maid-servant, and it has a royal appearance. And
Anna said: Depart from me; for I have not done such things, and the Lord has
brought me very low. I fear that some wicked person has given it to thee, and
thou hast come to make me a sharer in thy sin. And Judith said: Why should I
curse thee, seeing that the Lord hath shut thy womb, so as not to give thee
fruit in Israel? And Anna was grieved exceedingly, and put off her garments of
mourning, and cleaned her head, and put on her wedding garments, and about the
ninth hour went down to the garden to walk. And she saw a laurel, and sat under
it, and prayed to the Lord, saying: O God of our fathers, bless me and hear my
prayer, as Thou didst bless the womb of Sarah, and didst give her a son Isaac.
3. And gazing towards the heaven, she saw a
sparrow's nest in the laurel, and made a lamentation in herself, saying: Alas!
who begot me? and what womb produced me? because I have become a curse in the
presence of the sons of Israel, and I have been reproached, and they have
driven me in derision out of the temple of the Lord. Alas! to what have I been
likened? I am not like the fowls of the heaven, because even the fowls of the heaven
are productive before Thee, O Lord. Alas! to what have I been likened? I am not
like the beasts of the earth, because even the beasts of the earth are
productive before Thee, O Lord. Alas! to what have I been likened? I am not
like these waters, because even these waters are productive before Thee, O
Lord. Alas! to what have I been likened? I am not like this earth, because even
the earth bringeth forth its fruits in season, and blesseth Thee, O Lord.
4. And, behold, an angel of the Lord stood by, saying:
Anna, Anna, the Lord hath heard thy prayer, and thou shalt conceive, and shall
bring forth; and thy seed shall be spoken of in all the world. And Anna said:
As the Lord my God liveth, if I beget either male or female, I will bring it as
a gift to the Lord my God; and it shall minister to Him in holy things all the
days of its life. And, behold, two angels came, saying to 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 or
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; and a hundred goats
for all the people. And, behold, Joachim came with his flocks; and Anna stood
by the gate, and saw Joachim coming, and she ran anti hung upon his neck,
saying: Now I know that the Lord God hath blessed me exceedingly; for, behold
the widow no longer a widow, and I the childless shall conceive. And Joachim
rested the first day in his house.
5. And on the following day he brought his
offerings, saying in himself: If the Lord God has been rendered gracious to me,
the plate on the priest's forehead will make it manifest to me. And Joachim
brought his offerings, and observed attentively the priest's plate when 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 has been gracious unto me, and has remitted all my
sins. And he went down from the temple of the Lord justified, and departed to
his own house. And her months were fulfilled, and in the ninth month Anna
brought forth. And she said to the midwife: What have I brought forth? and she
said: A girl. And said Anna: My soul has been magnified this day. And she laid
her down. And the days having been fulfilled, Anna was purified, and gave the
breast to the child, and called her name Mary.
6. And the child grew strong day by day; and when
she was six months old, her mother set her on the ground to try whether she
could stand, and she walked seven steps and came into her bosom; and she
snatched her up, saying: As the Lord my God liveth, thou shall not walk on this
earth until I bring thee into the temple of the Lord. And she made a sanctuary
in her bed-chamber, and allowed nothing common or unclean to pass through her.
And she called the undefiled daughters of the Hebrews, and they led her astray.
And when she was a year old, Joachim made a great feast, and invited the
priests, and the scribes, and the elders, and all the people of Israel. And
Joachim brought the child to the priests; and they blessed her, saying: O God
of our fathers, bless this child, and give her an everlasting name to be named
in all generations. And all the people said: So be it, so be it, amen. And he
brought her to the chief priests; and they blessed her, saying: O God most
high, look upon this child, and bless her with the utmost blessing, which shall
be for ever. And her mother snatched her up, and took her into the sanctuary of
her bed-chamber, and gave her the breast. And Anna made a song to the Lord God,
saying: I will sing a song to the Lord my God, for He hath looked upon me, and
hath taken away the reproach of mine enemies; and the Lord hath given the fruit
of His righteousness, singular in its kind, and richly endowed before Him. Who
will tell the sons of Rubim that Anna gives suck? Hear, hear, ye twelve tribes
of Israel, that Anna gives suck. And she laid her to rest in the bed-chamber of
her sanctuary, and went out and ministered unto them. And when the supper was
ended, they went down rejoicing, and glorifying the God of Israel.
7. And her months were added to the child. And the
child was two years old, and Joachim said: Let us take her up to the temple of
the Lord, that we may pay the vow that we have vowed, lest perchance the Lord
send to us, and our offering be not received. And Anna said: Let us wait for
the third year, in order that the child may not seek for father or mother. And
Joachim said: So let us wait. And the child was three years old, and Joachim
said: Invite the daughters of the Hebrews that are undefiled, and let them take
each a lamp, and let them stand with the lamps burning, that the child may not
turn back, and her heart be captivated from the temple of the Lord. And they
did so until they went up into the temple of the Lord. And the priest received
her, and kissed her, and blessed her, saying: The Lord has magnified thy name
in all generations. In thee, on the last of the days, the Lord will manifest
His redemption to the sons of Israel. And he set her down upon the third step
of the altar, and the Lord God sent grace upon her; and she danced with her
feet, and all the house of Israel loved her.
8. And her parents went down marvelling, and
praising the Lord God, because the child had not turned back. And Mary was in
the temple of the Lord as if she were a dove that dwelt there, and she received
food from the hand of an angel. And when she was twelve years old there was
held a council of the priests, saying: Behold, Mary has reached the age of
twelve years in the temple of the Lord. What then shall we do with her, test
perchance she defile the sanctuary of the Lord? And they said to the high
priest: Thou standest by the altar of the Lord; go in, and pray concerning her;
and whatever the Lord shall manifest unto thee, that also will we do. And the
high priest went in, taking the robe with the twelve bells into the holy of
holies; and he prayed concerning her. And behold an angel of the Lord stood by
him, saying unto him: Zacharias, Zacharias, go out and assemble the widowers of
the people, and let them bring each his rod; and to whomsoever the Lord shall
show a sign, his wife shall she be. And the heralds went out through all the
circuit of Judaea, and the trumpet of the Lord sounded, and all ran.
9. And Joseph, throwing away his axe, went out to
meet them; and when they had assembled, they went away to the high priest,
taking with them their rods. And he, taking the rods of all of them, entered
into the temple, and prayed; and having ended his prayer, he took the rods and
came out, and gave them to them: but there was no sign in them, and Joseph took
his rod last; and, behold, a dove came out of the rod, and flew upon Joseph's
head. And the priest said to Joseph, Thou hast been chosen by lot to take into
thy keeping the virgin of the Lord. But Joseph refused, saying: I have children,
and I am an old man, and she is a young girl. I am afraid lest I become a
laughing-stock to the sons of Israel. And the priest said to Joseph: Fear the
Lord thy God, and remember what the Lord did to Dathan, and Abiram, and Korah;
how the earth opened, and they were swallowed up on account of their
contradiction. And now fear, O Joseph, lest the same things happen in thy
house. And Joseph was afraid, and took her into his keeping. And Joseph said to
Mary: Behold, I have received thee from the temple of the Lord; and now I leave
thee in my house, and go away to build my buildings, and I shall come to thee.
The Lord will protect thee.
10. And there was a council of the priests, saying:
Let us make a veil for the temple of the Lord. And the priest said: Call to me
the undefiled virgins of the family of David. And the officers went away, and
sought, and found seven virgins. And the priest remembered the child Mary, that
she was of the family of David, and undefiled before God. And the officers went
away and brought her. And they brought them into the temple of the Lord. And
the priest said: Choose for me by lot who shall spin the gold, and the white,
and the fine linen, and the silk, and the blue, and the scarlet, and the true
purple. And the true purple and the scarlet fell to the lot of Mary, and she
took them, and went away to her house. And at that time Zacharias was dumb, and
Samuel was in his place until the time that Zacharias spake. And Mary took the
scarlet, and span it.
11. And she took the pitcher, and went out to fill
it with water. And, behold, a voice saying: Hail, thou who hast received grace;
the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women! And she looked round, on
the right hand and on the left, to see whence this voice came. And she went away,
trembling, to her house, and put down the pitcher; and taking the purple, she
sat down on her seat, and drew it out. And, behold, an angel of the Lord stood
before her, saying: Fear not, Mary; for thou hast found grace before the Lord
of all, and thou shalt conceive, according to His word. And she hearing,
reasoned with herself, saying: Shall I conceive by the Lord, the living God?
and shall I bring forth as every woman brings forth? And the angel of the Lord
said: Not so, Mary; for the power of the Lord shall overshadow thee: wherefore
also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of the
Most High. And thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people
from their sins. And Mary said: Behold, the servant of the Lord before His
face: let it be unto me according to thy word.
12. And she made the purple and the scarlet, and
took them to the priest. And the priest blessed her, and said: Mary, the Lord
God hath magnified thy name, and thou shall be blessed in all the generations
of the earth. And Mary, with great joy, went away to Elizabeth her kinswoman,
and knocked at the door. And when Elizabeth heard her, she threw away the
scarlet, and ran to the door, and opened it; and seeing Mary, she blessed her,
and said: Whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
for, behold, that which is in me leaped and blessed thee. But Mary had
forgotten the mysteries of which the archangel Gabriel had spoken, and gazed up
into heaven, and said: Who am I, O Lord, that all the generations of the earth
should bless me? And she remained three months with Elizabeth; and day by day
she grew bigger. And Mary being afraid, went away to her own house, and hid
herself from the sons of Israel. And she was sixteen years old when these
mysteries happened.
13. And she was in her sixth month; and, behold,
Joseph came back from his building, and, entering into his house, he discovered
that she was big with child. And he smote his face, and threw himself on the
ground upon the sackcloth, and wept bitterly, saying: With what face shall I
look upon the Lord my God? and what prayer shall I make about this maiden?
because I received her a virgin out of the temple of the Lord, and I have not
watched over her. Who is it that has hunted me down? Who has done this evil
thing in my house, and defiled the virgin? Has not the history of Adam been
repeated in me? For just as Adam was in the hour of his singing praise, and the
serpent came, and found Eve alone, and completely deceived her, so it has happened
to me also. And Joseph stood up from the sackcloth, and called Mary, and said
to her: O thou who hast been cared for by God, why hast thou done this and
forgotten the Lord thy God? Why hast thou brought low thy soul, thou that wast
brought up in the holy of holies, and that didst receive food from the hand of
an angel? And she wept bitterly, saying: I am innocent, and have known no man.
And Joseph said to her: Whence then is that which is in thy womb? And she said:
As the Lord my God liveth, I do not know whence it is to me.
14. And Joseph was greatly afraid, and retired from
her, and considered what he should do in regard to her. And Joseph said: If I
conceal her sin, I find myself fighting against the law of the Lord; and if I
expose her to the sons of Israel, I am afraid lest that which is in her be from
an angel, and I shall be found giving up innocent blood to the doom of death.
What then shall I do with her? I will put her away from me secretly. And night
came upon him; and, behold, an angel of the Lord appears to him in a dream,
saying: Be not afraid for this maiden, for that which is in her is of the Holy
Spirit; and she will bring forth a Son, and thou shall call His name Jesus, for
He will save His people from their sins. And Joseph arose from sleep, and
glorified the God of Israel, who had given him this grace; and he kept her.
15. And Annas the scribe came to him, and said: Why
hast thou not appeared in our assembly? And Joseph said to him: Because I was
weary from my journey, and rested the first day. And he turned, and saw that
Mary was with child. And he ran away to the priest and said to him: Joseph,
whom thou didst vouch for, has committed a grievous crime. And the priest said:
How so? And he said: He has defiled the virgin whom he received out of the
temple of the Lord, and has married her by stealth, and has not revealed it to
the sons of Israel. And the priest answering, said: Has Joseph done this? Then
said Annas the scribe: Send officers, and thou wilt find the virgin with child.
And the officers went away, and found it as he had said; and they brought her
along with Joseph to the tribunal. And the priest said: Mary, why hast thou
done this? and why hast thou brought thy soul low, and forgotten the Lord thy
God? Thou that wast reared in the holy of holies, and that didst receive food
from the hand of an angel, and didst hear the hymns, and didst dance before
Him, why hast thou done this? And she wept bitterly, saying: As the Lord my God
liveth, I am pure before Him, and know not a man. And the priest said to
Joseph: Why hast thou done this? And Joseph said: As the Lord liveth, I am pure
concerning her. Then said the priest: Bear not false witness, but speak the
truth. Thou hast married her by stealth, and hast not revealed it to the sons
of Israel, and hast not bowed thy head under the strong hand, that thy seed
might be blessed. And Joseph was silent.
16. And the priest said: Give up the virgin whom
thou didst receive out of the temple of the Lord. And Joseph burst into tears.
And the priest said: I will give you to drink of the water of the ordeal of the
Lord, and He shall make manifest your sins in your eyes. And the priest took
the water, and gave Joseph to drink and sent him away to the hill-country; and
he returned unhurt. And he gave to Mary also to drink, and sent her away to the
hill-country; and she returned unhurt. And all the people wondered that sin did
not appear in them. And the priest said: If the Lord God has not made manifest
your sins, neither do I judge you. And he sent them away. And Joseph took Mary,
and went away to his own house, rejoicing and glorifying the God of Israel.
17. And there was an order from the Emperor
Augustus, that all in Bethlehem of Judaea should be enrolled. And Joseph said:
I shall enrol my sons, but what shall I do with this maiden? How shall I enrol
her? As my wife? I am ashamed. As my daughter then? But all the sons of Israel
know that she is not my daughter. The day of the Lord shall itself bring it to
pass as the Lord will. And he saddled the ass, and set her upon it; and his son
led it, and Joseph followed. And when they had come within three miles, Joseph
turned and saw her sorrowful; and he said to himself: Likely that which is in
her distresses her. And again Joseph turned and saw her laughing. And he said
to her: Mary, how is it that I see in thy face at one time laughter, at another
sorrow? And Mary said to Joseph: Because I see two peoples with my eyes; the
one weeping and lamenting, and the other rejoicing and exulting. And they came
into the middle of the road, and Mary said to him: Take me down from off the
ass, for that which is in me presses to come forth. And he took her down from
off the ass, and said to her: Whither shall I lead thee, and cover thy
disgrace? for the place is desert.
18. And he found a cave there, and led her into it;
and leaving his two sons beside her, he went out to seek a midwife in the
district of Bethlehem. And I Joseph was walking, and was not walking; and I
looked up into the sky, and saw the sky astonished; and I looked up to the pole
of the heavens, and saw it standing, and the birds of the air keeping still.
And I looked down upon the earth, and saw a trough lying, and work-people
reclining: and their hands were in the trough. And those that were eating did
not eat, and those that were rising did not carry it up, and those that were
conveying anything to their mouths did not convey it; but the faces of all were
looking upwards. And I saw the sheep walking, and the sheep stood still; and
the shepherd raised his hand to strike them, and his hand remained up. And I
looked upon the current of the river, and I saw the mouths of the kids resting
on the water and not drinking, and all things in a moment were driven from
their course.
19. And I saw a woman coming down from the
hill-country, and she said to me: O man, whither art thou going? And I said: I
am seeking an Hebrew midwife. And she answered and said unto me: Art thou of
Israel? And I said to her: Yes. And she said: And who is it that is bringing
forth in the cave? And I said: A woman betrothed to me. And she said to me: Is
she not thy wife? And I said to her: It is Mary that was reared in the temple
of the Lord, and I obtained her by lot as my wife. And yet she is not my wife,
but has conceived of the Holy Spirit. And the midwife said to him: Is this
true? And Joseph said to her: Come and see. And the midwife went away with him.
And they stood in the place of the cave, and behold a luminous cloud
overshadowed the cave. And the midwife said: My soul has been magnified this
day, because mine eyes have seen strange things -- because salvation has been
brought forth to Israel. And immediately the cloud disappeared out of the cave,
and a great light shone in the cave, so that the eyes could not bear it. And in
a little that light gradually decreased, until the infant appeared, and went
and took the breast from His mother Mary. And the midwife cried out, and said:
This is a great day to me, because I have seen this strange sight. And the
midwife went forth out of the cave, and Salome met her. And she said to her:
Salome, Salome, I have a strange sight to relate to thee: a virgin has brought
forth -- a thing which her nature admits not of. Then said Salome: As the Lord
my God liveth, unless I thrust in my finger, and search the parts, I will not
believe that a virgin has brought forth.
20. And the midwife went in, and said to Mary: Show
thyself; for no small controversy has arisen about thee. And Salome put in her
finger, and cried out, and said: Woe is me for mine iniquity and mine unbelief,
because I have tempted the living God; and, behold, my hand is dropping off as
if burned with fire. And she bent her knees before the Lord, saying: O God of
my fathers, remember that I am the seed of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob; do
not make a show of me to the sons of Israel, but restore me to the poor; for
Thou knowest, O Lord, that in Thy name I have performed my services, and that I
have received my reward at Thy hand. And, behold, an angel of the Lord stood by
her, saying to her: Salome, Salome, the Lord hath heard thee. Put thy hand to
the infant, and carry it, and thou wilt have safety and joy. And Salome went
and carried it, saying: I will worship Him, because a great King has been born
to Israel. And, behold, Salome was immediately cured, and she went forth out of
the cave justified. And behold a voice saying: Salome, Salome, tell not the
strange things thou hast seen, until the child has come into Jerusalem.
21. And, behold, Joseph was ready to go into
Judaea. And there was a great commotion in Bethlehem of Judaea, for Magi came,
saying: Where is he that is born king of the Jews? for we have seen his star in
the east, and have come to worship him. And when Herod heard, he was much
disturbed, and sent officers to the Magi. And he sent for the priests, and
examined them, saying: How is it written about the Christ? where is He to be born?
And they said: In Bethlehem of Judaea, for so it is written. And he sent them
away. And he examined the Magi, saying to them: What sign have you seen in
reference to the king that has been born? And the Magi said: We have seen a
star of great size shining among these stars, and obscuring their light, so
that the stars did not appear; and we thus knew that a king has been born to
Israel, and we have come to worship him. And Herod said: Go and seek him; and
if you find him, let me know, in order that I also may go and worship him. And
the Magi went out. And, behold, the star which they had seen in the east went
before them until they came to the cave, and it stood over the top of the cave.
And the Magi saw the infant with His mother Mary; and they brought forth from
their bag gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned by the
angel not to go into Judaea, they went into their own country by another road.
22. And when Herod knew that he had been mocked by
the Magi, in a rage he sent murderers, saying to them: Slay the children from
two years old and under. And Mary, having heard that the children were being
killed, was afraid, and took the infant and swaddled Him, and put Him into an
ox-stall. And Elizabeth, having heard that they were searching for John, took
him and went up into the hill-country, and kept looking where to conceal him.
And there was no place of concealment. And Elizabeth, groaning with a loud
voice, says: O mountain of God, receive mother and child. And immediately the
mountain was cleft, and received her. And a light shone about them, for an
angel of the Lord was with them, watching over them.
23. And Herod searched for John, and sent officers
to Zacharias, saying: Where hast thou hid thy son? And he, answering, said to
them: I am the servant of God in holy things, and I sit constantly in the
temple of the Lord: I do not know where my son is. And the officers went away,
and reported all these things to Herod. And Herod was enraged, and said: His
son is destined to be king over Israel. And he sent to him again, saying: Tell
the truth; where is thy son? for thou knowest that thy life is in my hand. And
Zacharias said: I am God's martyr, if thou sheddest my blood; for the Lord will
receive my spirit, because thou sheddest innocent blood at the vestibule of the
temple of the Lord. And Zacharias was murdered about daybreak. And the sons of
Israel did not know that he had been murdered.
24. But at the hour of the salutation the priests
went away, and Zacharias did not come forth to meet them with a blessing,
according to his custom. And the priests stood waiting for Zacharias to salute
him at the prayer, and to glorify the Most High. And he still delaying, they
were all afraid. But one of them ventured to go in, and he saw clotted blood beside
the altar; and he heard a voice saying: Zacharias has been murdered, and his
blood shall not be wiped up until his avenger come. And hearing this saying, he
was afraid, and went out and told it to the priests. And they ventured in, and
saw what had happened; and the fretwork of the temple made a wailing noise, and
they rent their clothes from the top even to the bottom. And they found not his
body, but they found his blood turned into stone. And they were afraid, and
went out and reported to the people that Zacharias had been murdered. And all
the tribes of the people heard, and mourned, and lamented for him three days
and three nights. And after the three days, the priests consulted as to whom
they should put in his place; and the lot fell upon Simeon. For it was he who
had been warned by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death until he should
see the Christ in the flesh.
And I James that wrote this history in Jerusalem, a
commotion having arisen when Herod died, withdrew myself to the wilderness until
the commotion in Jerusalem ceased, glorifying the Lord God, who had given me
the gift and the wisdom to write this history. And grace shall be with them
that fear our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory to ages of ages. Amen.
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