Forbidden Gospels and Epistles, Complete

CHAPTER VIII.

2 Mary fed in the tem­ple by an­gels. 3 When twelve years old the priests con­sult what to do with her. 6 The an­gel of the Lord warns Zacharias to call to­geth­er all the wid­ow­ers, each bring­ing a rod. 7 The peo­ple meet by sound of trum­pet. 8 Joseph throws away his hatch­et, and goes to the meet­ing. 11 A dove comes forth from his rod, and alights on his head. 12 He is cho­sen to be­troth the Vir­gin, 13 re­fus­es be­cause he is an old man, 14 is com­pelled, 16 takes her home, and goes to mind his trade of build­ing.

AND her par­ents went away filled with won­der, and prais­ing God, be­cause the girl did not re­turn back to them.

2 But Mary con­tin­ued in the tem­ple as a dove ed­ucat­ed there, and re­ceived her food from the hand of an an­gel.

3 And when she was twelve years of age, the priests met in a coun­cil, and said, Be­hold, Mary is twelve years of age, what shall we do with her, for fear lest the holy place of the Lord our God should be de­filed?

4 Then replied the priests to Zacharias the high-​priest, Do you stand at the al­tar of the Lord, and en­ter in­to the holy place, and make pe­ti­tions con­cern­ing her, and what­so­ev­er the Lord shall man­ifest un­to you, that do.

5 Then the high-​priest en­tered in­to the Holy of Holies, and tak­ing away with him the breast-​plate of judg­ment made prayers con­cern­ing her;

6 And be­hold the an­gel of the Lord came to him, and said, Zacharias, Zacharias, Go forth and call to­geth­er all the wid­ow­ers among the peo­ple, and let ev­ery one of them bring his rod, and he by whom the Lord shall shew a sign shall be the hus­band of Mary.

7 And the criers went out through all Ju­daea, and the trum­pet of the Lord sound­ed, and all the peo­ple ran and met to­geth­er.

8 Joseph al­so throw­ing away his hatch­et, went out to meet them; and when they were met, they went to the high-​priest; tak­ing ev­ery man his rod.

9 Af­ter the high-​priest had re­ceived their rods, he went in­to the tem­ple to pray;

10 And when he had fin­ished his prayer, he took the rods, and went forth and dis­tribut­ed them, and there was no mir­acle at­tend­ed them.

11 The last rod was tak­en by Joseph, said be­hold a dove pro­ceed­ed out of the rod, and flew up­on the head of Joseph.

12 And the high-​priest said, Joseph, Thou art the per­son cho­sen to take the Vir­gin of the Lord, to keep her for him:

13 But Joseph re­fused, say­ing, I am an old man, and have chil­dren, but she is young, and I fear lest I should ap­pear ridicu­lous in Is­rael.

14 Then the high-​priest replied, Joseph, Fear the Lord thy God, and re­mem­ber how God dealt with Dathan, Ko­rah, and Abi­ram, how the earth opened and swal­lowed them up, be­cause of their con­tra­dic­tion.

15 Now there­fore, Joseph, fear God lest the like things should hap­pen in your fam­ily.

16 Joseph then be­ing afraid, took her un­to his house, and Joseph said un­to Mary, Be­hold, I have tak­en thee from the tem­ple of the Lord, and now I will leave thee in my house; I must go to mind my trade of build­ing. The Lord be with thee.