Prodigious
Birth
This account has as origin a village, with few and simple houses, lost among the hills of Galilee, where a family that had recently arrived from Egypt used to live. Hardly anyone knew of its existence at that time, so small was the importance of that place. Over time, however, it would become extraordinarily known: Nazareth. The family was modest and had only one son, to whom they gave the name Jesus, which means the “salvation of God”.
Prodigious
Birth
This account has as origin a village, with few and simple houses, lost among the hills of Galilee, where a family that had recently arrived from Egypt used to live. Hardly anyone knew of its existence at that time, so small was the importance of that place. Over time, however, it would become extraordinarily known: Nazareth. The family was modest and had only one son, to whom they gave the name Jesus, which means the “salvation of God”.
We begin by going back a little in time, according to the ancient manuscripts of the twelve tribes of Israel, when there lived in Jerusalem a very religious and God-fearing man named Joachim. However, he lived sad, because already of old age, he and his wife, Anne, could not have descendants.
The good woman lived sobbing in the corners, always walking through the garden of the house, desperate and praying to the Lord:
“You know the vow I made when I married. If you had granted me a son or daughter, I would have offered it to you in your Holy Temple” (*1)
It was then that an angel of God stood before her and said:
Do not fear, Anne, nor think that it is a ghost that you have before your eyes. I am an angel who presents your prayers before God. The Most High has determined that you have a descendant, object of admiration for all centuries to the end” (*2)
A few days later, Anne noticed typical signs of pregnancy, for Joachim’s joy.
The days passed peacefully and Anne fulfilled her gestation time. Without difficulties, she gave birth to a radiant and magnificent girl. They had to choose a name, but they couldn’t find one that would satisfy them. After a few days Joachim and Anne were again visited by an angel who indicated to them that the girl’s name would be “Mary”, which means exalted by God.
Mary was getting stronger and stronger every day and, when she turned three, Joachim and Anne wanted to honor the promise and took her to the Temple. When they arrived at the sanctuary, they delivered Mary to the high priest, so that she might dwell among the group of virgins of the family of David of the tribe of Judah and remain there serving God until the age of becoming a woman, Mary approached the facade of the Temple and went up so quickly that she did not have time to look back and say goodbye to her parents.
Stories are told that she was firm and unalterable in her purposes and that her spirit was always the same. No one ever heard from her a word out of tune, nor a whisper, or sneer.
When the girls of the Temple turned 12, they were considered old enough to marry. They were to return to their home to be delivered in marriage, as was the custom. All the maidens submitted to this custom peacefully, except Mary, who insisted on remaining studying the Law and refused to marry, as she wanted her life to be fully dedicated to serving the Lord. She meditated on the texts of the prophets, and every day she knew the secrets of the Torah better. This way of acting was unusual for a woman in Israel.
After a few years, the priests asked themselves: “What will we do with Mary?” It was when the high priest approached once more to pray and consult God, that a deep and potent voice came from heaven:
“The prophecy I foretold will be fulfilled by the mouth of my servant Isaiah: a bud will be born from the root of Jesse and a flower will be born from his trunk. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him”. (*3)
However, they did not quite understand what that meant. According to reports, help came from Zechariah (father of John the Baptist), who was also a priest and married to Martha, Mary’s cousin. He asked God again for a more precise indication. An angel of the Lord appeared and said these words to him:
“Go out and gather all the widowers of the tribe of Judah. Let each one bring a staff, and I will show with a portentous sign to which I have decided to deliver Mary.” (*4)
And there he was, among a great number of widowers, one named Joseph, of old age, of the house and family of David. From a previous marriage he had sons and daughters: four men and two women. (*5) Saddened by the premature death of his wife, he never wanted to marry again.
The priest asked for each one’s staff, made a bundle with them and entered the Temple. All night long, the priests prayed and outside, in the atrium, the widowers also prayed. The next morning, the priest took the staves and returned them to their owners, because on all had been made a mark. Nothing happened. The divine sign was expected before the eyes of all. But when Joseph took the last stick, very dry, behold, it sprouted into an admirable flower, whose perfume, even outdoors, inundated the whole environment. (*6)
At the same time, when he stretched out the staff, a beautiful dove appeared to come out of it, whiter than snow. After flying a little over the Temple, it went to flap its wings over Joseph’s head. Then the priest exclaimed:
“It fell to you to marry and take into custody the virgin of the Lord:”
Joseph, though a little reluctant, bowed, took Mary and went home. And the preparations for the marriage began, according to Jewish custom.
In Nazareth, Mary was in charge of the household chores. Joseph had to leave, for he had several works outside the village, especially in Capernaum. One day like any other, an angel of God presented himself to her with a clear physical aspect, the place was flooded with an extraordinary light and he greeted her with extreme kindness in the following terms:
“God save you, Mary! Fear not: the Lord is with you and you will be blessed more than all women and all men to this day”. (*7)
“Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found grace in the eyes of God because you have chosen the path of chastity. So you will conceive and give birth to a child.” (8*)
Mary, then, dared to ask him directly about the doubt that disturbed her heart:
Shall I conceive by virtue of the living God and give birth like other women?”
To which the angel replied:
It will not be so, Mary, the power of the Lord will cover you with His shadow. Thou shalt conceive by His word, and the son of thy womb shall be called the son of the Most High” (*9)
In Nazareth, Mary was in charge of the household chores. Joseph had to leave, for he had several works outside the village, especially in Capernaum. One day like any other, an angel of God presented himself to her with a clear physical aspect, the place was flooded with an extraordinary light and he greeted her with extreme kindness in the following terms:
“God save you, Mary! Fear not: the Lord is with you and you will be blessed more than all women and all men to this day”. (*7)
“Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found grace in the eyes of God because you have chosen the path of chastity. So you will conceive and give birth to a child.” (8*)
Mary, then, dared to ask him directly about the doubt that disturbed her heart:
“Shall I conceive by virtue of the living God and give birth like other women?”
To which the angel replied:
It will not be so, Mary, the power of the Lord will cover you with His shadow. Thou shalt conceive by His word, and the son of thy womb shall be called the son of the Most High” (*9)
A few months passed and Joseph returned home. Mary received him with joy and concern: how would I tell him what had happened? Joseph soon realized that there was something different with his wife and wondered if something had happened. As she was slow to respond, watching her more accurately, came to think she was pregnant. But as he fixed his gaze better, there was no doubt. Without saying anything, Joseph turned away from Mary and went to his room. There he questioned a thousand things, without finding answers.
“I received her as a virgin from the Temple and could not keep her.”
Joseph lamented, complained and gave vent to multiple thoughts, prey to anxiety and anguish, not knowing what decision to make. Surrounded by all these conflicts, tired of the journey he had made, exhausted from so much thinking, he fell into a deep sleep. An angel of God appeared in his dreams and explained everything to him. Upon awakening, Joseph felt calm and made the decision to continue beside his wife.
After the normal time of a pregnancy, the time of delivery was approaching. It was then that Caesar Augusto promulgated the decree summoning all people to register in the city from which their family came. The decree was intended to update the census. Joseph had to return to Bethlehem with Mary, as she also descended from Judah. He prepared a donkey, put Mary on its back, took the animal by the reins and led it from the front.
Bethlehem is 150 km from Nazareth by the ancient “Way of the Patriarchs”, trade route of the time. The journey must have been very tiring for Mary, who was in an advanced state of pregnancy. When they were approaching the city, Mary said:
“Help me down, Joseph, because the fruit of my womb struggles to come to light,”
Joseph had no house or property in Bethlehem and the city was crowded with people who came for the census.
And, as they went around the region, they found a cave near the path. The cave had a narrow entrance, but it soon expanded and there was little light. But the moment Mary entered, the room flooded with radiance and everything became clear as if the sun was inside. (*10)
Joseph left Mary in the company of Simeon (Joseph’s youngest son) and headed towards the city in search of a midwife. At first he walked in good stride, but suddenly he felt he could go no further. Then he raised his eyes to the sky and it seemed to him as if the wind was trembling with amazement. He turned his face and looked at another place in the firmament: everything seemed static, and the birds of the sky, immobile.
Joseph turned his gaze to the earth. The winds had stopped blowing and the leaves in the trees had no movement at all. In the distance, he saw field workers in an attitude of eating with their hands next to a container. But those who seemed to chew, in fact, did not chew, and those who seemed to take the food did not take it off the plate… In other words: for a few moments, and without knowing why, the whole course of nature had been interrupted and the normal course of life was suspended. (*11)
Joseph felt that this singular phenomenon, the universal stillness, had lasted only a few moments. After those moments, he was able to continue his search. But behold, he saw a young woman coming directly down the path to meet him. She had some cloths and a stool with her. Joseph immediately asked:
“Daughter, where are you going with this stool?”
“My lady sent me” – replied the young woman – “because a very hurried boy appeared in our house and showed us the way to attend a new birth.”
Soon after, an elder appeared, identifying herself as Zeloni, and everyone headed to the cave. Upon entering, the midwife shrank in fear due to the intense and mysterious light inside the cave. When they arrived in front of Mary, she had already given birth alone. (*12)
The midwife examined the boy and his mother for a while. No bloodstains on the newborn, no pain, no after effects on the parturient.
“This is wonderful”, she said, “with reason the light of this cave has increased and the radiance obscures even the sunlight. What intense and sweet clarity, what perfume and soft aromas! This light has come to us as dew descends from heaven to the fields. Its aroma is more penetrating than the perfume of all the ointments of the Earth”. (*13)
In addition to the phenomena already mentioned, a bright new star appeared in the sky. It was far and very high, but it seemed to expand its rays precisely on top of the cave. Neighbors of the region said they had never seen anything like it in their lives.
Some spiritualized men of Jerusalem, who had the gift of prophecy, wondered if that could be the sign of the birth of the Messiah, who was to definitively fulfill the promises made by God to Israel: “The people who walked in the dark saw the intense light; the light shone upon those who lived in the lands of shadows.” (*14)
The shepherds did not take long to approach bringing offerings, fresh milk and cheese. They entered with Joseph’s permission, worshiped the boy and greeted the mother respectfully. They lit a fire outside and stayed there for some time, ecstatic with joy.
Simultaneously, heavenly armies let themselves be seen, praising God. And that cave seemed like a temple to a sublime world, for the tongues of Heaven and Earth united to exalt God by the prodigious birth of that child. (*15)
Excerpts from the work of:
PIÑERO, Antonio. The other Jesus, according to the Apocryphal Gospels. 1st. Edition. São Paulo (Brazil): Mercuryo, 2002.
(*1) Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew, 2:2
(*2) Birth of Mary, 4.1
(*3) Isaiah, 11.1
(*4) Protoevangelium of James, 8:3
(*5) History of Joseph the Carpenter, 2.1
(*6) Birth of Mary, 7.4
(*7) Luke, 1:28
(*8) Birth of Mary, 9.2
(*9) Luke, 1:31-32
(*10) Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew, 13:2
Savior’s Childhood Book, 65
(*11) Protoevangelium of James, 18:2
Savior’s Childhood Book, 65
(*12) Savior’s Childhood Book, 71
(*13) Savior’s Childhood Book, 73
(*14) Isaiah, 9.1
(*15) Arab Childhood Gospel, 4.1
Links:
Galilean Hills https://interno.provida.net//noticia/72023
Twelve tribes of Israel https://interno.provida.net/noticia/71809
Facade of the Temple… https://interno.provida.net/texto/90501
But when Joseph took the last rod… https://interno.provida.net/texto/90502
Angel of God introduced himself to her. https://interno.provida.net//noticia/71878
Angel of God appeared in his dreams – https://interno.provida.net/noticia/71910
A star in Heaven – https://interno.provida.net//noticia/72034
