What is the Protoevangelium of James?

Answer

The Protoevangelium of James is a pseudepigraphal work also known as the Book of James (not to be confused with the New Testament Epistle of James), the Gospel of James, or the Infancy Gospel of James. It is subtitled “The Birth of Mary the Holy Mother of God, and Very Glorious Mother of Jesus Christ.” The term protoevangelium means “proto-gospel” or “precursor to the gospel,” referring to Mary’s story.

The Protoevangelium of James claims to be authored by James, the leader of the church in Jerusalem and the writer of the New Testament Epistle of James. (Traditionally, James is identified as the half-brother of Jesus, but according to this work, he would be considered the stepbrother of Jesus.) The Protoevangelium of James provides additional information about Mary’s birth and childhood, as well as Jesus’ birth.

The narrative in the Protoevangelium of James commences with Joachim, Mary’s father, and Anna, her mother, who are distressed due to their inability to conceive. They pray to God for a child and vow to dedicate the child to the priests for temple service if blessed with one. Their prayers are answered, and they are promised a child. After Mary’s birth, they vigilantly protect her from impurity, keeping her secluded in her sacred chamber. At the age of three, Mary is presented at the temple and entrusted to the priest who prophesies over her: “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” (§ 7).

As per the Protoevangelium of James, Mary resides in the temple until she reaches twelve years of age (§ 8); at that point, it is decided by the priests that she should be betrothed, as it would be inappropriate for her to remain in the temple. Joseph is selected by lot to be her husband, but he expresses reluctance: “I hav

He children, and I am an old man, and she is a young girl. I am afraid lest I become a laughingstock to the sons of Israel” (§ 9). The priest warns Joseph that he needs to submit to God’s will or face judgment, so he acquiesces out of fear.

Time passes, and the angel announces to Mary that she will bear a child. By this time, she is about sixteen years old and still a virgin (§ 12). The exchange between Mary and the angel, as related in the Protoevangelium of James, is akin to that found in the New Testament. After six months, Joseph discovers Mary is pregnant. He is in anguish because it was his duty to ensure nothing happened to her, and now it seems he has failed. Mary explains the circumstances surrounding her pregnancy, but Joseph is torn because, on one hand, he does not want to conceal a sin if Mary has been unfaithful, and, on the other hand, he does not want to oppose God if Mary’s baby is indeed miraculously conceived.

According to the Protoevangelium of James, the priests find out that Mary is pregnant and accuse Joseph of a grievous sin, as he was supposed to keep her pure (§ 15). However, they conduct a test, “the water of ordeal of the Lord” (similar to that found in Numbers 5:11-31), and both are found to be innocent of any sin (§ 16).

Then comes the Roman decree for everyone to register in their hometown, so Joseph travels to Bethlehem with Mary and some of his sons from a previous marriage (§ 17). He debates whether he should register Mary as his wife or his daughter. On the way to Bethlehem, Mary goes into labor, so they find a cave, and Joseph goes to seek a midwife. He finds a midwife who appears to know all about Mary and the situation, and she reassures Joseph. Jesus is born (§ 19).

In the timeline presented in the Protoevangelium of James, the magi arrive in Jerusalem shortly after Jesus’ birth, and commotion follows.

When Herod orders the massacre of all the infants in Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph manage to escape. However, John the Baptist is in jeopardy, so he is concealed. Zacharias, John’s father, refuses to surrender him and is consequently put to death (§ 23). Simeon, who later encounters Jesus in the temple, is selected by chance to take Zacharias’ place in the temple.

The Protoevangelium of James is the initial text to assert that Mary maintained her perpetual virginity. Joseph weds her solely to provide her with legal protection in his household and has no intention of engaging in sexual relations with her. Having children from a previous marriage, he considers Jesus’ “brothers” to be His stepbrothers, older than Him.

Scholars widely agree that the Protoevangelium of James was penned in the mid-second century; therefore, it could not have been authored by Jesus’ half-brother (or stepbrother, as this text suggests). Being pseudepigraphal (attributed to a false author), the Protoevangelium of James was dismissed by the church. Origen questions its authenticity in the third century. The text has faced condemnation from church councils and authorities over the years, including the Catholic Church, which upholds Mary’s perpetual virginity.

While it is natural to be curious about the upbringing of Jesus (and Mary), God has revealed all that is necessary in the New Testament. Some level of imaginative speculation may be permissible, but it is inappropriate to present such speculation as fact, which seems to be the approach taken by the author of the Protoevangelium of James.