(Gospel of the Birth of Mary 8:1 - 8:15)
Three months after his betrothal to Mary, Joseph made the trip from Judea to Galilee with the intention of marrying her. By this time Mary’s pregnancy had become so advanced that it could not be concealed. Joseph, calling upon her informally and chatting with her as a man would his betrothed, could not help noticing her condition. This made him very uncomfortable and uncertain; he knew not what course of action to take. Being a just man, he did not want to expose her, and being a pious man, he did not want to publicly defame her as a promiscuous woman. Therefore, he decided that he would privately retract his offer of marriage and, as discreetly, send her away.
While he was mulling over these things, a messenger of Jehovah appeared to him in a dream. He told him, "Joseph, descendant of David, don't be afraid. You mustn't have any suspicions that the Virgin has been guilt of fornication or think ill of her. Have no reluctance to take her as your wife. For what is growing within her, that so distresses you, is not the product of a man, but of the Spirit Divine. She, of all women, is the only virgin who will give birth to the Son of God, whom you will call Jesus the Savior -- for he will save his people from their sins.”
Following the commands of Jehovah's messenger, Joseph wed Mary, but refrained from having sexual relations with her, preserving her chastity. As the ninth month of her pregnancy neared, Joseph took his wife and whatever things they needed and journeyed to his home town of Bethlehem. While they were there, Mary's time came. And she did indeed give birth to her first-born son, the Master Jesus, the Christ of whom the evangelists teach us, the Son who, with the Father and the Spirit Divine, lives and will reign in the ages to come.
Notes
1. Jehovah's messengers are busy paying calls upon the characters in this narrative. Mary is quite used to their visits. However, since Joseph is not, they avoid freaking him out by coming to him only in a dream. This seems to be a recurring practice. Those who are in communion with the divine, or the supposed divine, are witness to physical manifestations and communications that occur when the subject is conscious. Conversations and interactions occur. However, with those who cannot aspire to be a Moses or a Mary, Jehovah's agents are more aloof, and perhaps more circumspect in conveying their messages. Even Joseph does not seem worthy of a personal visit.
2. It might have been more considerate, one would think, if Jehovah had arranged to warn Joseph about Mary's virginal pregnancy before, rather than after his visit to Mary. Joseph was naturally perturbed and distressed when he found his fiancee was going to have a baby. Was he expected to react otherwise? Why was he needlessly subjected to such mental anguish? Why didn't they let him know beforehand?
3. Joseph takes his wife to his hometown of Bethlehem so that Jesus can be born there, and the Old Testament prophecy can be conveniently fulfilled. It is never explained why Joseph, probably long established as a carpenter there, would eventually move his business to his wife's home in Nazareth, where Jesus would grow up. Nazareth and Bethlehem were at that time located in what could be regarded as separate countries, Galilee and Judea.
4. Why Joseph and Mary journeyed to Bethlehem for the birth seems to be solely because Joseph lives in Bethlehem. There is no reference to a Roman census or, for that matter, any difficulties in finding a place to stay -- there would be none, since, one assumes, they would be staying in Joseph’s home. The birth simply occurs, with no reference to the familiar Nativity lore promulgated in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Interesting that this later Gospel would not at least allude to events that one would regard as being already well established in Christian tradition.
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Gabriel Appears to Mary
(Gospel of the Birth of Mary 7:1 - 7:21)
Immediately after Mary returned to Galilee, Jehovah sent his agent Gabriel to announce that she would conceive our Savior and to explain to her the manner of conceiving him. When he appeared to her he filled the room with brilliant light. He greeted her in a courteous manner and addressed her, "Hail to you, O Mary, the well-received Virgin of Jehovah, O Virgin full of grace! Jehovah honors you! You are blessed above all women -- above all men who have been born up until this time."
The Virgin was familiar with the faces of Jehovah's emissaries and regarded the divine illumination as nothing unusual. Therefore, she was not all alarmed by the visitation nor surprised by the brilliance of the light. She was perturbed, though, by words of the divine messenger. What, she mused, was the meaning of so extravagant a greeting, what did it portend, what would it lead to?
Responding to her doubts, the emissary assured her, "Don't be afraid that my greeting suggests anything critical of your chastity. You have found favor with Jehovah because of your decision to remain a virgin. But while you will remain a virgin you will nevertheless conceive without carnal sin and give birth to a son. He will be of greatness, reigning from sea to sea, to the rivers that run round the edge of the world. He will be proclaimed the Son of the Most High. While he will be born on earth in humble circumstances, he reigns with exalted status in Heaven. Jehovah will grant him the throne of his ancestor David. He will rule over the house of Jacob forever and his kingdom will have no end. For he is the King of Kings, the Master of Masters -- and his reign will be eternal."
The Virgin reacted to this announcement by Jehovah's emissary not with disbelief, but with curiosity as to how to it might be brought about. "How is this possible? According to my vow I have not had carnal knowledge of a man. How can I bear a child without there being the contribution of a man's seed?"
The answer Gabriel gave was this, "Do not think, Mary, that you will conceive in the normal way. Without having intercourse with a man and while remaining a virgin, you will still conceive. As a virgin you will give birth to a child. And as a virgin you will nurse it. For it will be the Spirit Divine that impregnates you and the Most High that holds you in his power, without there being any lustful passions. Thus your offspring will be holy because it has been conceived without sin, and after birth, he will be called the Son of God."
Mary, lifting her arms and raising her eyes to the heavens, proclaimed, "Behold the maid servant of Jehovah! May this happen to me as you have said it would."
Notes
1. Agents/emissaries sent by Jehovah usually remain nameless. Here, for this important task, an event that will later be called the Annunciation of the Virgin, the luminous being who appears is Gabriel, known popularly as the archangel who blows a horn. (He is without his horn here.) He greets Mary in a grand manner, mollifies her fears, and explains to her how she is going to give birth, without sexual intercourse, to the Son of God. Significantly, Mary is not alarmed or surprised by his appearance for she regularly has visits from such heavenly beings.
2. Mary is understandably skeptical about a virgin giving birth, but Gabriel explains how it is possible through the Spirit Divine -- only he doesn't really explain it. The seed of a man is necessary for conception, as Mary points out. (Apparently, despite her cloistered upbringing, someone did tell her a little bit about the birds and the bees.) While God may finds a means of artificial insemination, does he, a spirit being, possess the DNA of a man? Gabriel is not very specific.
3. Sexual intercourse, not just that done for pleasure, but for propagation, is regarded here as sinful. Life, the ultimate good, one would think, is thus produced by an act that is sinful. But if human beings did not sin and have sex once in a while, there would be no people for whom Jehovah could be god. Is there no perception of this inconsistency?
4. Jesus, the Son of God, will reign over the house of Jacob and will succeed to the throne of King David. But he will also reign over the whole world and his reign will last forever. When and how this will come to pass is not explained, and this claim is not one that arouses Mary's curiosity.
5. In describing the world, Gabriel alludes to rivers surrounding it. Apparently the emissaries of Jehovah who supposedly created the world have as little knowledge about the nature of the earth as the common, ignorant people of the 1st century BC. Before it was realized (firstly by ancient Greek philosophers) that the earth was a globe, it was widely believed that the earth was flat and that its lands were surrounded by a river or an ocean. (Eventually one would fall off the edge -- to where, who knew?)
Immediately after Mary returned to Galilee, Jehovah sent his agent Gabriel to announce that she would conceive our Savior and to explain to her the manner of conceiving him. When he appeared to her he filled the room with brilliant light. He greeted her in a courteous manner and addressed her, "Hail to you, O Mary, the well-received Virgin of Jehovah, O Virgin full of grace! Jehovah honors you! You are blessed above all women -- above all men who have been born up until this time."
The Virgin was familiar with the faces of Jehovah's emissaries and regarded the divine illumination as nothing unusual. Therefore, she was not all alarmed by the visitation nor surprised by the brilliance of the light. She was perturbed, though, by words of the divine messenger. What, she mused, was the meaning of so extravagant a greeting, what did it portend, what would it lead to?
Responding to her doubts, the emissary assured her, "Don't be afraid that my greeting suggests anything critical of your chastity. You have found favor with Jehovah because of your decision to remain a virgin. But while you will remain a virgin you will nevertheless conceive without carnal sin and give birth to a son. He will be of greatness, reigning from sea to sea, to the rivers that run round the edge of the world. He will be proclaimed the Son of the Most High. While he will be born on earth in humble circumstances, he reigns with exalted status in Heaven. Jehovah will grant him the throne of his ancestor David. He will rule over the house of Jacob forever and his kingdom will have no end. For he is the King of Kings, the Master of Masters -- and his reign will be eternal."
The Virgin reacted to this announcement by Jehovah's emissary not with disbelief, but with curiosity as to how to it might be brought about. "How is this possible? According to my vow I have not had carnal knowledge of a man. How can I bear a child without there being the contribution of a man's seed?"
The answer Gabriel gave was this, "Do not think, Mary, that you will conceive in the normal way. Without having intercourse with a man and while remaining a virgin, you will still conceive. As a virgin you will give birth to a child. And as a virgin you will nurse it. For it will be the Spirit Divine that impregnates you and the Most High that holds you in his power, without there being any lustful passions. Thus your offspring will be holy because it has been conceived without sin, and after birth, he will be called the Son of God."
Mary, lifting her arms and raising her eyes to the heavens, proclaimed, "Behold the maid servant of Jehovah! May this happen to me as you have said it would."
Notes
1. Agents/emissaries sent by Jehovah usually remain nameless. Here, for this important task, an event that will later be called the Annunciation of the Virgin, the luminous being who appears is Gabriel, known popularly as the archangel who blows a horn. (He is without his horn here.) He greets Mary in a grand manner, mollifies her fears, and explains to her how she is going to give birth, without sexual intercourse, to the Son of God. Significantly, Mary is not alarmed or surprised by his appearance for she regularly has visits from such heavenly beings.
2. Mary is understandably skeptical about a virgin giving birth, but Gabriel explains how it is possible through the Spirit Divine -- only he doesn't really explain it. The seed of a man is necessary for conception, as Mary points out. (Apparently, despite her cloistered upbringing, someone did tell her a little bit about the birds and the bees.) While God may finds a means of artificial insemination, does he, a spirit being, possess the DNA of a man? Gabriel is not very specific.
3. Sexual intercourse, not just that done for pleasure, but for propagation, is regarded here as sinful. Life, the ultimate good, one would think, is thus produced by an act that is sinful. But if human beings did not sin and have sex once in a while, there would be no people for whom Jehovah could be god. Is there no perception of this inconsistency?
4. Jesus, the Son of God, will reign over the house of Jacob and will succeed to the throne of King David. But he will also reign over the whole world and his reign will last forever. When and how this will come to pass is not explained, and this claim is not one that arouses Mary's curiosity.
5. In describing the world, Gabriel alludes to rivers surrounding it. Apparently the emissaries of Jehovah who supposedly created the world have as little knowledge about the nature of the earth as the common, ignorant people of the 1st century BC. Before it was realized (firstly by ancient Greek philosophers) that the earth was a globe, it was widely believed that the earth was flat and that its lands were surrounded by a river or an ocean. (Eventually one would fall off the edge -- to where, who knew?)
Betrothal of Mary
(Gospel of the Birth of Mary 5:1 - 6:7)
As the Virgin of Jehovah grew older, she developed in character and virtue. She was, as the author of the Psalms wrote, abandoned by her mother and father, but taken care of by Jehovah -- for every day she communed with the divine and was visited by emissaries from God who protected her from a variety of evil influences and filled her with goodness.
By the time she had reached her 14th year no evil-minded person could find anything to say against her and every good person who was acquainted with her spoke highly of her character and her company. The high priest of the temple publicly declared that all young women who were wards of the temple and who had arrived at this age should return to their homes and since they were now sufficiently mature, they should seek to marry, in accordance with the custom of the country. All the maidens residing the temple expressed a willingness to obey the order, but, alone among them, Mary, the Virgin of Jehovah, responded that she would not comply with such an command. She presented these two arguments, that she and her parents had dedicated her to the service of Jehovah and, furthermore, she herself had sworn to Jehovah that she would remain a virgin, a vow she was determined never to break by having sexual relations with a man.
The high priest was thus placed in a quandary. He could not have her break a vow to Jehovah, a transgression of scriptural law that demands one must keep a vow. On the other hand, he was loathed to introduce a custom that was alien to his people. To help him handle such a difficult case, he decided that at an upcoming feast he would seek the council of several prominent religious leaders who were coming from Jerusalem and the surrounding area.
When these leaders were assembled, they unanimously decided to seek an oracle from Jehovah. While they were all absorbed in prayer, the high priest, in the accepted manner, consulted Jehovah. From the Judgment Seat, the cover of the Chest of Sacred Records, there immediately sounded a voice that was heard by all. It told them that they should refer to the Prophet Isaiah to determine to whom the Virgin should be betrothed. (Isaiah had declared, "there will appear from the stock of Jesse a staff, and a flower will bloom from its root. The spirit of Jehovah will reside within him and he will be filled with the spirit of wisdom and understanding, judgment and authority, knowledge and piety, and reverence for the divine.")
Following the prophecy, the high priest decreed that all men of the tribe of David who were marriageable but not yet betrothed should each bring their staffs to the altar. If, after their staffs were presented, any of them should bud with a flower and on top of it should sit, manifested as a dove, the spirit of Jehovah, then the one to whom that staff belonged would be the man to whom the Virgin should be given and betrothed.
Among those that appeared from the tribe of David there was of his family a man named Joseph. Because he was of advanced years he held on to his staff when everyone else presented theirs.
When nothing drew a favorable response from the divine oracle, the high priest deemed it proper to consult Jehovah again. The reply was that the Virgin was to be betrothed to the one man of those assembled who had not presented his staff.
Joseph was thus found out. And so when he presented his staff a dove flew down from the sky and perched upon the top of it. As this was witnessed by all there, it was evident that he was the one to whom the Virgin should be betrothed.
After the customary betrothal ceremonies were over, Joseph returned to his hometown of Bethlehem to ready his house and make all the necessary arrangements for the wedding.
Mary, the Virgin of Jehovah, returned to her parent's home in Galilee along with seven other virgins appointed by the priest to attend her. These were all maidens her own age who had been weaned at the same time as she had.
Notes
1. Mary, during her childhood and youth, had regular if not constant communication with Jehovah's emissaries. One wonders what the nature of these contacts might have been. Did these supposedly divine representatives manifest themselves as normal looking men, as luminous beings, as disembodied voices, or as presences with whom she communed telepathically?
2. The divine emissaries guarded and protected her, but from what, in the cloistered environment of the temple? They enlightened her and nurtured in her proper, pious values. She became a good girl. But while goodness itself may flower in a desert, it is hard to see how the character can be developed without life experiences. Goodness may rightly eschew the evils one has never been exposed to, but character can only be formed by an acquaintance with evil and a rejection of it, by making correct choices, resisting temptation, even by making mistakes and learning from them. Mary seemed to have been sheltered entirely from real life, with an innocence derived from ignorance.
3. In Exodus the Judgment Seat, the cover to the Chest of Sacred Records (often called the Ark of the Covenant) is described as being the place upon which Jehovah sits to make pronouncements, pass judgments, and perform as an oracle. It was never made clear if Jehovah physically assumed his seat as a man would, if he materialized upon the seat, hovered in a cloud above it, or merely used it as a speaker for his disembodied voice. More than a thousand years later, we read of the Jehovan priests consulting their god in this traditional manner, here at what would have been the Temple built (or, more accurately, remodeled) by King Herod. The procedure of consultation is different from the Greek oracles such as that of Delphi, but the idea behind it is the same. At Delphi the entranced priestess was possessed by the god Apollo and made utterances that required interpretation. Jehovah, a very straight forward sort of god, answers directly in a voice everyone can hear with words that are unambiguous. There is no record of anyone seeing anything, so one assumes the voice of Jehovah is disembodied.
4. One would think that the number of marriageable men, even restricted to those of the tribe of David, would comprise a huge assembly, many thousands at least, but the impression given is that we are talking about several dozen or a few score men that bring their staffs to the Temple.
5. One assumes the staffs were much like shepherds crooks, but used as walking sticks and customarily carried by most men, that is, most men would have one that they could present. The word “rod” is often used here, but would be misleading. Rods were carried by shepherds along with their crooks to be used as clubs. It’s unlikely that that is what is referred to here. Obviously reference in the prophecy of Isaiah to budding flowers, roots, and rods (branches or stems) is symbolic, but the priests seem to take it as being literal. We find that all through history biblical passages meant to be metaphoric are interpreted literally (and vice versa).
6. Joseph is described as being a man of advanced years. It seems odd the old codger, who pointedly did not want to be considered as a potential husband, was regarded as an eligible bachelor and obliged to attend the ceremony of the staffs. He himself felt he shouldn't be there and refused to present his staff for consideration. But, for some reason, he was the chosen one of Jehovah. This incident conforms to the recurring biblical theme of the unlikely/unwilling/aged parent. The birth of every significant person must seem miraculous, or at least unusual. This is true of many ancient and medieval personages who are not necessarily connected with religion.
7. A dove lights atop of Joseph's staff, but the prophecy also stipulates that a flower should bud from the end of it. This is not reported to have happened. But apparently the dove was sufficiently convincing. Jehovah was not unlike the Greek gods in his habit of turning himself into an animal once in a while, although he seemed to have preferred manifesting himself as a dove. The whiteness of the dove has always suggested purity and its docility, benevolence, but it would certainly not convey the power one associates with a god. A hawk or an eagle would seem a better choice, but, in the present instance, one cannot quarrel with the suitability of a dove.
8. It is established that Mary is from Galilee and that Joseph is a Judean from Bethlehem. It is important for the story to have Jesus born in Bethlehem in order to conform to Old Testament prophecy assumed to refer to the Messiah.
As the Virgin of Jehovah grew older, she developed in character and virtue. She was, as the author of the Psalms wrote, abandoned by her mother and father, but taken care of by Jehovah -- for every day she communed with the divine and was visited by emissaries from God who protected her from a variety of evil influences and filled her with goodness.
By the time she had reached her 14th year no evil-minded person could find anything to say against her and every good person who was acquainted with her spoke highly of her character and her company. The high priest of the temple publicly declared that all young women who were wards of the temple and who had arrived at this age should return to their homes and since they were now sufficiently mature, they should seek to marry, in accordance with the custom of the country. All the maidens residing the temple expressed a willingness to obey the order, but, alone among them, Mary, the Virgin of Jehovah, responded that she would not comply with such an command. She presented these two arguments, that she and her parents had dedicated her to the service of Jehovah and, furthermore, she herself had sworn to Jehovah that she would remain a virgin, a vow she was determined never to break by having sexual relations with a man.
The high priest was thus placed in a quandary. He could not have her break a vow to Jehovah, a transgression of scriptural law that demands one must keep a vow. On the other hand, he was loathed to introduce a custom that was alien to his people. To help him handle such a difficult case, he decided that at an upcoming feast he would seek the council of several prominent religious leaders who were coming from Jerusalem and the surrounding area.
When these leaders were assembled, they unanimously decided to seek an oracle from Jehovah. While they were all absorbed in prayer, the high priest, in the accepted manner, consulted Jehovah. From the Judgment Seat, the cover of the Chest of Sacred Records, there immediately sounded a voice that was heard by all. It told them that they should refer to the Prophet Isaiah to determine to whom the Virgin should be betrothed. (Isaiah had declared, "there will appear from the stock of Jesse a staff, and a flower will bloom from its root. The spirit of Jehovah will reside within him and he will be filled with the spirit of wisdom and understanding, judgment and authority, knowledge and piety, and reverence for the divine.")
Following the prophecy, the high priest decreed that all men of the tribe of David who were marriageable but not yet betrothed should each bring their staffs to the altar. If, after their staffs were presented, any of them should bud with a flower and on top of it should sit, manifested as a dove, the spirit of Jehovah, then the one to whom that staff belonged would be the man to whom the Virgin should be given and betrothed.
Among those that appeared from the tribe of David there was of his family a man named Joseph. Because he was of advanced years he held on to his staff when everyone else presented theirs.
When nothing drew a favorable response from the divine oracle, the high priest deemed it proper to consult Jehovah again. The reply was that the Virgin was to be betrothed to the one man of those assembled who had not presented his staff.
Joseph was thus found out. And so when he presented his staff a dove flew down from the sky and perched upon the top of it. As this was witnessed by all there, it was evident that he was the one to whom the Virgin should be betrothed.
After the customary betrothal ceremonies were over, Joseph returned to his hometown of Bethlehem to ready his house and make all the necessary arrangements for the wedding.
Mary, the Virgin of Jehovah, returned to her parent's home in Galilee along with seven other virgins appointed by the priest to attend her. These were all maidens her own age who had been weaned at the same time as she had.
Notes
1. Mary, during her childhood and youth, had regular if not constant communication with Jehovah's emissaries. One wonders what the nature of these contacts might have been. Did these supposedly divine representatives manifest themselves as normal looking men, as luminous beings, as disembodied voices, or as presences with whom she communed telepathically?
2. The divine emissaries guarded and protected her, but from what, in the cloistered environment of the temple? They enlightened her and nurtured in her proper, pious values. She became a good girl. But while goodness itself may flower in a desert, it is hard to see how the character can be developed without life experiences. Goodness may rightly eschew the evils one has never been exposed to, but character can only be formed by an acquaintance with evil and a rejection of it, by making correct choices, resisting temptation, even by making mistakes and learning from them. Mary seemed to have been sheltered entirely from real life, with an innocence derived from ignorance.
3. In Exodus the Judgment Seat, the cover to the Chest of Sacred Records (often called the Ark of the Covenant) is described as being the place upon which Jehovah sits to make pronouncements, pass judgments, and perform as an oracle. It was never made clear if Jehovah physically assumed his seat as a man would, if he materialized upon the seat, hovered in a cloud above it, or merely used it as a speaker for his disembodied voice. More than a thousand years later, we read of the Jehovan priests consulting their god in this traditional manner, here at what would have been the Temple built (or, more accurately, remodeled) by King Herod. The procedure of consultation is different from the Greek oracles such as that of Delphi, but the idea behind it is the same. At Delphi the entranced priestess was possessed by the god Apollo and made utterances that required interpretation. Jehovah, a very straight forward sort of god, answers directly in a voice everyone can hear with words that are unambiguous. There is no record of anyone seeing anything, so one assumes the voice of Jehovah is disembodied.
4. One would think that the number of marriageable men, even restricted to those of the tribe of David, would comprise a huge assembly, many thousands at least, but the impression given is that we are talking about several dozen or a few score men that bring their staffs to the Temple.
5. One assumes the staffs were much like shepherds crooks, but used as walking sticks and customarily carried by most men, that is, most men would have one that they could present. The word “rod” is often used here, but would be misleading. Rods were carried by shepherds along with their crooks to be used as clubs. It’s unlikely that that is what is referred to here. Obviously reference in the prophecy of Isaiah to budding flowers, roots, and rods (branches or stems) is symbolic, but the priests seem to take it as being literal. We find that all through history biblical passages meant to be metaphoric are interpreted literally (and vice versa).
6. Joseph is described as being a man of advanced years. It seems odd the old codger, who pointedly did not want to be considered as a potential husband, was regarded as an eligible bachelor and obliged to attend the ceremony of the staffs. He himself felt he shouldn't be there and refused to present his staff for consideration. But, for some reason, he was the chosen one of Jehovah. This incident conforms to the recurring biblical theme of the unlikely/unwilling/aged parent. The birth of every significant person must seem miraculous, or at least unusual. This is true of many ancient and medieval personages who are not necessarily connected with religion.
7. A dove lights atop of Joseph's staff, but the prophecy also stipulates that a flower should bud from the end of it. This is not reported to have happened. But apparently the dove was sufficiently convincing. Jehovah was not unlike the Greek gods in his habit of turning himself into an animal once in a while, although he seemed to have preferred manifesting himself as a dove. The whiteness of the dove has always suggested purity and its docility, benevolence, but it would certainly not convey the power one associates with a god. A hawk or an eagle would seem a better choice, but, in the present instance, one cannot quarrel with the suitability of a dove.
8. It is established that Mary is from Galilee and that Joseph is a Judean from Bethlehem. It is important for the story to have Jesus born in Bethlehem in order to conform to Old Testament prophecy assumed to refer to the Messiah.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Mary is Bought to the Temple
(Gospel of the Birth of Mary 4:1-4:8)
When Mary was three years old and had completed her weaning, her parents brought her with sacrificial offerings to a temple of Jehovah. Leading to the temple were 15 steps to climb, corresponding to the 15 degrees of the Psalms. The temple was built into the mountain and its incense altar, which was outside the temple, could only be reached by these steps.
The parents of the Blessed Virgin, the toddler Mary, put her down on one of these steps. They then changed out of the clothes they had traveled in to don, according to custom, garments that were neat and clean. In the meantime, Jehovah's Virgin ascended each of the steps, one at a time, without anyone to help her or lift her up, climbing them in a manner that anyone would have judged her to be grown up. Jehovah accomplished this wonder in the childhood of his Virgin so that this miracle would foreshadow her future greatness.
The parents presented their sacrifices according to proper procedure. In fulfillment of their vow, they left the Virgin in the living quarters of the temple with the other virgins who were being brought up there. They then returned home.
Notes
1. One cannot help note that the miracles presented in this gospel are somewhat underwhelming. Mary, the three year old, climbing some temple steps on her own is not exactly Hercules strangling a snake in his crib. But the narrator is compelled to make his subject more extraordinary than a "convent" education might allow.
2. It seems a shame that Joachim and Anna cannot raise their own daughter, especially since they have been portrayed as being so admirable and devout. At least Joachim, now a father, doesn't have to be embarrassed when he goes to the temple, although he has not yet fathered a son -- so maybe the high priest Isachar still has a bone to pick with him.
When Mary was three years old and had completed her weaning, her parents brought her with sacrificial offerings to a temple of Jehovah. Leading to the temple were 15 steps to climb, corresponding to the 15 degrees of the Psalms. The temple was built into the mountain and its incense altar, which was outside the temple, could only be reached by these steps.
The parents of the Blessed Virgin, the toddler Mary, put her down on one of these steps. They then changed out of the clothes they had traveled in to don, according to custom, garments that were neat and clean. In the meantime, Jehovah's Virgin ascended each of the steps, one at a time, without anyone to help her or lift her up, climbing them in a manner that anyone would have judged her to be grown up. Jehovah accomplished this wonder in the childhood of his Virgin so that this miracle would foreshadow her future greatness.
The parents presented their sacrifices according to proper procedure. In fulfillment of their vow, they left the Virgin in the living quarters of the temple with the other virgins who were being brought up there. They then returned home.
Notes
1. One cannot help note that the miracles presented in this gospel are somewhat underwhelming. Mary, the three year old, climbing some temple steps on her own is not exactly Hercules strangling a snake in his crib. But the narrator is compelled to make his subject more extraordinary than a "convent" education might allow.
2. It seems a shame that Joachim and Anna cannot raise their own daughter, especially since they have been portrayed as being so admirable and devout. At least Joachim, now a father, doesn't have to be embarrassed when he goes to the temple, although he has not yet fathered a son -- so maybe the high priest Isachar still has a bone to pick with him.
Jehovah's Emissary Appears to Anna
(Gospel of the Birth of Mary 3:1 - 3:11)
Afterwards the emissary from Jehovah appeared to his wife Anna and told her, "Don't be afraid. Don't think that what you're seeing is a ghost: I am the intermediary that conveys your prayers and sacrificial offerings to Jehovah. I have now been sent here to inform you that you will give birth to a daughter named Mary, who will blessed above all women.
"She will be, from the moment of her birth, under the protection of Jehovah and will continue to be so during her three years of weaning in the house of her father. During her service to Jehovah she will not leave the Temple until she reaches her maturity. She will thus serve Jehovah day and night with fasting and prayer, avoiding exposure to anything ritually impure, and never having carnal knowledge of a man. And being so uniquely unspoiled and unprofaned, a virgin unacquainted with men, she will bear a son. She will be the maiden who will produce the master who, through his character, reputation, and achievements, will be the savior of the world.
"Depart then and travel to Jerusalem, and when you arrive at the Golden Gate (so called because it is gilded) you will, as I have foretold, meet your husband, whose safety and well-being you have been worrying about. When you see that what I have told you has come to pass then you will realize that the rest of what I have told you will also doubtlessly come to pass."
Following the instructions of Jehovah's emissary, both of them left where they were and traveled to the place determined by the emissary's prophecy. There they met. They were delighted to see each other! They then had faith in the promise that they would have a child. Thus they gave thanks to the God who exalts the humble. After giving praise to Jehovah, they returned home and lived contentedly in the assurance that God's promise would be fulfilled.
And so Anna became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter. Following the command of Jehovah's emissary, the parents named the girl "Mary."
Notes
1. The emissary from Jehovah further identifies himself as an intermediary between worshipers and God, conveying prayers and sacrifices. He also explains that he is not a ghost, the apparition of a deceased person -- which I think is the correct translation and not "spirit," since he is obviously is of the spirit, even if he is presently manifested in corporeal form.
2. The emissary employs what can only seem a classic confidence strategy. He predicts that some commonplace event will occur and when it does he claims that they must now believe him when he predicts some extraordinary event. He tells both Joachim and Anna to go the Golden Gate of Jerusalem and then when they happen to meet there, he proclaims it a miracle that they have done so. All he has done was to arrange a rendezvous! Of course, as the story goes, the emissary was correct in his prophecy that a daughter would be born, but he seems to have purchased Joachim and Anna's faith on the cheap. Why didn't he perform a genuine miracle, perhaps just dematerializing?
Afterwards the emissary from Jehovah appeared to his wife Anna and told her, "Don't be afraid. Don't think that what you're seeing is a ghost: I am the intermediary that conveys your prayers and sacrificial offerings to Jehovah. I have now been sent here to inform you that you will give birth to a daughter named Mary, who will blessed above all women.
"She will be, from the moment of her birth, under the protection of Jehovah and will continue to be so during her three years of weaning in the house of her father. During her service to Jehovah she will not leave the Temple until she reaches her maturity. She will thus serve Jehovah day and night with fasting and prayer, avoiding exposure to anything ritually impure, and never having carnal knowledge of a man. And being so uniquely unspoiled and unprofaned, a virgin unacquainted with men, she will bear a son. She will be the maiden who will produce the master who, through his character, reputation, and achievements, will be the savior of the world.
"Depart then and travel to Jerusalem, and when you arrive at the Golden Gate (so called because it is gilded) you will, as I have foretold, meet your husband, whose safety and well-being you have been worrying about. When you see that what I have told you has come to pass then you will realize that the rest of what I have told you will also doubtlessly come to pass."
Following the instructions of Jehovah's emissary, both of them left where they were and traveled to the place determined by the emissary's prophecy. There they met. They were delighted to see each other! They then had faith in the promise that they would have a child. Thus they gave thanks to the God who exalts the humble. After giving praise to Jehovah, they returned home and lived contentedly in the assurance that God's promise would be fulfilled.
And so Anna became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter. Following the command of Jehovah's emissary, the parents named the girl "Mary."
Notes
1. The emissary from Jehovah further identifies himself as an intermediary between worshipers and God, conveying prayers and sacrifices. He also explains that he is not a ghost, the apparition of a deceased person -- which I think is the correct translation and not "spirit," since he is obviously is of the spirit, even if he is presently manifested in corporeal form.
2. The emissary employs what can only seem a classic confidence strategy. He predicts that some commonplace event will occur and when it does he claims that they must now believe him when he predicts some extraordinary event. He tells both Joachim and Anna to go the Golden Gate of Jerusalem and then when they happen to meet there, he proclaims it a miracle that they have done so. All he has done was to arrange a rendezvous! Of course, as the story goes, the emissary was correct in his prophecy that a daughter would be born, but he seems to have purchased Joachim and Anna's faith on the cheap. Why didn't he perform a genuine miracle, perhaps just dematerializing?
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Jehovah's Emissary Appears to Joachim
(Gospel of the Birth of Mary 2:1 - 2:14)
After Joachim had been there for awhile, he happened to be alone on a certain day when an emissary of Jehovah, bathed in a brilliant light, appeared beside him. Joachim was alarmed by his presence, but the luminous being sought to allay his fears and spoke to him, "Fear not, Joachim, nor be troubled by my appearance, for I am an emissary sent by Jehovah to inform you that your prayers have been heard and that your sacrifices have been seen by God on high. He is surely aware of the shame you feel and how you have been unfairly rebuked for not having children. But God punishes sinful behavior and not the misfortunes of nature. It happens that he may close the womb of a woman, but does so for a reason, that he might open it in a wondrous way -- so that the baby born be not the result of carnal lust, but a boon from God.
"For the mother of your nation, Sarah, was she not barren even until she was eighty years old? Yet, even in her old age, at the end of her years, she gave birth to Isaac, who received the promise of a blessing for all nations. Rachel, as well, in favor with Jehovah and beloved by Jacob, remained barren for a considerable period, but afterwards was the mother of Joseph, who not only ruled Egypt as governor, but spared many nations from perishing for want of food. Who among the judges was more courageous than Samson or holier than Samuel, yet both of them had mothers who were barren."
"But if reason will not convince you of my contention that women do frequently conceive in later years and that those who have been barren often, to their great surprise, give birth, then perhaps you'll be convinced when your wife Anna presents you with a daughter that you will name Mary.
"In accordance with your vow, from her early childhood she will be devoted to Jehovah and from the womb she will be inspired by the Spirit Divine. She will not eat or drink anything that is ritually impure. Her education will come not from the common folk of the street but from the temple of Jehovah, so that she will not be exposed to any slanderous talk or bad influences.
"Having been born, miraculously, of a woman once barren, she will, in the course of years, give birth in a unique manner, for while yet a virgin she will produce the Son of the exalted God. He will be called Jesus and, as his name signifies, be the savior of all nations.
"This will be sign of the things that I relate to you: when you arrive at the Golden Gate of Jerusalem you will meet there your wife Anna. She will be very perturbed that you had not returned sooner and will be overjoyed to see you."
After saying this, the emissary of Jehovah departed from Joachim's presence.
Notes
1. There appears before Joachim an emissary of Jehovah (usually translated "angel," but I have avoided using the term since it so ambiguous in meaning; the popular conception of an angel is not at all what is meant in the biblical texts -- the word means messenger, but messenger in the archaic sense of an emissary, representative, or agent). This emissary seems to be a luminous being, not like the Jehovan agents in Genesis who appeared to be totally human. This description fits that of exalted spirit beings that have been reported by mystics in all cultures and periods of history.
2. The theme of the barren woman conceiving, the older, childless wife giving birth to a great, or divine man is a common theme, not only, as the emissary attests, in Hebrew history and folklore but in that of other peoples as well. The great man, enlightened teacher, the bringer of revelation, the savior must have something special about his birth. Even wholly historical figures like Alexander and Caesar supposedly had births that were not ordinary. For a good story, everything must be extraordinary about an extraordinary man. It is a rule that is followed infallibly.
3. The emissary announces that Mary will not only give birth to the savor Jesus, but it will be a virgin birth. In many ancient religions the great or heroic men are sons of a god who has impregnated a human woman. There is no suggestion here that the deity will physically impregnated Jesus' mother, but will do so in some spiritual sense. The scenario is illogical, since the birth of a physical being must be the result of a physical act of impregnation. We know now that a virgin birth is possible through artificial insemination and that reproduction is also possible through cloning. A male child cannot be the clone of his mother, so some genetic material must be furnished, through some means, by a male human being, or genetically compatible humanoid. Jesus had, therefore, a physical father, even if his soul, his spirit were divine. This fact, unalterable even by miracle, is not addressed by this, or any other gospel.
4. A significant statement is made by the emissary when he says that God does not punish men for the misfortunes of nature, but for sinful conduct, that is, a man is morally responsible for his own actions and not for what may happen to him, things over which he has no control.
After Joachim had been there for awhile, he happened to be alone on a certain day when an emissary of Jehovah, bathed in a brilliant light, appeared beside him. Joachim was alarmed by his presence, but the luminous being sought to allay his fears and spoke to him, "Fear not, Joachim, nor be troubled by my appearance, for I am an emissary sent by Jehovah to inform you that your prayers have been heard and that your sacrifices have been seen by God on high. He is surely aware of the shame you feel and how you have been unfairly rebuked for not having children. But God punishes sinful behavior and not the misfortunes of nature. It happens that he may close the womb of a woman, but does so for a reason, that he might open it in a wondrous way -- so that the baby born be not the result of carnal lust, but a boon from God.
"For the mother of your nation, Sarah, was she not barren even until she was eighty years old? Yet, even in her old age, at the end of her years, she gave birth to Isaac, who received the promise of a blessing for all nations. Rachel, as well, in favor with Jehovah and beloved by Jacob, remained barren for a considerable period, but afterwards was the mother of Joseph, who not only ruled Egypt as governor, but spared many nations from perishing for want of food. Who among the judges was more courageous than Samson or holier than Samuel, yet both of them had mothers who were barren."
"But if reason will not convince you of my contention that women do frequently conceive in later years and that those who have been barren often, to their great surprise, give birth, then perhaps you'll be convinced when your wife Anna presents you with a daughter that you will name Mary.
"In accordance with your vow, from her early childhood she will be devoted to Jehovah and from the womb she will be inspired by the Spirit Divine. She will not eat or drink anything that is ritually impure. Her education will come not from the common folk of the street but from the temple of Jehovah, so that she will not be exposed to any slanderous talk or bad influences.
"Having been born, miraculously, of a woman once barren, she will, in the course of years, give birth in a unique manner, for while yet a virgin she will produce the Son of the exalted God. He will be called Jesus and, as his name signifies, be the savior of all nations.
"This will be sign of the things that I relate to you: when you arrive at the Golden Gate of Jerusalem you will meet there your wife Anna. She will be very perturbed that you had not returned sooner and will be overjoyed to see you."
After saying this, the emissary of Jehovah departed from Joachim's presence.
Notes
1. There appears before Joachim an emissary of Jehovah (usually translated "angel," but I have avoided using the term since it so ambiguous in meaning; the popular conception of an angel is not at all what is meant in the biblical texts -- the word means messenger, but messenger in the archaic sense of an emissary, representative, or agent). This emissary seems to be a luminous being, not like the Jehovan agents in Genesis who appeared to be totally human. This description fits that of exalted spirit beings that have been reported by mystics in all cultures and periods of history.
2. The theme of the barren woman conceiving, the older, childless wife giving birth to a great, or divine man is a common theme, not only, as the emissary attests, in Hebrew history and folklore but in that of other peoples as well. The great man, enlightened teacher, the bringer of revelation, the savior must have something special about his birth. Even wholly historical figures like Alexander and Caesar supposedly had births that were not ordinary. For a good story, everything must be extraordinary about an extraordinary man. It is a rule that is followed infallibly.
3. The emissary announces that Mary will not only give birth to the savor Jesus, but it will be a virgin birth. In many ancient religions the great or heroic men are sons of a god who has impregnated a human woman. There is no suggestion here that the deity will physically impregnated Jesus' mother, but will do so in some spiritual sense. The scenario is illogical, since the birth of a physical being must be the result of a physical act of impregnation. We know now that a virgin birth is possible through artificial insemination and that reproduction is also possible through cloning. A male child cannot be the clone of his mother, so some genetic material must be furnished, through some means, by a male human being, or genetically compatible humanoid. Jesus had, therefore, a physical father, even if his soul, his spirit were divine. This fact, unalterable even by miracle, is not addressed by this, or any other gospel.
4. A significant statement is made by the emissary when he says that God does not punish men for the misfortunes of nature, but for sinful conduct, that is, a man is morally responsible for his own actions and not for what may happen to him, things over which he has no control.
Joachim and Anna
(Gospel of the Birth of Mary 1:1-1:12)
The Virgin Mary, glorious and blessed, was born in Nazareth of royal lineage and descended from the tribe of King David. She was educated in Jerusalem at the Temple of Jehovah. Her father's name was Joachim, whose family was from the city of Nazareth in Galilee, while her mother's name was Anna, who was from Bethlehem.
Her parents lived simply, righteous in the eyes of God and unfailingly pious in the eyes of men. Their income they divided into three parts: one third they contributed to the Temple and its priests, one third they donated to the poor and to needy strangers, and the last third they kept for their personal needs and that of their family. In this way, chastely and without children, they lived for about 20 years with the favor of God and the respect of men. However, they resolved that if God should grant them any children, they would devote themselves to serve the divine. Because of this, they celebrated every feast in the religious calendar at the Temple.
At a time when the feast of dedication was near, Joachim and others of his tribe traveled to Jerusalem. Isachar, who his high priest at that time, noticed Joachim and his neighbors and the offerings they were bringing. But Isachar looked down on Joachim and rejected his offerings. He challenged him, "Why do you, who have no children, have the gall to appear here with those that do? Your offerings will never be accepted by Jehovah, who has judged you unworthy to have children. For the Scripture says, 'Cursed will be any of Israel who does not father a male child.'" (He added that Joachim could remove the curse by having children and that then he would be welcome to come with offerings for Jehovah.)
Overwhelmed by the shame of this rebuke, Joachim spent some time among the cowherds tending their herds in the pasture, for he was loathed to return home in case his neighbors, who were present when the high priest scolded him, might publicly rebuke him in the same way.
Notes
1. The parents of Mary, Joachim and Mary are presented here as moral exemplars, a dutiful, righteous, godly couple. One wonders, though, to what extend the gospel writer might have had knowledge of them and their characters. Mary, of course, was still alive at the time of the Crucifixion and could have furnished information, but all the gospels were written a generation or so after the Crucifixion (and this particular gospel, perhaps centuries after.) We, though, have no way of knowing the date of written source material upon which the gospels were based.
2. If Joachim was from Nazareth in Galilee and his wife Anna was from Bethlehem in Judea, how did they happen to meet and marry? One would have thought it would be unusual for a man, except one of high station, to wed someone living outside his home locality.
3. The high priest Isachar, in rebuking Joachim for being childless, voices the long-standing Jewish emphasis on procreation as a social and religious virtue. Having children is valued and honored in most societies, save those that are threatened by too much population growth. Also, the preference for a male child is made clear. Only a male can perpetuate the family, continue the paternal line. It is a view held by many societies that not to have a son is to allow the family to die. A man without a son dishonors his people, his tribe, his nation. So it is that Isachar comes down hard on Joachim. (It is interesting that Joachim's grandson Jesus would not marry or have children -- if the accepted gospels are accurate.)
4. Joachim is not only humiliated and shamed by the dressing down he got from the high priest, but he is afraid that the people in his own community, who formerly held him in such high regard, will turn against him because. One can imagine there was probably a loss of self-esteem as well, and he may have started believing his condition of childlessness was due to divine disapproval, as Isachar had suggested.
The Virgin Mary, glorious and blessed, was born in Nazareth of royal lineage and descended from the tribe of King David. She was educated in Jerusalem at the Temple of Jehovah. Her father's name was Joachim, whose family was from the city of Nazareth in Galilee, while her mother's name was Anna, who was from Bethlehem.
Her parents lived simply, righteous in the eyes of God and unfailingly pious in the eyes of men. Their income they divided into three parts: one third they contributed to the Temple and its priests, one third they donated to the poor and to needy strangers, and the last third they kept for their personal needs and that of their family. In this way, chastely and without children, they lived for about 20 years with the favor of God and the respect of men. However, they resolved that if God should grant them any children, they would devote themselves to serve the divine. Because of this, they celebrated every feast in the religious calendar at the Temple.
At a time when the feast of dedication was near, Joachim and others of his tribe traveled to Jerusalem. Isachar, who his high priest at that time, noticed Joachim and his neighbors and the offerings they were bringing. But Isachar looked down on Joachim and rejected his offerings. He challenged him, "Why do you, who have no children, have the gall to appear here with those that do? Your offerings will never be accepted by Jehovah, who has judged you unworthy to have children. For the Scripture says, 'Cursed will be any of Israel who does not father a male child.'" (He added that Joachim could remove the curse by having children and that then he would be welcome to come with offerings for Jehovah.)
Overwhelmed by the shame of this rebuke, Joachim spent some time among the cowherds tending their herds in the pasture, for he was loathed to return home in case his neighbors, who were present when the high priest scolded him, might publicly rebuke him in the same way.
Notes
1. The parents of Mary, Joachim and Mary are presented here as moral exemplars, a dutiful, righteous, godly couple. One wonders, though, to what extend the gospel writer might have had knowledge of them and their characters. Mary, of course, was still alive at the time of the Crucifixion and could have furnished information, but all the gospels were written a generation or so after the Crucifixion (and this particular gospel, perhaps centuries after.) We, though, have no way of knowing the date of written source material upon which the gospels were based.
2. If Joachim was from Nazareth in Galilee and his wife Anna was from Bethlehem in Judea, how did they happen to meet and marry? One would have thought it would be unusual for a man, except one of high station, to wed someone living outside his home locality.
3. The high priest Isachar, in rebuking Joachim for being childless, voices the long-standing Jewish emphasis on procreation as a social and religious virtue. Having children is valued and honored in most societies, save those that are threatened by too much population growth. Also, the preference for a male child is made clear. Only a male can perpetuate the family, continue the paternal line. It is a view held by many societies that not to have a son is to allow the family to die. A man without a son dishonors his people, his tribe, his nation. So it is that Isachar comes down hard on Joachim. (It is interesting that Joachim's grandson Jesus would not marry or have children -- if the accepted gospels are accurate.)
4. Joachim is not only humiliated and shamed by the dressing down he got from the high priest, but he is afraid that the people in his own community, who formerly held him in such high regard, will turn against him because. One can imagine there was probably a loss of self-esteem as well, and he may have started believing his condition of childlessness was due to divine disapproval, as Isachar had suggested.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)