Reading Notes: Infancy Gospels, Part A

 The Birth of Jesus (James)

Story source: The Lost Books of the Bible, edited by Rutherford H. Platt, Jr. (1926): The Protevangelion of James.

Plot:

Agustus demands jews to be taxed and Joseph takes his sons and Mary to Bethlehem. 

**here is a discussion of Jesus's brothers which is hardly ever mentioned in canonical gospels.**

Mary is hysterical laughing one moment and crying the next. 

Mary is led to a cave by Joseph when she says something in her must come forth. 

When she began to give birth all of the creation essentially froze around Joseph and an angel appeared to him.

He got a midwife and brought the angel and midwife to the cave.

Then there was a bright light and Jesus was born. 

Now, there is some guy named Salome that the midwife talks too and tells him that Mary is a virgin who just gave birth.

Mary then fell ill because "she had tempted the living God"

**does this mean she almost died because god was tempted and slept with her?? Does that mean she is no longer a virgin?**

Salome prayed on her behalf and she was healed. 

Research:
I looked it up and apparently, Salome is the mother of James and John (the apostles). Apparently, she is present in the gospels of Matthew and mark but hardly receives and name credit because of her status as a woman. This implies that the gospel of James might be a bit more progressive and forward-thinking about the role of women in religion. Apparently, she was largely involved with the beheading of John the baptist which is why she is pictured here holding his head. 

Ideas:
If I were to recount this tale I think I would talk more about this relationship or encounter Mary had with God. Perhaps she had a physical encounter with God. Perhaps she was no longer a virgin at all. Perhaps she met with a demon in disguise as God and her baby is instead the antichrist. 


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