The Protoevangelium of James: Unveiling the Earliest Story of Mary Ever-Virgin

Join the St Shenouda Podcast as we delve into one of the most significant apocryphal texts of the early Church: the Gospel of James, commonly known as the Protoevangelium of James. Dating back to the second century (estimated 140–170 A.D.), this pseudepigraphic work claims to be written by James, the brother of Jesus, and offers an extensive narrative preceding the canonical Gospels.

This infancy gospel focuses primarily on the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus. It details the miraculous birth of Mary to her previously childless parents, Joachim and Anna. Following her birth, Mary is dedicated to God and raised within the Temple from age three to age twelve. The text claims she was so uniquely holy that she was fed daily by an angel.

When she reaches the age of twelve, Mary is entrusted to Joseph, who is depicted as an elderly widower with grown sons. This detail is crucial, as the Protoevangelium is the earliest surviving assertion of the perpetual virginity of Mary—affirming her virginity before, during, and after the birth of Jesus. By making Joseph a widower, the text explains the New Testament references to Jesus's "brothers" (adelphoi) as Joseph's children from a previous marriage, a position maintained by the Eastern Church.

The narrative continues through the Annunciation and the journey to Bethlehem, where Mary gives birth in a cave. We explore the dramatic scene involving the midwife Salome, who famously doubts Mary's post-partum virginity until she performs an examination, resulting in her hand withering as a sign of her lack of faith—before being miraculously healed by the Christ Child. This intense, physical description likely served to deny the claims of docetists who believed Jesus was entirely supernatural.

The Protoevangelium concludes with the story of the Magi, the Massacre of the Innocents, and the martyrdom of Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, who is murdered when he refuses to reveal his son's whereabouts.

Although formally condemned by Pope Innocent I in 405 AD and classified as apocryphal by the Gelasian Decree around 500 AD, the Protoevangelium of James profoundly influenced Christian devotion to Mary, shaping artistic depictions and traditional narratives across various cultures. Tune in to understand this foundational text that shaped so much of traditional Christian belief and devotion.