The Forbidden Gospels and Epistles, Complete

1 The Parentage of Mary.

7 Joachim her father, and Anna her mother,

go to Jerusalem to the feast of the dedication.

9 Issachar, the high priest, reproaches Joachim

for being childless.

THE blessed and ever glorious

Virgin Mary, sprung from

the royal race and family of David,

was born in the city of Nazareth,

and educated at Jerusalem, in the

temple of the Lord.

2 Her father's name was Joachim,

and her mother's Anna.

The family of her father was of

Galilee and the city of Nazareth.

The family of her mother was of

Bethlehem.

3 Their lives were plain and

right in the sight of the Lord,

pious and faultless before men;

for they divided all their substance

into three parts;

4 One of which they devoted to

the temple and officers of the

temple; another they distributed

among strangers, and persons in

poor circumstances; and the third

they reserved for themselves and

the uses of their own family.

5 In this manner they lived for

about twenty years chastely, in the

favour of God, and the esteem of

men, without any children.

6 But they vowed, if God should

favour them with any issue, they

would devote it to the service of

the Lord; on which account they

went at every feast in the year to

the temple of the Lord.

7 And it came to pass, that

when the feast of the dedication

drew near, Joachim, with some

others of his tribe, went up to

Jerusalem, and at that time,

Isachar was high-priest;

8 Who, when he saw Joachim

along with the rest of his

neighbours, bringing his offerings,

despised both him and his offerings,

and asked him,

9 Why he, who had no children,

would presume to appear among

those who had? Adding, that his

offerings could never be acceptable

to God, who was judged by him

unworthy to have children; the

Scripture having said, Cursed is

every one who shall not beget a

male in Israel.

10 He further said, that he ought

first to be free from that curse by

begetting some issue, and then

come with his offerings into the

presence of God.

11 But Joachim being much

confounded with the shame of such

reproach, retired to the shepherds

who were with the cattle in their

pastures;

12 For he was not inclined to

return home, lest his neighbours,

who were present and heard all

this from the high-priest, should

publicly reproach him in the same

manner.