Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VIII/Apocrypha of the New Testament/The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew/Chapter 15

Chapter 15.

And on the sixth day they entered Bethlehem, where they spent the seventh day.&#160; And on the eighth day they circumcised the child, and called His name Jesus; for so He was called by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. &#160; Now, after the days of the purification of Mary were fulfilled according to the law of Moses, then Joseph took the infant to the temple of the Lord.&#160; And when the infant had received parhithomus, &#8212;parhithomus, that is, circumcision&#8212;they offered for Him a pair of turtle-doves, or two young pigeons.

Now there was in the temple a man of God, perfect and just, whose name was Symeon, a hundred and twelve years old.&#160; He had received the answer from the Lord, that he should not taste of death till he had seen Christ, the Son of God, living in the flesh.&#160; And having seen the child, he cried out with a loud voice, saying:&#160; God hath visited His people, and the Lord hath fulfilled His promise.&#160; And he made haste, and adored Him.&#160; And after this he took Him up into his cloak and kissed His feet, and said:&#160; Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word:&#160; for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples, to be a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel.

There was also in the temple of the Lord, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, who had lived with her husband seven years from her virginity; and she had now been a widow eighty-four years.&#160; And she never left the temple of the Lord, but spent her time in fasting and prayer.&#160; She also likewise adored the child, saying:&#160; In Him is the redemption of the world.