Page:The Apocryphal New Testament (1924).djvu/123

 VII. Decree of Caesar. The Birth 'by the tomb of Rachel'.

VIII. Herod sought to slay me. The Flight: Salome was with us. A year in Egypt.

IX. Return to Nazareth. Joseph worked at his trade.

X. His health and strength were unimpaired: he lived to be 111.

XI. Josetos and Symeon married. Joseph dwelt with James. I was subject to Mary and to him.

XII. Joseph's death drew nigh. He went to the temple and prayed at the altar.

XIII. His prayer to be saved from the terrors after death, 'the river of fire wherein all souls are purified before they see the glory of God'.

XIV. He returned to Nazareth and fell ill. The dates of his life: he was 40 when he married, and was married forty-nine years: a year alone after his wife’s death. Two years with Mary before the Nativity.

XV. His strength gave way and he was troubled and uttered a lamentation (XVI) over all the parts of his body, for their several transgressions.

XVII. I went to him. His greeting and address: he told of his doubt about Mary, and of another incident (a fusion of two stories in Thomas). The Sahidic tells it thus: I remember also the day that the horned serpent bit the lad on his foot and he died. His relations were gathered unto thee, wishing to take thee and deliver thee to Herod the lawless. And I found thee (Boh. Thy mercy found him), and thy godhead laid hold of him and he lived; and when thou didst raise him up to his parents there was great joy to them. But I requested thee, O my beloved son, saying: Be quiet in all things: and I took hold of thy right ear and pulled it. Thou didst answer, saying unto me: Unless thou wert my father according to the flesh, surely I would have warned thee because thou didst pull my right ear. (The Bohairic has slight variants, and the Arabic softens the incident by saying, 'I took hold of thy hand'.)

XVIII. I wept. My mother asked if Joseph must die, and I told her that it must be so.

XIX. I sat at his head, Mary at his feet. I felt his heart and found that the soul was in his throat.

XX. Mary felt his feet and legs and found them cold as ice. The brethren and sisters were summoned. Lysia the eldest daughter ('who is the seller of purple', Sahidic: cf. Acts xvi. 14) lamented: so did all.

XXI. I looked at the south of the door and saw Death, and Amente following with their satellites 'decani' armed with fire. Joseph saw them and feared. I rebuked them and they fled. Death hid himself behind the door. I prayed.

XXII. Prayer for protection for the soul of Joseph 'until it cross the seven aeons of darkness'. 'Let the river of fire be as