Protoevangelium of James

The Protoevangelium of James (Infancy Gospel of James) is the earliest known text devoted to the birth and childhood of Mary, the mother of Jesus.|||Earliest manuscript: Papyrus Bodmer 5 (3rd–4th c.). Numerous Greek manuscripts from the 10th century onward. Syriac, Armenian, Ethiopic, and other versions.|||Composed in Greek in the mid-to-late 2nd century CE.|||Not canonical in any tradition. Widely read in the early Church.|||Presents the Virgin Mary as a Temple virgin, the perpetual virginity of Mary, and the birth of Jesus in a cave. Important for understanding the development of Marian devotion and doctrine.|||Elliott, J. K. The Apocryphal New Testament. Oxford, 1993.|||Vuong, L. C. Gender and Purity in the Protevangelium of James. Mohr Siebeck, 2013.|||Hock, R. F. The Infancy Gospels of James and Thomas. Polebridge Press, 1995.|||Protoevangelium of James — Early Christian Writings|https://www.earlychristianwritings.com/infancyjames.html|Full translation and scholarly resources.;; Protoevangelium of James — Sacred Texts|https://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/lbob/lbob02.htm|Public-domain translation.|||" And the priest said to Mary, You shall go into the Holy of Holies of the Lord, and you shall be blessed above all women." — Protoevangelium of James 8:1