THE SUPPRESSED GOSPELS AND EPISTLES OF THE ORIGINAL NEW TESTAMENT OF JESUS THE CHRIST

AND OTHER PORTIONS OF THE ANCIENT HOLY SCRIPTURES. NOW EXTANT, ATTRIBUTED TO HIS APOSTLES, AND THEIR DISCIPLES, AND VENERATED BY THE PRIMITIVE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES DURING THE FIRST FOUR CENTURIES, BUT SINCE, AFTER VIOLENT DISPUTATIONS FORBIDDEN BY THE BISHOPS OF THE NICENE COUNCIL, IN THE REIGN OF THE EMPEROR CONSTANTINE AND OMITTED FROM THE CATHOLICS AND PROTESTANT EDITIONS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, BY ITS COMPILERS

TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL TONGUES, WITH HISTORICAL REFERENCES TO THEIR AUTHENTICITY,

BY ARCHBISHOP WAKE AND OTHER LEARNED DIVINES

THE GOSPEL CALLED THE PROTEVANGELION;

Or, an Historical Account of the BIRTH of CHRIST, and the perpetual
VIRGIN MARY, his Mother, by JAMES THE LESSER, Cousin and Brother
of the Lord Jesus, chief Apostle and first Bishop of the Christians in
Jerusalem.

CHAPTER I.

1 Joachim, a rich man, 2 offers to the Lord, 3 is opposed by Reuben the high priest, because he has not begotten issue in Israel, 6 retires into the wilderness and fasts forty days and forty nights.

IN the history of the twelvetribes of Israel we read therewas a certain person calledJoachim, who being very rich, madedouble offerings to the Lord God,having made this resolution:My substance shall be for thebenefit of the whole people, thatI may find mercy from the LordGod for the forgiveness of my sins.

2 But at a certain great feastof the Lord, when the children ofIsrael offered their gifts, andJoachim also offered his, Reuben thehigh-priest opposed him, saying,it is not lawful for thee to offerthy gifts, seeing thou hast notbegot any issue in Israel.

3 At this, Joachim beingconcerned very much, went away toconsult the registries of the twelvetribes, to see whether he was theonly person who had begot noissue.

4 But upon inquiry he foundthat all the righteous had raisedup seed in Israel;

5 Then he called to mind thepatriarch Abraham, How that Godin the end of his life had given himhis son Isaac; upon which he wasexceedingly distressed, and wouldnot be seen by his wife:

6 But retired into the wilderness,and fixed his tent there, andfasted forty days and forty nights,saying to himself,

7 I will not go down either toeat or drink, till the Lord myGod shall look down upon me, butprayer shall be my meat and drink.

CHAPTER. II.

1 Anna, the wife of Joachim mourns her barrenness, 6 is reproached with it by Judith her maid, 9

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