The Childhood of Jesus
The Gospel of James
Biographical Gospel of the Lord
- Chapter 176 -
Some Old Fables About The Moon
WHEN HE ARRIVED in the house, Jonathan said to Joseph, 'Brother, what will come of this most unfortunate situation?
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By my poor life, just look out of that window! The whole moon has been eaten up hide and hair!
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And it is now terrifyingly dark outside!
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Yes, yes, I have often heard it said by greatly learned pagans that man should not count the heavenly orbs nor gaze at them too attentively -
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for it then could easily happen that they would fall down to earth!
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And if a man should happen to chance upon his own guiding star, and it fell down, the man would be lost and done for!
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Now the moon is also a heavenly body and may be subject to the same strange law!
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So it might be that we hit upon it and it fell down to earth somewhere in pieces; for I saw a number of particles fly away from it.
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Or we are now bewitched by the moon and will become moonstruck, which will be a great affliction for us!
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One thing is certainly the case: it is obvious that the moon does not exist any more - but who devoured it or where it went is quite another question!'
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Here Joseph said, 'Do you know, I have heard a number of times that the moon as well as the sun become darkened.
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Now that could easily be the case now, although I myself cannot recall ever having seen anything like it!
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But I have heard from old people that at times the angels of God polish these two heavenly lights as we do a lamp, once the wick becomes defective -
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during which time it naturally gets a bit dark on the earth. That may be happening now!
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For the fable that a dragon begins to devour both heavenly bodies is too stupid and is nothing but paganism.'
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While Joseph and Jonathan were thus discussing the moon, it began to re-emerge on the other side.
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The children and the sons of Joseph noticed this and exclaimed, 'Look, look, the moon is becoming visible again!'
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The pair looked outside, and a stone fell from Jonathan's heart because he now could see the moon again.
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Here Joseph again asked the little Child how this came about.
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And the little Child said, 'Just let the meager moon come out from behind the shadow which the earth casts, and then we will see if it has changed any!
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The earth is after all no infinitely great body, but is as round as the orange which I ate a little while ago
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and floats free in an infinite space; hence the sun's rays can always cover the earth.
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Thus the great earth must also throw a shadow, and if the moon enters into this it is darkened, since it is also illuminated by the sun. Any more I shall not tell you!' At this Joseph and Jonathan looked at each other and could not think of anything to add thereto.