The Childhood of Jesus
The Gospel of James
Biographical Gospel of the Lord
- Chapter 25 -
The Testimony Of A Prophetess
AT THIS TIME there was a prophetess in the temple, named Hannah, a daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher.
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She was already very old and was so devout, that when in her youth she became espoused to a man, she so loved God that she did not reveal herself to her husband for seven years and during this time retained her virginity.
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She became a widow in her eightieth year, thereupon entered the temple and did not depart from it any more.
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Here she served the Lord God alone in prayer and fasting day and night from her own free will.
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On this occasion she had already been in the temple for four years and now also came over, praised the Lord God and then told all who awaited the Savior in Jerusalem what the Spirit of God revealed to her.
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When she had finished her prophetic words, she also asked for the Baby, caressed Him, and praised and glorified God.
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After that she gave the Baby back to Mary and said to her: 'Happy and blessed are you, oh maiden, that you are the mother of my Lord!
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But do not ever allow yourself to desire praise on that account, for only That, which there sucks at your breast, is alone worthy to be honored, praised and worshiped by all of us!'
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After these words the prophetess left, and Joseph and Mary, who had been in the temple about three hours, left it again and sought lodging with a relative.
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But when they arrived there they found the house locked, for the relative this time also happened to be in Bethlehem to be recorded.
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Joseph did not know what to do now, for the night was fully upon him, as was to be expected during this time of shortest days - besides, hardly a house was still open at this hour, and that all the more so because it was the evening before the Sabbath.
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It was too cold to spend the night out in the open, for the frost lay on the fields and a cold wind blew besides.
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While Joseph considered back and forth and asked the Lord to help him out of this distress,
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behold, suddenly there came a young, refined Israelite toward Joseph and asked him, 'What are you doing on the street so late with your baggage? Are you not also an Israelite - and do not know the custom?'
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Joseph answered, 'See, I am of the tribe of David! I was in the temple and made an offering to the Lord; but the early night has overtaken me, and now I can find no shelter and am in great distress because of my wife and her Child!'
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Here the young Israelite said to Joseph, 'So then come with me and I will rent you a lodging until tomorrow for a piece of silver or its equivalent.
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And Joseph with Mary, who was on the donkey, and will his three sons followed the Israelite into a magnificent house and there took lodging in a small room with a low ceiling.