The Childhood of Jesus
The Gospel of James
Biographical Gospel of the Lord
- Chapter 99 -
Cyrenius Seeks The Maiden's Hand
WHILE THE GIRL was still enthralled in her great joy, Cyrenius, accompanied by Maronius Pilla, returned to Joseph as he had promised to do the previous evening.
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Joseph and Mary received him with great, heartfelt joy, and Cyrenius said,
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'Oh my esteemed friend and brother, what has befallen you, since to my great joy you are so happy?'
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Joseph at once referred Cyrenius to the girl and stated,
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'See, there with the Baby on her arms and sunk into deep bliss is the object of our joy!'
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Cyrenius looked at the girl more closely and then asked Joseph,
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'Did you take her into your service as a child-nurse? Where did this beautiful Israelite maiden come from?'
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And Joseph answered the from curiosity burning Cyrenius,
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'Oh eminent friend, see, a wonder brought her beneath this roof! She came to me blind, looking like an elderly, extremely poor beggar woman.
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Then she received her sight through the wondrous power of the Baby, and it became evident that she is only a maiden of scarcely twenty summers, and since she is an orphan I have also adopted her as my daughter! That is the actual reason for our joy!'
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And Cyrenius, while looking at the girl with constantly greater approbation, while she in her great bliss did not even notice him although he was present in full splendor, said to Joseph,
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'Oh friend, oh brother, how much do I now regret that I am a Roman patrician!
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Truly, I would give anything if I were now a Jew and could ask for this glorious Jewess of you for a wife!
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For you know that I am single and childless. Oh what could such a wife, blessed by you, be to me!'
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Hereupon Joseph smiled at Cyrenius and asked him, 'Just what would you do if this girl were no Jewess, but a Roman woman of high station, equal to yours?
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If she were the only daughter of a patrician whose parents met their doom in the depths of the sea during a voyage to Delphi?'
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At this Cyrenius looked at Joseph quite dumbfoundedly and said after a mute pause,
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'Oh esteemed friend and brother! What are you saying? I beg you, explain yourself more clearly, for the matter seems to concern me closely!'
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Joseph replied, 'My eminent friend! See, everything has its proper time, so you too must be a little patient here and the girl will tell you everything herself.
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In the meantime, tell me how matters stand with the corpses which were dug out of the rubble of the temple.'