Birth of Mary Chapter 1
The Birth of the Virgin Mary (apocryphal)

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THE blessed and ever glorious Virgin Mary, sprung from the royal race and family of David, was born in the city of Nazareth, and educated at Jerusalem, in the temple of the Lord.

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Her father's name was Joachim, and her mother's Anna. The family of her father was of Galilee and the city of Nazareth. The family of her mother was of Bethlehem.

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Their lives were plain and right in the sight of the Lord, pious and faultless before men; for they divided all their substance into three parts;

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One of which they devoted to the temple and officers of the temple; another they distributed among strangers, and persons in poor circumstances; and the third they reserved for themselves and the uses of their own family.

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In this manner they lived for about twenty years chastely, in the favour of God, and the esteem of men, without any children.

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But they vowed, if God should favour them with any issue, they would devote it to the service of the Lord; on which account they went at every feast in the year to the temple of the Lord.

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And it came to pass, that when the feast of the dedication drew near, Joachim, with some others of his tribe, went up to Jerusalem, and at that time, Isachar was high-priest;

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Who, when he saw Joachim along with the rest of his neighbours, bringing his offerings, despised both him and his offerings, and asked him,

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Why he, who had no children, would presume to appear among those who had? Adding, that his offerings could never be acceptable to God, who was judged by him unworthy to have children; the Scripture having said, Cursed is every one who shall not beget a male in Israel.

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He further said, that he ought first to be free from that curse by begetting some issue, and then come with his offerings into the presence of God.

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But Joachim being much confounded with the shame of such reproach, retired to the shepherds who were with the cattle in their pastures;

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For he was not inclined to return home, lest his neighbours, who were present and heard all this from the high-priest, should publicly reproach him in the same manner.