Gospel of James

The Gospel of James, also known as The Book of James or the Protevangelium of James, is an early Christian apocryphal text traditionally attributed to James. Probably composed in the second century, it expands on events surrounding the birth and early life of the Virgin Mary and the birth of Jesus.

The narrative begins with Mary’s parents, Joachim and Anna, and describes the circumstances of her miraculous birth. Mary is dedicated to God from childhood and raised in the Temple before being entrusted to Joseph, who becomes her guardian and protector.

The text then recounts the Annunciation, Mary’s pregnancy, and the journey to Bethlehem, offering details about the Nativity of Jesus that do not appear in the canonical Gospels. It also tells of the reactions of Joseph and others to Mary’s pregnancy and describes events surrounding the birth of Jesus and the persecution ordered by Herod.

Although it is not part of the New Testament canon, The Gospel of James had a significant influence on later Christian tradition and art, particularly traditions concerning Mary’s parents, childhood, and perpetual virginity.

"The latter of these names is a modern one: it was given to the book by Guillaume Postel, who in the sixteenth century introduced it to Europe.
Origen mentions the Book of James (and the Gospel of Peter) as stating that the ‘brethren of the Lord’ were sons of Joseph by a former wife. This is the first mention of it, and shows us that the book is as old as the second century. To collect later references to it is unnecessary."

This edition is based on the English translation by Montague Rhodes James.