Found the Donkey

You recall in the Nativity scenes we have our donkey, braying and chewing at the straw, whilst Jesus is laying there in the manger, “no crying he makes” – yeah, sure… But then we have the naysayers, like me, saying that the story is fuzed together and, yes, there’s no donkey mentioned. Well, I have found the donkey.

In the recent few weeks we have been looking at the Nativity story and noted that there are a few verses from the Hebrew Scriptures (or Old Testament) that are deemed prophetic. The one from Isaiah 7:14 is the one that suggests of a virgin birth, but no causal link to Jesus. Furthermore, the word in the Hebrew translated to virgin in many Bibles, refers to a maiden. Hey, but what of the donkey? OK, I’m getting to that.

In the middle of the 2nd C AD, a new Gospel hit the road. It’s called the ‘Infancy Gospel of James’, or to give its posh title: the Protoevangelium of James – the “first good news”. It speaks of Joachim, a rich man but one who had yet to have any children. His wife, Anna, wasn’t happy with not having any children either. She was very aggrieved and upset. An angel told her that she shall conceive. Anna was delighted and promised that the child shall minister to God all of its days. Joachim had a visit by 2 angels : not sure why he had to have more angels, perhaps he needed more persuading. They told Joachim that Anna was to conceive with God’s help. He promptly organised the slaughter of many animals for the priests and the village folk – to celebrate this news. All seemed well. The donkey is coming, I promise you.

Nine months later, with the midwife present, a baby was born, and she was called Mary. Six further months passed and wee Mary was soon to walk. A tadge early for many babies, in my opinion. Anna was delighted and made her bedroom into a sanctuary so Mary wouldn’t go off the rails, as it were. Then there is a line:

“And she called the undefiled daughters of the Hebrews, and they led her astray“

Infancy Gospel of James, Paragraph 6

Once Mary was 2 years old, Joachim wanted to take her to the temple, but Mary countered his request by saying that they wait until she is 3. This was so that Mary wouldn’t want of her Mum & Dad anymore when she would be left at the Temple – recall Anna’s promise? Finally, that day dawned and Mary was taken to the Temple, and all went well – well, Mary could be left there.

Rods which turn into Doves

Many years then passed, until Mary was a sprightly age of 12. “What shall we do with her?“, the priests asked. An Angel spoke with the chief priest, Zacharias (now we might be growing more familiar with such names), who told him to gather all the widowers (males). They would all be given a rod. If a dove would come out of the rod and nestle on the person’s head, they were the chosen one.

If only Tinder, Eharmony or Grindr had such a function.

Joseph, yes him, well, his rod was the one to explode into white feathers and a dove. He was the one to be able to marry young Mary. She, whilst waiting for Joseph, was soon to have a visit of an Angel, who said these immortal words:

“Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found grace before the Lord of all, and thou shalt conceive” (for the Angel spoke in the language of King James (sic))

Infancy Gospel of James, Paragraph 11

Mary, delighted that she was, went off to meet with her ‘kinswoman’, Elizabeth – which we have heard about in Luke’s Gospel. Now, if you are thinking that Mary was 12, you’d be mistaken. She was, by now, 16 years of age. And in her sixth month of pregnancy, Jospeh came back from tending to the animals and noticed that she was ‘big with child’.

Typical bloke, quite unobservant. Then again, I have to check the diary to notice that my wife has had a haircut. Now Joseph wasn’t well pleased, not that my wife had had a haircut, but that Mary was pregnant without his knowledge..or him playing any part in it whatsoever. He jumped to the conclusion, that as she was a virgin straight from the Temple, and now she was pregnant, and someone else was the culprit. Mary responded “I do not know whence it is me” – still speaking in that olde English way. Do not fear, as an Angel came soon at night and allayed his fears.

Don’t drink the water

Back at the Temple, the Priests were now alarmed (paragraph 15 of the Infancy Gospel). Annas, the Scribe, sent for Joseph to answer a few questions down at the station Temple. Joseph was told that he should give up Mary, resulting in him bursting into tears – a positive sign for today’s macho male, as he demonstrates the need to show his emotions. There was a test that both Joseph and Mary had to perform with the drinking of ‘water of the ordeal of the Lord’ (paragraph 16), but they remained ‘unhurt’. Unhurt? what sort of water was this? Anyway, as the water had not harmed them, they were clear of any misdemeanour (?) and could go on their way. Phew!

Donkey, wherefore art thou Donkey?

Emperor Augustus ordered that all the children in Bethlehem of Judea (there were other Bethlehem’s) to be enrolled. Was this a Census, in a very small village, let alone a hamlet, at that time? Joseph was more perplexed at how Mary might be categorised. She wasn’t his wife yet. Could she be deemed to be his daughter, given the vast age range – recall that he was a widower. So Jospeh saddled his donkey (Yay! at last the donkey enters the story!) It wasn’t long before Mary was in some discomfort. Not from the donkey but through the end pains of the pregnancy. Joseph recognises that he is in the middle of a desert but, amazingly, finds a nearby cave. It reads:

” And he found a cave there, and led her into it; and leaving his two sons beside her, he went out to seek a midwife in the district of Bethlehem“

So, not a house nor a manger, a cave (see image below). And did you note the two sons? And Joseph will now be missing at the time of birth.

Infancy Gospel of James, paragraph 18

Jospeh met a woman from the hill country who was also a midwife – very apt! She wasn’t flummoxed by Joseph’s story of being with a woman who wasn’t his wife but had had a child, conceived by the Holy Spirit. Upon seeing Mary, this midwife, sadly not named but possibly called Emea, she could see the luminous cloud over the cave known as a mandorla (or almond) – a star comes later. As the midwife exited the cave she would meet Salome. Now, either she was the stepdaughter of Herod Antipas, who would later behead John, he of the baptist tradition; or the wife of Zebedee, mother of James and John the fishermen – let’s go with the latter. Mainly because Salome was also the other daughter of Joachim and Anna. Salome may have been at Jesus’ birth and death. Salome, ‘thrust in her finger’ into Mary and deemed that she was still intact. Her finger was burned in the process, but quickly healed by Jesus. Oh my goodness.

Joseph off to Bethlehem

Well, Joseph, now aware of there arrival of Jesus, leaves the family (3 children), and sets off again for Bethlehem, but upon arrival there, he noted that the pace was in great commotion. The Magi caravan had arrived, and they were demanding to know “where was the king of the Jews?” I suppose they had travelled many miles – it doesn’t indicate where they had started their journey – but were a little taken aback at the lack of information or signposts to the place of birth. Soon, Herod was in on the act: “Where is He who was born?” The Magi had since re-consulted their star guides and noted that the star they had originally followed had now diverted from its initial track and was now above the cave. They then went there and offered the child gold, frankincense and myrrh. Joseph was warned by an Angel not to go into Judaea but go another route – no mention of Egypt.

Herod was more than a little annoyed. “Mocked by the Magi” – which would have made a good headline – he ordered that all children 2 years and under were to be slayed. Mary put her child into an ox-stall. Elizabeth, caring for her new son John, wasn’t able to find such a place but found a cleft in the mountain. Herod was now on the trail. He found Zacharias, John’s Dad, and demanded his whereabouts. He actually didn’t know, and said as such, and was murdered, actually there in the Temple, for saying as such. Zacharias was noted as missing from his next shift at the Temple, so the other priests went to have a look for him. They saw his body beside the altar, the blood now having ‘turned into stone’ (?)

So, what of the donkey or ass?

Well, according to Father Jeremy, one who delves deep into Ancient Christianity,: “In the ancient Church, the ox symbolized the Jews, for it was a clean, kosher animal that they could eat. It could also be easily trained to pull a plow and assist in various ways. The Jews had the Law of Moses and it helped keep them (or at least a remnant) clean and obedient to God. The ass, on the other hand, is a stubborn and wilder animal. It is unclean and not kosher, therefore, it represents the Gentiles who did not have the Law of Moses to guide them away from their pursuit of indecent and immoral behaviour.” Hence, in the image above we just about see the ox and the ass, together in the cave entrance.

When Jesus speaks of two groups: sheep and the goats, Jews and Gentiles, those of the Way and the Pharisees/Scribes/Priests, could we also have a metaphorically picture here of the ox and the ass. And Jesus was carried on the back of the gentile animal?

Lastly, Virginity

I’m not going to thrust too deeply, unlike Salome. However, here we have the story of Anna who conceived Mary by the power of God, and it continued onwards with Mary. Was perpetual virginity a thing in the family from now on?

Written in the second century AD, the Protoevangelium of James, goes to great lengths to defend the perpetual virginity of Mary. The Protoevangelium is where we get the “tradition that Mary was consecrated for service in the temple as a young girl, which would mean a life of perpetual virginity. Indeed, the classic text indicates that Mary’s being entrusted to Joseph was for the purpose of protecting her virginity. At the Second Council of Constantinople in 553 A.D., Mary was officially given the title “Ever-virgin.” , quoting from Catholic Answers.

Naysayers Warning

It, however, should be stated – naysayers alert warning – “Most scholars regard this infancy gospel as historically worthless, except as a source of second-century piety; and that does seem the safest point of departure.”, a paper from Oxford University concludes. James, may be James the Just, or Jesus’ brother, but who died in 62AD, around 90 years before this was considered to be written.

The Infancy Gospel perpetuates the main part of the Nativity story whilst fabricating other elements. Sadly it has become mainstream now, especially for some, not only Catholic, believers.

What are your thoughts on this seldom read Gospel?

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So grateful to a great companion who suggested such an exploration of this Gospel.