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Apocrypha of the New Testament
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Introductory Notice to Apocrypha of the New Testament.
[1595] Lit., angelic; one ms. has holy; the Latin translation, following a slightly different reading, that it would not be fair to her.
[1597] Three mss. have high priest.
[1598] Num. v. 11, ff.
[1600] Or: On this day of the Lord I will do, etc.
[1601] Another reading is: And his son Samuel led it, and James and Simon followed.
[1602] Bethlehem…used to be overshadowed by a grove of Thammuz, i.e., Adonis; and in the cave where Christ formerly wailed as an infant, they used to mourn for the beloved of Venus (Jerome to Paulinus). In his letter to Sabinianus the cave is repeatedly mentioned: “That cave in which the Son of God was born;” “that venerable cave,” etc., “within the door of what was once the Lord’s manger, now the altar.” “Then you run to the place of the shepherds.” There appears also to have been above the altar the figure of an angel, or angels. See also Justin, Tryph., 78.
[1603] Two mss. here add: And thou Bethlehem, etc., from Mic. v. 2.
[1604] Matt. ii. 1-12. One of the mss. here adds Matt. ii. 13-15, with two or three slight variations.
[1605] Four mss. have all the male children, as in Matt. ii. 16.
[1606] Another reading is: And Herod, enraged at this, ordered him to be slain in the midst of the altar before the dawn, that the slaying of him might not be prevented by the people. [This incident was probably suggested by the reference to “Zacharias the son of Barachias” in Matt. xxiii. 35, Luke xi. 51; but comp. 2 Chron. xxiv. 20-22.—R.]
[1607] Lit., the blessing of Zacharias did not come forth, etc.
[1608] Or, with prayer.
[1609] Another reading is: And was rent from the top, etc.
[1610] Luke ii. 26. One of the mss. here adds Matt. ii. 19-23, with two or three verbal changes.
[1611] [Assuming that this is among the most ancient of the Apocryphal Gospels, it is noteworthy that the writer abstains from elaborating his statements on points fully narrated in the Canonical Gospels. The supplementary character of the earliest of these writings is obvious. But what a contrast between the impressive silence of the New Testament narratives, and the garrulity, not to say indelicacy, of these detailed descriptions of the Nativity!—R.]
[1612] The mss. vary much in the doxology.
[1613] [This introduction is, of itself, an evidence of late origin.—R.]
[1614] Lit., to Latin ears.
Reply to Their Letter by Jerome.
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