Protoevangelium Of James

The Protoevangelium of James, translated by Fr Robert Nixon and annotated by Fr Mark St Shenouda, is an early Christian text about the birth of the Virgin Mary and of Jesus. It is for readers who want to know more about the Holy Family than the Gospels tell.

The four canonical Gospels, accepted by all Christians as the inspired Word of God, give the most essential parts of the life, death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Yet they tell us little about the life of the Virgin Mary or Joseph, or even the childhood and youth of Jesus Himself. This is not because those details were not wondrous, but because they lay beyond what Divine Wisdom chose as the scope of Holy Scripture. The Gospels are not detailed biographies but sacred expressions of the Divine Word.

This is where texts such as the Protoevangelium of St James help, passing on other accounts about Jesus and those around Him. The very early traditions they hold are in no way at odds with the Gospels or other reliable sources. In fact, the Church's liturgy and the writings of the Church Fathers draw on, or closely match, material in this text.

Reading it can add to our reading of the Gospels and help us understand more about the birth of the Blessed Mary and of Jesus our Saviour.

Book details

• Translator: Fr Robert Nixon
• Annotated by: Fr Mark St Shenouda
• Format: Printed book
• Pages: 70
• Published: 2022, St Shenouda Press
• ISBN: 9780645554366