The Protevangelium of James. Lily C. Vuong

posited three independent sources each with differing dates of composition: a biography of Mary’s nativity, which informed the beginning of the text’s description of her lineage, miraculous birth, upbringing by her parents and the temple priests, engagement to Joseph, and conception of Jesus (chaps. 1–17; early third century); a Joseph source comprising Joseph’s first-person experience of time suspension and Mary’s postpartum inspection (chaps. 18–20; late second century); and a Zechariah source, which offers an account of Zechariah’s death (chaps. 21–24; second century).83

      Von Harnack’s source theory was convincing and left unchallenged for some time until the discovery of the Bodmer Miscellaneous Codex in the mid-twentieth century, which proved that the text comprised all three sections (minus the “suspension of time” passage of chapter 18) at a very early date.84 More recent trends too have seen a shift away from multiple source theories and have argued instead for the literary unity of the text. Hock notes that many of the discrepancies observed about the Protevangelium could be explained persuasively as various oral traditions available to the author as well as arguments dependent upon rhetorical reasoning.85 Specifically, Bovon has argued that the switch from third to first person supports the overall goals of the text and makes even more emphatic the importance of the moment being described, namely the birth of Jesus.86 Perhaps the strongest and initial catalyst for the shifting trend can be attributed to de Strycker and Elliott who argue that the vocabulary and compositional structure of the text point clearly to a unified work.87 Hock too observes the consistency of the text’s syntax and word choice as evidence for literary unity, but makes the argument for concordance from a different perspective. Looking to the dominant theme of purity as the binding agent, Hock writes that “it is difficult to imagine anyone more pure than Mary” and that it is this overarching concern for her purity that informs the Protevangelium thematically and structurally.88

      No new or substantial arguments have been made to shift discussion away from the current consensus that the Protevangelium is a unified text. In fact, various recent studies on the Protevangelium have presumed the text is coherent and such unity is used as a springboard or justification for other inquiries into the text, especially ones that employ literary analysis.89 Important to note, however, is that the arguments for literary unity in the text do not exclude the use of sources by the author or the editing of the narrative at a later date. The author shows clear signs of literary influence from a number of different sources; the literary unity of the text simply holds the position that the Protevangelium can be read as a coherent whole.

      Mary’s Characterization as Virginal and Pure

      Even the most cursory reading of the Protevangelium will reveal the deep and overarching theme of Mary’s extreme and unparalleled purity. As a narrative devoted to providing more information about the mother of Jesus, every aspect of Mary’s character is defined by her purity and every detail disclosed is for the purpose of enhancing her status. Perhaps most obviously, Mary’s perpetual virginity dominates most discussions regarding her purity and has often been used as justification for viewing her as the New Eve, since she alone is immune to the curse placed on the primordial woman of Genesis (Gen 2:16) because of her extraordinary virginity.90 No doubt, Mary is emphatically declared to be a virgin before, during, and after the birth of Jesus. This claim is not simply vocalized by various characters throughout the narrative, but actually imbedded in her title as the Virgin of the Lord, an honor bestowed upon her the moment she leaves the sacred space of the Jerusalem temple (9:7). Every scene in the Protevangelium is carefully constructed either to ensure that her sexual purity is safeguarded or to verify that it is still intact.

      Three specific scenarios in particular stand out as tests and proof of Mary’s virginal state.91 The first occurs when she is questioned harshly by Joseph about her pregnant state after he has been away for several months wherein he implies Mary was deceived and corrupted in a manner liken to Eve (13:1–7). Mary speaks only eight times throughout the entire narrative so it is especially significant that three of these occurrences involve defenses of her purity and innocence.92 The first two of these three declarations occur when she responds to Joseph in a clear and active voice that she is innocent and has not had sexual relations with any man (13:8) and when Mary vows that she does not know how she became pregnant (13:10).

      The second time Mary defends her virginity she does so in language similar to her response to Joseph, but the claim this time is made before the high priest: “I am pure before him and I do not know a man” (15:13). Mary’s third declaration of innocence is also found in a tense situation involving the verification of her virginal state. In this second scenario the stakes are higher, but so are the rewards. When both Mary and Joseph are questioned about her pregnant state, Mary’s virginal status is doubly defended not only by her own voice, but also by Joseph, who declares that he is pure concerning Mary. The testing escalates when the high priest requires them to take the “Lord’s drink test” (16:3–8) with the purpose of disclosing their sin, moving the defense of Mary’s virginity from a vocal declaration and a private affair to a physical testing and a public matter.

      The third scene emphasizing Mary’s sexually pure state and role as the Lord’s virgin has the goal of presenting Mary as a virgin to an even higher level when she is questioned and given a gynecological examination by a midwife (20:1–2). The results, of course, are that the midwife physically confirms her extraordinary and paradoxical state as virgin mother (20:3–4, 10–11). In other words, Mary’s pre- and post-partum virgin status is repeatedly established by all major characters in the narrative (Joseph, Mary, the priests, all the people, the angel, and the Lord God) and verified through the physical testing of both Mary and Joseph.