Page:Apocryphal Gospels and Other Documents Relating to the History of Christ.djvu/136

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APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.

them, and his hand remained up; and I looked at the stream of the river, and I saw that the mouths of the kids were down, and not drinking; and everything which was being impelled forward was intercepted in its course.

CHAPTER XIX.

And I saw a woman coming down from the hill country, and she said to me, O man, whither art thou going? and I said, I am seeking a Hebrew midwife. And she answered and said to me, Art thou of Israel? And I said to her, Yea. And she said, And who is it that bringeth forth in the cave? And I said, She that is espoused to me. And she said to me, Is she not thy wife? And I said to her, It is Mary who was brought up in the temple of the Lord, and she was allotted to me to wife, and she is not my wife, but hath conceived by the Holy Spirit. And the midwife said to him, Is this true? And Joseph said to her, Come and see. And the midwife went with him. And they stood in the place where the cave was, and behold a bright cloud overshadowed the cave. And the midwife said, My soul is magnified to-day, because my eyes have seen strange things; for salvation is born to Israel. And suddenly the cloud withdrew from the cave, and there appeared a great light in the cave, so that their eyes could not