Cure of a leper at Emmaus, with a very long dialogue. XXV. They go to Nazareth. Jesus arbitrates between two brothers, Malachias and Micheas. XXVI. Cure of a man, Hiram. XXVII. Cure of an old man, Balthasar: long dialogue. XXVIII. Jesus arbitrates between two soldiers.
There is on the whole little of ancient flavour in the book, and it does not seem to preserve any details, which are not to be found elsewhere, of the old tradition. The diffuseness of the expansions reminds one of the Armenian version of 4 Esdras, which takes the most unwarrantable liberties with the text.
HISTORY OF JOSEPH THE CARPENTER, OR DEATH OF JOSEPH
This is an Egyptian book, not earlier than the fourth century in date, and very probably later: it exists in fragments in Sahidic, complete in Bohairic (the dialects of Upper and Lower Egypt respectively), and complete also in Arabic. A Latin version made in the fourteenth century from the Arabic exists, but has not been printed.
The object of the book is the glorification of St. Joseph and his feast-day: his cult, so popular in the West, was long confined to Egypt. The interest of it lies in a few reminiscences of earlier books, and in the picturesque and highly Egyptian descriptions of death. The lamentations of Joseph and his prayers find many parallels in the literature of Christian Egypt, and especially in the Coptic accounts of the death of the Virgin.
The order of the book is as follows (I use Forbes Robinson's and Peeters's versions):
Proem: 'This is the going forth from the body of our father Joseph the carpenter, the father of Christ according to flesh, whose life was 111 years.' It was told by Christ to the apostles on Mount Olivet, was written down by them, and laid up in the library at Jerusalem. The day of the death was the 26th of the month Epep.
I. Christ on Mount Olivet addresses the apostles: on the certainty of death and the justice of God, &c.
Il. Joseph was of Bethlehem: he was a carpenter, and married and had four sons, Judas, Josetos (Arab. Justus), James, Simon, and two daughters, Lysia (Arab. Asia) and Lydia. His wife died, leaving James still young.
Ill. Mary was being brought up in the Temple till she was twelve years old. The priests decided to give her to a husband.
IV. The lot fell on Joseph. Mary brought up James and was called Mary of James. Two years passed.
V. 'I came and dwelt in her.' Joseph’s perplexity. VI. Reassured by Gabriel.
