Texts in Conversation
In the Protoevangelium of James, Anna's prayer echoes the prayer of Hannah in 1 Samuel, following the same pattern of a childless woman who prays and makes a vow, showing how later traditions use the Hebrew Bible to draw on its authority.
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1 Samuel 1:11
Hebrew Bible
10 As for Hannah, she was very distressed. She prayed to the Lord and was, in fact, weeping. 11 She made a vow saying, “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you would truly look on the suffering of your servant, and would keep me in mind and not neglect your servant, and give your servant a male child, then I will dedicate him to the Lord all the days of his life. His hair will never be cut.” 12 It turned out that she did a great deal of praying before the Lord. Meanwhile Eli was watching her mouth.
Protoevangelium of James 4
Gospel of James
Pseudepigrapha
4 And suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared beside her, saying: “Anna, Anna, the Lord has heard your prayer. You will conceive and give birth, and your child will be known throughout the world.” Anna replied: “As surely as the Lord my God lives, whether I have a son or a daughter, I will dedicate the child to the Lord, and they will serve Him in holy things all their life.” And then, two angels appeared, saying: “Look, your husband Joachim is on his way with his flocks. For an angel of the Lord went to him, saying: ‘Joachim, Joachim, the Lord God has heard your prayer. Go back now, for your wife Anna will conceive.’” So Joachim returned and called to his shepherds, saying: “Bring me ten spotless lambs for the Lord my God, twelve tender calves for the priests and elders, and a hundred goats for the people.” And sure enough, Joachim came with his flocks. Anna stood by the gate, and when she saw Joachim approaching, she ran to him, threw her arms around his neck, and said: “Now I know that the Lord God has blessed me greatly, for the widow is no longer a widow, and I, who was childless, will now conceive.” And Joachim rested in his home for the rest of that day.
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Notes and References
"... Because the pregnancy is a gift from God, Mary, like Samuel, is to be dedicated to the temple (Protoevangelium of James 4:1; 7; compare 1 Samuel 1:11). Mary is raised in the temple and fed by angels (8:1), but as her twelfth birthday approaches, the priests realize that they must find her a new home lest she defile the temple with the onset of menstruation (Protoevangelium of James 8). Thus, Mary’s sexual maturation – her transition to womanhood – is foregrounded in the narrative. Furthermore, her physical development is connected to her readiness for marriage, for the high priest is advised by an angel to assemble the widowers of Israel, one of whom will be divinely chosen to be betrothed to Mary (Protoevangelium of James 8:3). By a miraculous sign, the elderly Joseph is selected. But what will mark this transition from youth to betrothal in Mary’s case? Will she weave for Joseph? Will she and Joseph be knit together? ..."
Hultin, Jeremy F.
"A New Web for Arachne and a New Veil for the Temple" in Ahearne-Kroll, Stephen P., et al. (eds.) Women and Gender in Ancient Religions: Interdisciplinary Approaches
(pp. 209-223) Mohr Siebeck, 2010
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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