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The Greek Septuagint translation of Isaiah describes the righteous one living in a high cave of strong rock. The Protoevangelium of James draws on this tradition by describing Mary giving birth in a cave near Bethlehem instead of a stable.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
LXX Isaiah 33:16
Septuagint
15 One walking in righteousness, speaking a straight way, hating lawlessness and unrighteousness and shaking off his hands from gifts, making his ears dull, lest he hear a judgment of blood, shutting his eyes, lest he see unrighteousness— 16 this one will live in the high cave of a strong rock; bread will be given to him, and his water will be assured. 17 You will see a king with glory, and your eyes will see a land from far away.
Protoevangelium of James 18
Gospel of James
Pseudepigrapha
18 He found a cave there and led her inside. Leaving his two sons with her, he went out to look for a midwife in the Bethlehem area. As I, Joseph, was walking, it felt as though I wasn’t moving, and I looked up at the sky and saw that the heavens were in awe. I looked toward the highest point of the sky and saw it standing still, with the birds of the air frozen in place. I looked down at the earth and saw workers lying around a trough, their hands paused in mid-motion. Those who were eating had stopped; those who were rising hadn’t gotten up; and those who were bringing food to their mouths didn’t finish the action. All of them were looking upward. I saw sheep walking, but they had stopped as well. A shepherd had raised his hand to strike the sheep, but his hand remained raised in the air. I looked at the flowing river and saw young goats with their mouths on the water, but they weren’t drinking. Everything in that moment seemed suspended, as if time itself had paused.
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Notes and References
... Compare the description of Mary giving birth in a cave at Protevangelium of James 19:15-16. The mention of the cave is also cited by Justin in Dialogue with Trypho 78.5-6, “he took up his quarters in a certain cave near the village; and while they were there Mary brought forth the Christ and placed Him in a manger ...” which seems to be derived from the reference in Isaiah 33:13-19 (“he shall dwell in a high cave of a strong rock”). Although the reference to the cave is unique and provides a special connection between Justin Martyr and our author, I am not suggesting literary dependence between these two writers, but perhaps a shared source. ...
Vuong, Lily
Accessing the Virgin: Gender and Purity in the Protoevangelium of James
(p. 340) McMaster University, 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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