Texts in Conversation
In John, Thomas refuses to believe in the resurrection unless he can put his finger into Jesus’ wounds. The Protoevangelium of James echoes this scene with Salome, who refuses to accept the virgin birth unless she examines Mary herself.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
John 20:25
New Testament
24 Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “Unless I see the wounds from the nails in his hands, and put my finger into the wounds from the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe it!” 26 Eight days later the disciples were again together in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”
Protoevangelium of James 19
Gospel of James
Pseudepigrapha
19 I saw a woman coming down from the hills, and she asked me, “Where are you headed?” I replied, “I’m looking for a Hebrew midwife.” She asked, “Are you from Israel?” and I said, “Yes.” Then she asked, “Who’s giving birth in the cave?” I told her, “A woman engaged to me.” She asked, “Isn’t she your wife?” I explained, “It’s Mary, who was raised in the temple of the Lord, and I was chosen by lot to be her husband. But she isn’t really my wife, because she’s conceived by the Holy Spirit.” The midwife asked, “Is that true?” and Joseph answered, “Come see for yourself.” So the midwife followed him, and when they got to the cave, a bright cloud covered the entrance. The midwife said, “I feel so blessed today—my eyes have seen something amazing! Salvation has come to Israel.” Right after that, the cloud disappeared, and a brilliant light filled the cave, so intense it was hard to look at. After a moment, the light faded, and the baby appeared, going straight to Mary to nurse. The midwife shouted, “This is an incredible day—I’ve seen something truly miraculous!” She left the cave and met Salome. The midwife said, “Salome, I just saw something unbelievable—a virgin has given birth, something that’s impossible by nature.” Salome replied, “As God lives, I won’t believe it unless I examine her myself.”
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Notes and References
... What follows is derived from the familiar story of “doubting Thomas” in the Gospel of John. In it, Jesus’ disciples report to Thomas, “We have seen the Lord,” and he responds, “Unless (ἐὰν μή) I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe (οὐ μὴ πιστεύσω)” (John 20:25). Salome’s rejoinder is similar: “Unless (ἐὰν μή) I put my finger into and examine her φύσις, I will not believe (οὐ μὴ πιστεύσω) that a virgin has given birth” (Protevangelium of James 19:19). ... Even in the absence of these details, the episode establishes that Mary does remain virginal after giving birth. Like Thomas, who seeks physical proof to validate the disciples’ “we have seen the Lord” (John 20:25), Salome seeks tangible evidence to confirm the midwife’s seemingly incredible claim about Mary’s postpartum condition. While she follows through with her plan and Thomas does not, the result for both is the same: a confession of faith. ...
Eykel, Eric M. Vanden
'But Their Faces Were All Looking up': Author and Reader in the Protevangelium of James
(pp. 147-149) Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2016
* 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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