1 In the year 303 of Alexander, on the 31st month of Adar, on the first day of the week, at the third hour of the day, Mary took her pitcher and went to the spring to draw water. And she heard a voice saying, “Rejoice, Virgin Mary.” Suddenly, Mary was troubled and frozen with fright. She looked to the right and to the left, and seeing no one, she wondered: “Where did the voice that spoke to me come from?” Picking up her pitcher, she hurried home, carefully closing and locking the door. Then she went silently to the back of the house. In the astonishment of her spirit, she said to herself in amazement: “What kind of greeting was given to me? Who is it that knows me and knows beforehand who I am? Whom have I seen who could speak to me in such terms?” Thinking about all these things, she shuddered and trembled.
2 And rising, she began to pray, saying: “Lord God of Israel, God of our fathers, look upon me with mercy and grant my request, for I have given my heart to pray.” Listen to your miserable servant, who implores you with hope and confidence.Do not deliver me to the temptations of the seducer or the ambushes of the enemy, and deliver me from the dangers and the cunning of the hunter, for I hope and trust that you will keep my virginity intact, my Lord and my God. And, after she had spoken thus, she gave thanks to the Lord, weeping. And, after having remained in this state for three hours, taking the scarlet yarn, she began to spin.
3 And behold, the angel of the Lord came and stood near her, though the doors were locked. The incorporeal being appeared to her in the form of a corporeal being and said to her, “Rejoice, Mary, immaculate servant of the Lord.” When the angel appeared to her suddenly, Mary was filled with panic and, in her fear, was unable to answer. And the angel said, “Do not be afraid, Mary, blessed among women. I am the angel Gabriel, sent by God to tell you that you will conceive and give birth to the Son of the Most High, who will be a great king and will reign over the whole earth.” Mary asked him, “What are you talking about? What are you saying? Explain this riddle to me.” And the angel replied, “What I have told you, you have heard from my own mouth.” Receive the invitation contained in this message I have just given you and rejoice. Mary said: What you tell me is disconcertingly new, filling me with surprise and wonder, for you say that I will conceive and give birth like other women. How can this happen to me, since I have never known a man? And the angel said: O Holy Virgin Mary, do not harbor such suspicions, and understand what I reveal to you! You will not conceive by a child, nor by a husband, nor by the will of a man, but by the power and grace of the Holy Spirit, who will dwell in you, and who will do with you as He pleases. Mary said: What you tell me seems extraordinary and hard to believe. I cannot accept or resign myself to what you say. For the wonders you speak of seem shocking at first and implausible in fact. Upon hearing your words, my soul trembles with fear. My spirit remains perplexed, and I do not know what answer to give to your words. The angel asked: Why do you tremble, and why does your soul quake?
4 And Mary replied: How can I believe your words, when I have never heard anything like them from anyone, and I don’t even know what you intend to tell me? The angel said: My words are the exact truth. I do not speak to you haphazardly, nor according to my own ideas, but I tell you what I have heard from the Lord, and what God has sent me to tell you and explain to you. And you take my words for falsehood. Fear the Lord, and listen to me. The Virgin replied: It is not that I consider your words vain, but I am filled with profound wonder. He whom the firmament and the earth cannot contain, nor enfold His divinity, and whose glory all the celestial phalanxes of luminous spirits and fiery beings cannot contemplate—could I sustain Him, and bear His infinite ardor, and shelter Him in my flesh? How could I possibly carry Him bodily within my womb, and touch Him with my hands? Your discourse is implausible; the idea, incomprehensible, and its realization, disconcerting. It requires more than all the clairvoyance of the human mind to scrutinize and understand it. Do you wish to delude my mind with a deceptive discourse? It will not be so! The angel replied: O blessed Mary, listen to what I wish to tell you! How did Abraham’s tent receive God in corporeal form, without the fire approaching it? How did God speak to Jacob, after wrestling with him? How did Moses, on Sinai, see God face to face, and the fire in which He appeared to him burned, without being consumed? The same will happen to you in another way, and you have no reason to fear this. Only believe, and listen to what I am about to tell you.
5 Mary further objected: How will what you say happen to me? And how will I know on what day and at what hour the event will occur? Tell me. And the angel answered: Do not speak thus of what you do not know, and do not refuse to believe what you do not understand. Humble your ear, and believe all that I reveal to you. Mary said: I do not speak thus out of unbelief, nor out of distrust, but I want to be certain, and know with certainty how the thing will happen to me and at what moment, so that I may be ready and prepared. The angel replied: His coming can happen at any hour. Upon entering your womb, and dwelling there, He will purify and sanctify the whole essence of your flesh, which will become His temple. Mary said: But how will this happen, since, I repeat, I do not know a man? The angel said: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. And the divine Word will take a body from you, and you will give birth to the Son of the Heavenly Father, and your virginity will remain intact and inviolate. Mary said: And how can a woman, preserving her virginity, have a child without the intervention of a man?
6 And the angel replied: The case will not be as you think. Your motherhood will not be the result of a lustful bodily passion, nor your pregnancy the consequence of a conjugal relationship, for your virginity will remain pure and unblemished. The entry of the divine Word will not violate your womb, and, when He comes forth from it, with His flesh, He will not destroy your unblemished purity. Mary exclaimed: I am afraid of you, for you entice me with words that are pleasing to hear, and which cause me great surprise. Do you want to convince me with deceptive phrases, as happened to Eve, our first mother, whom the devil, conversing with her, persuaded with sweet and agreeable speeches, and who was immediately delivered to death? The angel said: O Holy Virgin Mary, how many times have I addressed myself to you, and told you the exact truth! And you do not believe in the commands and the message that my mouth expresses to you, not even when I am in your presence. Again I address you in the name of God, so that your soul may not be frightened at my sight, nor your spirit doubt the One who sent me. And do not turn away from your heart the words you have already heard from me. I have not come to speak to you by any kind of deceitful artifice, nor by trickery, nor by cunning, but to prepare in you the temple and dwelling place of the Word. Mary said: At the insistence of your words, my spirit is overwhelmed, and I am concerned about what answer I should give to what you say. And, if I cannot convince myself, to whom can I reveal my situation, and persuade them that I am not lying?
7 And the angel exclaimed: O Holy Virgin without stain, do not concern yourself with vain apprehensions! Mary said: I do not doubt your words, nor do I find what you say unbelievable; rather, I am blessed, and your words fill me with joy. But my soul trembles and quakes at the thought that I will bear God in my flesh, to give birth to Him as to a man, and that my virginity will remain inviolate. Oh, wonder! And how marvelous it is that you speak to me! The angel said: Again and again I have repeated my long discourse, giving you my truthful testimony of it, and you have not believed me. And Mary replied: I beg you, O servant of the Most High, do not be angered by my insistence in questioning you. For you know human nature and its unbelief in all matters. This is why I wish to be reliably informed, so that I may know with all sincerity what is to happen to me. Do not be displeased, then, with the words I have spoken. The angel said: You are right, but have faith in me, for I have been sent by God to speak to you and to announce the good news to you.
8 And Mary answered: Yes, I believe your words, I know that what you say is true, and I accept your commands. But listen to what I am about to tell you. Until now, I have been kept in holiness and righteousness before the priests and all the people, after having been lawfully betrothed to Joseph to be his wife. And he has taken me into his home to watch over me carefully until we receive the crown of blessing with the other virgins and the other celibate men. And if he returns and finds me pregnant, what answer will I give him? And if he asks me the cause of my pregnancy, what will I answer to his question? The angel said: O blessed Mary, listen carefully to my words, and keep in your heart what I am about to tell you! This is not the work of man, and the phenomenon I speak of will not come from anyone, but the Lord Himself will accomplish it in you, and He has the power to deliver you from all the anguish of the trial. Mary said: If it is as you describe it, and the Lord Himself deigns to descend to His slave and His servant, let it be done to me according to your word. And the angel left her.
9 No sooner had the Virgin uttered that phrase of humility than the divine Word entered her through her ear. And the intimate nature of her living body was sanctified, with all her senses and with the twelve members or organs of her senses, and she was purified like gold in fire. And she became a holy and immaculate temple, and the dwelling place of the divine Word. And, at that very moment, the pregnancy began. For when the angel brought the good news to Mary, it was the 15th of Nisan, which is April 6th, a Wednesday, at the third hour of the day.
10 And at the same time, an angel hastened to the land of the Persians to warn the Magi and to command them to go and worship the newborn child. And they, having been guided by a star for nine months, arrived at their destination at the very moment the Virgin had just given birth. For at that time, the Persian kingdom dominated, by its power and victories, all the kings who existed in the lands of the East. And the Magi were three brothers: the first, Melkon, who ruled over the Persians; the second, Balthasar, who prevailed over the Indians; and the third, Gaspar, who possessed the land of the Arabs. Having gathered in obedience to God’s command, they arrived in Judea at the very moment Mary gave birth. And, having hastened their journey, they found themselves there at the precise time of Jesus’ birth.
11 And, after the Virgin received the message of her impregnation by the Holy Spirit, she saw the angelic choirs, who sang in her praise. And, seeing them, she felt filled with a kind of panic rather than joy. And, with her face prostrate against the ground, she began to praise God in Hebrew, exclaiming: “O Lord of my spirit and my body, you have the power to fulfill all the wills of your creative love, and you freely decide all things according to your will! Deign to grant the prayers of your slave and your servant. Hear me and deliver my soul, for you are the God of my Savior, and your name, Lord, has been invoked upon me daily.” And, until this day, I have kept myself in the holiness, justice, and purity ordained by you, and I have preserved my virginity firm and intact, without any desire for carnal defilement. And now, let your will be done.
12 And having spoken thus, Mary rose and gave thanks to the Most High. After which, an hour passed. And, as the Virgin reflected, she began to weep, and said: What new prodigy, never before seen in the birth of any man, is being wrought in me? Shall I not become the subject of fable and ridicule of all, men and women? Here I am, then, in the greatest perplexity. I do not know what to do, nor what answer to give to anyone who inquires about me. To whom shall I turn, and how shall I justify all this? Why did my mother bear me? Why did my parents, in the sorrow of their souls, consecrate me to God, only to make me an object of reproach to myself and to themselves? Why did they compel me to keep virginity in the holy temple? Why have I not received the death sentence sooner, which would take me from this world? And since I remain alive, why haven’t my parents given me in marriage, without saying a word, as they did with the other daughters of the Hebrews? Who has ever seen or heard of such a thing? Who will believe that a woman who has never known a man can give birth? To whom, either publicly or privately, can I tell without hesitation what is happening? Can I persuade, by force of words, either married or single women? If I reveal to them exactly the unusual nature of my case, they will think I am mocking them, and if I speak under oath, they will judge me to be a perjurer. To tell falsehoods is impossible for me, and to condemn myself, being innocent, is very hard. If a witness is demanded of me, no one will be able to justify me. And if I repeat my statement a second time, telling the truth, I will be condemned to death in contempt. Everyone who hears my statement, neighbors or strangers, will say: She wants to deceive the foolish and the thoughtless with empty subterfuge. I don’t know what to do, nor who will suggest an answer for me to give to everyone regarding this matter; nor how I will tell this to my husband, whose name I received through marriage; nor how I will dare to speak before the priests and the people; nor how I will bear to be handed over, before the whole world, to the apparatus of human justice. If I declare to married women that I am a virgin, and that I have conceived without the intervention of a man, they will take my words as a joke, and will not believe me. How can I even understand what has happened to me? All I know for sure is that my virginity is intact, and that my pregnancy is real. For the angel of the Lord has told me the truth, without any lie. He has not deceived me with empty tricks, but has transmitted, accurately and sincerely, the words spoken by the Holy Spirit. What, then, am I to do now that I have become an object of censure and reprobation among the children of Israel? Oh, astonishing word! Oh, surprising deed! Oh, terrible and disconcerting prodigy! No one will believe that I have not known a man, and that my pregnancy is an example. And,If I say seriously to someone, “You believe I am pregnant, yet I remain a virgin,” they will reply, “So be it. I believe you speak accurately and sincerely. But explain to me how a virgin can become a mother without a man having destroyed her virginity.” And with these few words, they will ridicule me. I know full well that many will speak maliciously of me and condemn me hastily, despite my innocence. However, the Lord will save me from the gossip and insults of men.
13 Having said these things, Mary stopped speaking to herself. And rising, she opened the door of the house to see if anyone was there to hear the words she had spoken before. When she saw no one, she went back inside the house, and taking the scarlet and purple thread she had received from the priests to make a veil for the temple, she began to spin it. When she had finished her work, she went to take it to the High Priest. And he, taking it from the hands of the Holy Virgin, said to her: Mary, my daughter, blessed are you among women, and blessed is your virginal womb. The Lord will magnify your holy name throughout the earth. You will have preeminence over all women, and you will become the mother of virgins. From you will come salvation to the world. Thus spoke Zechariah. Mary prostrated herself before the priests and all the people, and, exceedingly joyful, returned home.
14 And when the angel’s annunciation to Mary took place, Elizabeth’s pregnancy had already been underway since its beginning on the 20th of Tesrin, which is October 9th, and from this date to the 15th of Nisan, that is, April 6th, one hundred and eighty days had passed, which is six months. Then began the incarnation of Christ, by which He took flesh in the Holy Virgin. And one day, she, reflecting, said to herself: I will go to see my cousin Elizabeth, I will tell her everything that had happened, and whatever she tells me, I will do the same. And she sent Joseph, to Bethlehem, a message worded in these terms: I beg you to let me go to see Elizabeth, my cousin. And Joseph let her go, and she went out secretly at dawn and, going toward the hill country of Judea, came to the town of Judah. And she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted her relative.
15 And when Elizabeth heard that Mary had come, her child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, lifted up her voice and exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! Why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the words of your greeting came to my ears, my child leaped in my womb.” And when Mary heard this, she lifted up her eyes, heavy with tears, to heaven, and said, “Lord, why is this granted to me, that all the nations call me blessed?” Why have I been singled out among all the women and daughters of the Hebrews, and why is my name renowned and famous throughout all the tribes of Israel? For Mary had forgotten what the angel had previously told her.
16 And Mary stayed a long time at Elizabeth’s house, and, in confidence, she recounted to her in order all that she had seen and heard from the angel. Deeply surprised, Elizabeth replied: My daughter, what you tell me is a marvelous work of God. But listen to what I am about to tell you. Do not be frightened by what happens to you, and do not be unbelieving. Thoughts, actions, words, everything in this absolutely surpasses the human spirit. Look at me, who am advanced in years and already close to death, and yet I am pregnant, despite my old age and my white hair, because nothing is impossible for God. As for you, go quietly and shut yourself up in your house. Do not tell anyone what you have seen and heard. Do not tell any of the Israelites, or they may be deceived and ridicule you. Do not tell your husband, or you may wound him deeply, and he may divorce you. Wait for the Lord to do his will, and he will show you what he intends to do.
17 And Mary said, “I will do as you say.” Elizabeth said, “Listen carefully to what I tell you. Go home in peace and stay there quietly. Do not go out or come back from the world, so that no one will know. Do everything your husband tells you. The Lord will provide a way out of your distress. Do not be afraid; rejoice.” Then Elizabeth spoke. Mary bowed down before her and went home with joy, where she lived for many days. And the child grew, day by day, within her. And, fearing the world, she remained perpetually hidden, so that no one would find out of her condition.