The Protevangelium of James
Lily C. Vuong
THE PROTEVANGELIUM OF JAMES
Early Christian Apocrypha 7
Copyright © 2019 Lily C. Vuong. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401.
Cascade Books
An Imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers
199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3
Eugene, OR 97401
www.wipfandstock.com
paperback isbn: 978-1-5326-5617-0
hardcover isbn: 978-1-5326-5618-7
ebook isbn: 978-1-5326-5619-4
Cataloguing-in-Publication data:
Names: Vuong, Lily C., 1978–, author
Title: The Protevangelium of James / Lily C. Vuong.
Description: Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2018. | Early Christian Apocrypha 7. | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: ISBN: 978-1-5326-5617-0 (paperback). | ISBN: 978-1-5326-5618-7 (hardcover). | ISBN: 978-1-5326-5619-4 (ebook).
Subjects: LCSH: Protevanglium Jacobi—Criticism, interpretation, etc.
Classification: BS2860.3 V8661 2019 (print). | BS2860.3 (epub).
Manufactured in the U.S.A. 11/06/18
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission.
Tools and Translations
The Westar Tools and Translations series provides critical tools and fresh new translations for research on canonical and non-canonical texts that survive from the earliest periods of the Christian tradition to the Middle Ages. These writings are crucial for determining the complex history of Christian origins. The translations are known as the Scholars Version. Each work, whether a translation or research aid, is accompanied by textual notes, translation notes, cross references, and an index. An extensive introduction also sets out the challenge a text or research aid addresses.
Early Christian Apocrypha
Editorial Board:
Tony Burke
Brent Landau
Janet Spittler
Translations of non-canonical texts out of the Christian tradition are offered as part of the Westar Tools and Translations series in cooperation with the North American Society for the Study of Christian Apocrypha (NASSCAL). The Early Christian Apocrypha series features fresh new translations of major apocryphal texts that survive from the early period of the Christian church. These non-canonical writings are crucial for determining the complex history of Christian origins. The series continues the work of Julian V. Hills, who edited the first six volumes of the series for Polebridge Press.
Volume 1: The Acts of Andrew
Volume 2: The Epistle of the Apostles
Volume 3: The Acts of Thomas
Volume 4: The Acts of Peter
Volume 5: Didache
Volume 6: The Acts of John
Volume 7: The Protevangelium of James
Volume 8: The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew and the Nativity of Mary
For Olivia Grace and Gabriel James
Acknowledgments
When I was first approached to write a new translation and commentary for the Protevangelium of James, I was excited at the prospect of diving back into this rich and entertaining apocryphal narrative on the early life of the Virgin Mary after having spent a good deal of time writing and publishing my dissertation on the topic. It was perhaps serendipitous that I was working on another project for a book series at the time whose main editor was Ronald Hock. After informing him that I would be writing this new commentary with the same book series he wrote his commentary on the Protevangelium of James twenty-three years earlier, he immediately and very generously mailed me everything he thought I’d find useful – articles, rare books, and even his own handwritten notes on the topic. I am incredibly grateful for being the recipient of such invaluable resources and am thankful to Ron for his kindness and support.
This new translation would not have been possible without the invitation from the series editors of the Early Christian Apocrypha Series and the North American Society for the Study of Christian Apocryphal Literature (NASSCAL), especially Tony Burke who read every draft and offered critical and helpful notes and comments, significantly improving its content and style and preventing any missteps; I am wholly indebted to his careful attention to detail. I am also thankful to Brent Landau, Janet Spittler, and Eric Vanden Eykel who read and provided thoughtful and useful comments during the final stages of the manuscript.
Given that my interest in the Protevangelium can be traced all the way back to my studies in graduate school, I am thankful to Annette Yoshiko Reed, Stephen Shoemaker, Tobias Nicklas, and Pierluigi Piovanelli, who played key roles in informing and refining my thinking of Apocryphal literature.
I would also like to thank my colleagues at Central Washington University and to the School of Graduate Studies and Research for their support for this project. Additionally, I owe many thanks to Kevin McGinnis for his helpful notes on my translation, Olivia Bode, who aided me with many copy-editing issues, and the editorial staff at Wipf and Stock, especially Matthew Wimer, K. C. Hanson, and Ian Creeger, for guiding the book through publication.
As always, I owe my greatest debt to my family. Special thanks go to Eileen Jankowski who read and edited the manuscript several times, and who has always been a great source of support and encouragement. To my children, Olivia and Gabriel, for making my life richer and more exciting, but also for understanding all the extra hours I had to spend at the office. Above all, I am grateful to my husband, James, for his unwavering love and support and for taking on more than his share of the parenting responsibilities while I worked to bring this project to completion.
Lily C. Vuong
Central Washington University
Ellensburg, Washington
August 2018
Abbreviations and Conventions
Ancient
Ascen.
