The Protevangelion, Part 1
Lost and Condemned Books of the Bible
Hello and welcome to The Theological Bystander! Here, we indulge Biblical curiosities and mysteries from an outsider’s perspective. If you’re a believer who loves to learn fascinating information about Christian scriptures or if you’re a former Christian like myself who might not see these writings as factual but is still obsessed with them all the same, you’re in the right place! So join me here weekly in discovering the lesser discussed parts of theological history, writings, and culture. This won’t be your average Bible study~ Our first topic: The Protevangelion.
(Update: It has been brought to my attention by a reader with evidence showing that this book actually isn’t considered lost per se. Just apocryphal or quasicanonical. So this post has been updated with that information in mind).
Uh, What is The Protevangelion?
The Protevangelion (also known as The Gospel of James or The Protoevangelium of James) is a quasicanonical book of the Bible. It is categorized as an infancy gospel and tells of the miraculous conception of the Virgin Mary, her upbringing, her marriage to Joseph, their journey to Bethlehem, the birth of Jesus, and the period of time immediately following. It was very popular in its time and approximately 130 ancient manuscripts of it have been recovered!
It was assumed to be in circulation around 150 AD as it was known to Origen in the early 3rd century and likely Clement of Alexandria. Its author is unknown though they claim to be the half-brother of Jesus via an earlier marriage of Joseph’s. Their marked unfamiliarity with and misrepresentation of Jewish customs has led many to doubt this claim. But at the same time, Jewish practices varied widely in that time. So it’s difficult to really know which of the two could be the case.
What Does the Word “Protevangelion” Even Mean?
I know the word looks super strange. But it’s meaning is actually quite simple! The term comes from the combination of two Greek words: πρωτός/protos (meaning “first”) and ευαγγέλιο/evangelio (meaning “Gospel” or “good news”). Jointly, they can be interpreted as “the first gospel”. That’s all there is to it!
Is there reference to the Protevangelion in the canonical Bible?
Yes? Sort of? In fact, Genesis 3:15 is commonly known as the protoevangelium in the Bible! It is directed to the serpent in God’s curse upon it and is as follows: “and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” This verse is particularly interesting in its wording since it refers to “the seed of a woman”. It is this wording that Christians hold as the first prophecy of the Virgin birth of Jesus since elsewhere in the Bible, children and offspring are referred to as “the seed of a man”. For example, Jesus is referred to as the “seed of David” in Romans 1:3. This special wording is seen as a way of stating that this “seed of a woman” is called this because it will have no earthly father. In Christian interpretations, the bruising of the serpent’s head by the seed of the woman Genesis 3:15 references the final defeat of Satan and the bruising of her seed’s heel is a reference to the crucifixion of Jesus.
Furthermore, the clearest reference to the protevangelion is in Romans 16:20, which reads as follows: “The God of peace will shortly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” In this verse, Paul communicated that he is expecting God’s final triumph soon. And that this final triumph would come as “the God of peace”/”the Christ”/”the seed of the woman” would crush Satan/the serpent under foot. Cool, right?
Interesting Facts and Controversies:
This book is the earliest surviving assertion of the perpetual virginity of Mary
It was condemned by Pope Innocent the 1 in 405
It was rejected by Pope Gelasius in the Gelasian decree around 500, where he stated this book as one of the books to “be avoided by catholics”
It was widely influential to Mariology, a devotion to Mary as the “God-bearer”, “Christ-bearer”, and the “new Eve” (more on Mariology to come in the future. Really interesting stuff!)
This book was the first to give the name Anne to the mother of the Virgin Mary.
Quranic stories of the Virgin Mary bear many similarities to the Protevangelion.
Where Can I Go to Learn More About It?
Intrigued and want more? Well aren’t you a lucky duck! Because our next two posts will be all about it! Over the next two weeks, we’ll be giving a deeper review of the text in a fun (and drama) filled summary/commentary, so subscribe and stay tuned! It’s going to be a wild ride.
Where Can I Go to Read It?
Click here to read the Protevangelion for yourself! And leave a comment on what you found most interesting about it.