COPTIC LIVES, ETC., OF THE VIRGIN
There are a number of Lives, Panegyrics, Discourses, &c., in Coptic, complete and fragmentary, which tell the story of the Virgin’s birth. In Forbes Robinson's Coptic Apocryphal Gospels are:
I. A Sahidic fragment of a homily, perhaps attributed to Evodius of Antioch, disciple of the apostles.
This tells of Joakim—formerly called Cleopas—and Anna, and of the way in which they were taunted by the men and women they met when they went to Jerusalem, because they had no children: and of their grief in consequence. Each then had a vision of a white dove: it came and sat on Joakim's head, and on Anna's bosom. Anna had another vision with a prediction of Mary’s birth. Mary was born on the 15th of Hathor. Zacharias was warned by an angel to tell Anna and Joakim to dedicate Mary in three years' time.
IIa. (Sahidic.) Mary is brought to the Temple and lives there, fed by angels. Her chastity and sobriety of attire are described in terms which recur in other panegyrics, especially that of Demetrius: see below.
IIb. The Annunciation. Decree of Augustus. Nativity. Before it, Mary's face is radiant and then troubled, but her vision of two peoples is not mentioned. Joseph goes to find a midwife.
There seem to be only rather faint memories of the Protevangelium in these fragments.
In Budge's Miscellaneous Coptic Texts, 1915, are some which bear on this subject, viz.
1. p. 626. The Twentieth Discourse of Cyril of Jerusalem.
In this Mary is represented as saying to Cyril: 'I was a child promised to God, and my parents dedicated me to Him before I came into the world. My parents ... were of the tribe of Judah and house of David. My father was Joakim, which is being interpreted Kleopa. My mother was Anna ... who was usually called Mariham. I am Mary Magdalene because the name of the village wherein I was born was Magdalia. My name is Mary of Cleopa. I am Mary of James the son of Joseph the carpenter.'
p. 631. We are told that in the village of Magdalia dwelt a rich and devout man David. A vision told him that the Redeemer should come out of his family. His wife Sara bore him a child whom the father called Joakim, and the mother Cleopa. He married Anna, daughter of Aminadab, David’s brother. They were childless. After many days they went to the Temple, prayed for a child, and promised to dedicate it to God. A voice came, saying that their prayer was heard. Mary was born,
