Last
year around this time I published chapter 4 and 5 from the Gospel of
Pseudo-Mathew and I will now continue with chapters 18 and 19. Actually, I
became aware of its existence from a Catholic school book with Latin texts for
girls. Of course men too are allowed to read it.
The
gospel of pseudo-Matthew is the only apocryphal gospel exclusively in Latin. It
dates from the seventh century and it is unknown whether it is a translation of
a lost work or an original work. As the New Testament has little to say about
the infancy of Jesus, a number of gospels were composed to fill this lack.
Theologians of the Early Church had their misgivings about this, but these
texts were immensely popular amongst the common people. The following 2
chapters tell about the flight of Joseph and Mary with the little Jesus to
Egypt.
The
flight to Egypt only occurs in Matthew 2:13-23 and is complete fiction. The
writers of the gospels wanted to portray Jesus as the fulfilment of Old
Testament prophesies - as will be apparent from the text below too – and Matthew
is elaborating on Hosea 11,1: `When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and
called my son out of Egypt.’ It is literally a pia fraus. Not that the writers of the gospels were fraudulent as
such, but they had a different mind-set and another way to approach history.
For them history was guided by the hand of God and the hope for salvation must
have touched them deeply.
Egyptians,
both Coptics and Muslims are very proud of Jesus’ flight to Egypt and they still
can point out all the places where the Holy Family has rested. `A landmark in
the history of Egypt’ I read on a site. Well, let’s say that nations need some
mythology now and then.
In the
canonical gospels the flight took place with a single mule, but the writer of
this gospel imagines a complete caravan with lions and other wild animals to
lead and accompany him.
The
Latin is very easy.
CAPUT
XVIII.
Cumque pervenissent ad speluncam quandam
et in ea requiescere
vellent, descendit Maria de iumento, et sedens habebat
Iesum in
gremio
suo. Erant autem cum Ioseph tres pueri et cum Maria quaedam
puella
iter agentes. Et ecce subito de spelunca
egressi sunt multi
dracones,
quos videntes pueri prae nimio timore exclamaverunt. Tunc
Iesus descendens de gremio matris suae, pedibus suis
stetit ante
dracones;
illi autem adoraverunt eum, et cum adorassent abierunt.
Tunc
adimpletum est quod dictum est per David prophetam dicentem:
Laudate
dominum de terra dracones, dracones et omnes abyssi. Ipse
autem
infantulus Iesus ambulans ante eos praecepit eis ut nulli
hominum
nocerent. Sed Maria et Ioseph valde timebant ne forte
infantulus
laederetur a draconibus. Quibus Iesus
ait: Nolite
timere,
nec me considerate quia infantulus sum: ego enim semper vir
perfectus
fui et sum, et necesse est ut ferae omnes silvarum
mansuescant
ante me.
spelunca: cave
iumentum: a beast of burden, mule, ass
gremium: lap, bosom
iter ago: to travel (iter itineris (n.) journey)
praecipio praecepi praeceptum: to admonish
per David prophetam dicentem:
Psalm 148, 7 `Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:
‘
noceo nocui: to harm
forte: by chance
laedo laesi laesum: to hurt
quia: as
fera: wild animal
mansuescere mansuevi mansuetum: to become tame
CAPUT
XIX.
Similiter leones et pardi adorabant eum et
comitabantur cum
eis in
deserto; quocumque Maria et Ioseph ibant, antecedebant eos,
ostendentes
viam et inclinantes capita sua adorabant Iesum.
Primo
autem
die ut vidit Maria leones circa se venientes et varia ferarum
genera,
vehementer expavit. Cui infans Iesus
laeto vultu in faciem
eius
respiciens dixit: Noli timere, mater: non enim ad iniuriam
tuam sed
ad obsequium tuum venire festinant. Et his dictis
amputavit
timorem de cordibus eorum. Ambulabant autem leones cum
eis
simul, et cum bobus et asinis et sumariis qui eis necessaria
portabant,
et nullum laedebant quamvis simul manerent; sed erant
mansueti
inter oves et arietes, quos secum de Iudaea adduxerant et
secum
habebant. Inter lupos ambulabant et
nihil formidabant, et
nullus
ab alio laedebatur. Tunc adimpletum est
quod dictum est per
prophetam:
Lupi cum agnis pascentur, leo et bos simul paleas
vescentur. Erant autem duo boves et plaustrum, in quo
necessaria
portabant, quos leones dirigebant in itinere eorum.
pardus:
leopard
comitor:
accompany
antecedo antecessum: to precede
expavesco expavi: to become terrified
ad obsequium tuum: to serve you (obsequium: obedience)
festino: to hurry
bobus: from bovibus
(bos bovis: cow, rind)
asinus: ass
sumerius: horse for carrying goods (non classical
Latin)
ovis ovis (f.): sheep
aries arietis (m.): ram
formido: to fear
per prophetam: Isaiah 11, 6-7; 65, 25:
pascor pastus sum: to eat, pasture
palea: straw
vescor: to eat
plaustrum: cart, wagon
translation:
The flight
to Egypt by Rembrandt.
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