John C. Reeves
John C. Reeves
Blumenthal Professor of Judaic Studies and Professor of Religious Studies, Department of Religious Studies

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  • Course Materials
    • LBST 2212 Literature and Culture
      • Course Syllabus
    • RELS 1120: Bible and its Interpreters
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    • RELS 1502 Comparative Mythology
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    • RELS 2000: Topics Courses in Religious Studies
      • Alternative Messiahs
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      • Bible and Qur’an
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      • Building Bible
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      • Course Syllabus: Elementary Biblical Hebrew I (Fall 2019)
      • Course Syllabus: Elementary Biblical Hebrew II (Spring 2019)
      • Out of This World
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      • Rewriting the Book of Genesis
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      • The Biblical Dark Arts
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    • RELS 2104: Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament
      • General Principles For Interpretation Of The Tanakh
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      • Sennacherib’s Third Campaign: The Siege of Jerusalem
      • Translation Of 1Q Genesis Apocryphon II-XXII
      • Bereshit Rabbati on Shemhazai & Azael
      • Eutychius (Sa’id b. al-Bitriq) on Genesis 6:1-4
      • Moabite Stone (KAI 181)
    • RELS 2600 Orientation to the Study of Religion
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    • RELS 3000: Special Topics Courses
      • Angels and Demons in Biblical Folklore
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        • Some Adam/Satan/Iblīs materials
      • Bible and Its Monsters
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      • Bible to Qur’ān
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      • Pentateuch/Torah
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      • Rewriting the Book of Genesis
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      • The Biblical Black Arts
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      • Wrestling with Angels & Demons
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    • RELS 3090: Readings in Primary Texts
      • After One Year of Classical Hebrew …
      • Course Syllabi: Advanced Biblical Hebrew I
        • Syllabus Fall 2006
        • Syllabus Fall 2008
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      • Course Syllabi: Advanced Biblical Hebrew II
        • Syllabus Spring 2007
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        • Syllabus Spring 2011
      • Course Syllabus: Elementary Biblical Hebrew I
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    • RELS 3104: Prophecy and Prophetic Literature in Ancient Israel
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    • RELS 3107: Psalms and Wisdom Literature of Israel
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    • RELS 3122 Esoteric Traditions: Gnosis and Gnosticism
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    • RELS 3122 Esoteric Traditions: Thinking About Angels and Demons
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    • RELS 4000/5000 Advanced Biblical Hebrew
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    • RELS 4010/5010: James G. Frazer and William Robertson Smith
    • RELS 4107: Early Judaism
      • A Brief Introduction to Rabbinic Exegesis of the Bible
      • Bavli Menahot 109b
      • Midrash Tanhuma, Noah §3
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      • The Essene Hypothesis
      • Types of Midrashic Texts
      • Who Wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls?
    • RELS 4108: Medieval Judaism
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    • RELS 6000: Pluriform Multilingual Zechariah
      • Various Zechariah Legends
        • Bordeaux Pilgrim (333 CE) on the Temple Mount
        • Cave of Treasures 47.12-17
        • Mas’udi, Muruj al-dhahab
        • Protevangelium Jacobi (Syriac) 22-24
    • RELS 6000: Readings in Jewish Aramaic
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    • RELS 6000: Readings in Rabbinic Hebrew
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      • Course Syllabus (2009-10)
    • RELS 6000: Readings in Syriac
    • RELS 6000: Readings in Ugaritic
    • RELS 6602: Seminar in the Religion of Ancient Israel
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    • RELS 6611: Qumran and its Literature
    • RELS 6615: Seminar in the Religions of Late Antiquity
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    • RELS 6651: Seminar in the History of Religions
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      • Who Wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls?
      • Ya`qūbī, Ta’rīkh
  • Research Projects
    • Cave of Treasures: A New Translation and Commentary
    • Enoch from Antiquity to the Middle Ages
    • Illuminating the Afterlife of Ancient Apocryphal Jewish Literature
    • Medieval Jewish Pseudepigrapha
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      • Son of Samael
      • The Chronicles of Moses Our Teacher
    • Sefer ‘Uzza wa-‘Aza(z)el: Exploring Early Jewish Mythologies of Evil
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    • Shahrastani’s Kitab al-Milal wa’l-Nihal On the Dualists
    • Trajectories in Near Eastern Apocalyptic
      • ’Otot ha-Mašiah (Signs of the Messiah)
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      • Responsum of Hai Gaon on Redemption
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      • Sefer Zerubbabel
      • Tefillat (Prayer of) R. Shimon b. Yohai
      • Ten Further Things About the Messianic Days
      • Ten Signs
      • Testament of Adam
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Course Materials » RELS 6000: Pluriform Multilingual Zechariah » Various Zechariah Legends » Protevangelium Jacobi (Syriac) 22-24

Protevangelium Jacobi (Syriac) 22-24

Translated from the Syriac text published by Agnes Smith Lewis, ed., Apocrypha Syriaca (Studia Sinaitica 11; London: C. J. Clay and Sons, 1902), 19-22.

Now when Herod realized that the Magi had mocked him, he became enraged. He dispatched assassins and ordered them to kill every child who was two years old or younger, (a span) of time in accordance with what the Magi had informed him. When Miriam heard that the children were being killed, she became afraid, and she took the boy, wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and placed him in a cattle manger. Elizabeth also, when she heard that John was being sought, took him, climbed the mountain with him, and looked (for a place) where she might hide him. Then Elizabeth lamented, and addressed the mountain: ‘O mountain of God! Receive a mother and her son!’  Elizabeth was unable to climb any farther. Suddenly the mountain opened up and received her, and a bright light provided illumination for them inside the mountain because the Angel of the Lord was with them, protecting them.

Herod was searching for John, and he sent guardsmen to Zechariah in the Temple and said to him: ‘Where have you hidden your son?’  Zechariah answered them, saying: ‘I am a servant of God and have been constantly in the Temple of the Lord! I have no idea where my son is!’ The guardsmen returned and reported all these things to him.  Herod was enraged and thought, ‘His son is destined to become king over Israel!’ He (again) dispatched the guardsmen (to Zechariah) and said to him: ‘Tell us truthfully where your son is; are you not aware that your life (lit. blood) is in my hands?!’ The guardsmen went back and said all these things to him. He said: ‘May the Lord witness that you have shed my blood! The Lord will receive my spirit, for you have shed innocent blood which has committed no offense before the gates of the Temple of the Lord!’

No one was aware how Zechariah had been killed, nor did the children of Israel know how he had been slain.  At the time of salutation, the priests came, but the blessing of Zechariah did not meet them as usual. The priests were standing and waiting for Zechariah in order to ask for his (continued) health with prayer and to offer praise to the Most High. As he continued to tarry, they all became concerned and one of them ventured to enter the Temple. He noticed by the side of the altar of the Lord (some) blood which had spilled and coagulated, and a voice became audible which said: ‘Zechariah has been murdered! His blood will not wash away until the avenger comes!’

When he heard these words, he became frightened and came outside and informed the priests about the thing he had seen and heard. They then ventured (to enter) and they saw what was by the side of the porch of the Temple. They all broke into a wail and ripped their clothing from top to bottom. They could not find his body: they found only his blood which had become hard, like a stone, and they were afraid. They came out (and) made it known that Zechariah had been killed. When all the rest of the people heard, they mourned and wept for three days and three nights.

After three days and three nights, the priests thought about whom they should appoint as priest in the place of Zechariah. The lot of Simon came up: he was the one to whom the Holy Spirit had revealed that he would not taste death until he saw the Messiah of the Lord in bodily form.

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