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Infancy of Jesus Christ Gospel I
Chapter III
1 The wise men visit Christ. Mary gives them
one of his swaddling clothes.
3 An angel appears to them in the form of a star.
4 They return and make a fire, and worship the
swaddling cloth, and put it in the fire where it
remains unconsumed.
AND it came to pass, when the
Lord Jesus was born at Bethlehem,
a city of Judaea, in the time of Herod
the King;--the wise men came from the
East to Jerusalem, according to the
prophecy of Zoradascht, [Zoroaster]
and brought with them offerings:
namely, gold, frankincense, and myrrh,
and worshipped him, and offered to him
their gifts.
2 Then the Lady Mary took one
of his swaddling clothes in which
the infant was wrapped, and gave
it to them instead of a blessing,
which they received from her as a
most noble present.
3 And at the same time there
appeared to them an angel in the
form of that star which had before
been their guide in their journey;
the light of which they followed
till they returned into their own
country.
4 On their return their kings
and princes came to them inquiring,
whom they had seen and done?
What sort of journey and return
they had? What Company
they had on the road?
5 But they produced the swaddling
cloth which St. Mary had given
them, on account whereof they kept
a feast.
6 And having, according to the
custom of their country, made
a fire, they worshipped it.
7 And casting the swaddling
cloth into it, the fire took it
and kept it.
8 And when the fire was put out,
they took forth the swaddling cloth
unhurt, as much as if the fire had
not touched it.
9 Then they began to kiss it,
and put it upon their heads and
their eyes saying, This is certainly
an undoubted truth, and it is really
surprising that the fire could not
burn it, and consume it.
10 Then they took it, and with
the greatest respect laid it up
among their treasures.
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