The Protoevangelium of James is an anonymous second century infancy narrative; the atlas records no publisher and no exact publication year because it survives through manuscript transmission from antiquity rather than a single dated modern edition. Its strength is that it is the primary source of several details that entered wider Christian tradition, the names Joachim and Anne for Mary's parents, the perpetual virginity argument, and the account making Jesus's brothers children of Joseph by an earlier marriage. Its limit is that it was never accepted into the biblical canon and is read by scholars as later pious legend rather than historical record, whatever its enormous influence on later devotion and iconography.
Facts
Assessment
Reliability Tier2
Reliability tier 2: an anonymous ancient infancy narrative surviving through manuscript transmission, the primary source of details that entered wider tradition though never accepted into the biblical canon and read by scholars as later pious legend. NotesSecond-century infancy narrative; source of the names Joachim and Anne, of the perpetual virginity argument, and of the account making the brothers of Jesus children of Joseph by an earlier marriage.
Citation
AuthorAnonymous
Source Typeprimary-text
Claims Backed By This Source (6 claims)
This source backs 6 claims across the atlas. As facts: 5 well-attested. Plus 1 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.
Disposition By Topic
- Sources, 5 claims: 5 well-attested.
- Figures, 1 claims: 1 general references.
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The atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.