The Protoevangelium of James, a non-canonical gospel, heavily influenced Christmas traditions, especially the Nativity scene.
This gospel merges contradictory accounts from Matthew and Luke, adding details not found in the canonical gospels.
Key traditions introduced by the Protoevangelium of James include:
Jesus's birth in a cave.
Mary's perpetual virginity.
Joseph being an old man with doubts about Mary's pregnancy.
Jesus's siblings being Joseph's children from a previous marriage.
The names of Mary's parents: Joachim and Anna.
The text claims to be written by James, Jesus's brother, around the time of Herod's death (4 BCE), but scholarly analysis suggests it was written much later, likely around 150 CE.
Evidence against James as the author includes:
Lack of understanding of Jewish traditions and the Jerusalem Temple.
Literary dependence on Matthew and Luke (written after James's death).
Anachronisms within the text.
The Protoevangelium of James depicts Mary being raised in the Temple, fed by angels, and her virginity being a central theme, even leading to a test after Jesus's birth involving a midwife named Salome.
The gospel's strong emphasis on virginity and disapproval of sex has led some scholars to link its author to the Encratites, an ascetic Christian sect from the 2nd century who abstained from meat, wine, and sex, and forbade marriage.
Despite being non-canonical and likely pseudepigraphical, the Protoevangelium of James has had a substantial and enduring legacy, influencing Christian art, doctrine (like the Immaculate Conception and Mary's perpetual virginity), and even Islamic tradition (Mary being fed by angels).
Other non-canonical details in the Protoevangelium of James include:
Joseph's journey to Bethlehem with Mary on a donkey, led by his son.
Joseph's initial despair and accusation of Mary regarding her pregnancy.
Time stopping at the moment of Jesus's birth.
The Magi visiting the cave shortly after Salome's encounter.
A variation of the Massacre of the Innocents story, where Herod seeks John the Baptist, and Mary hides Jesus in an ox stall rather than fleeing to Egypt.
The names of the Magi (Melchior, Caspar, Balthazar) are not from this gospel, but from later tradition.
The stories of the Magi and the Massacre of the Innocents are unique to Matthew and are generally considered non-historical by scholars, serving a theological purpose for Matthew.