Chapter 6.
And when the circle of three years had rolled
round, and the time of her weaning was fulfilled, they brought the
virgin to the temple of the Lord with offerings. Now there were
round the temple, according to the fifteen Psalms of Degrees,1696
fifteen steps going up; for, on account
of the
temple having been built on a
mountain, the
altar of
burnt-offering, which stood outside, could not be reached except by
steps. On one of these, then, her
parents placed the little girl,
the
blessed virgin Mary. And when they were putting off the
clothes which they had worn on the
journey, and were putting on, as was
usual, others that were neater and cleaner, the
virgin of the
Lord went
up all the steps, one after the other, without the help of any one
leading her or lifting her, in such a manner that, in this respect at
least, you would think that she had already attained full age.
For already the
Lord in the infancy of His
virgin wrought a great
thing, and by the indication of this
miracle foreshowed how great she
was to be. Therefore, a
sacrifice having been offered according
to the
custom of the
law, and their
vow being perfected, they left the
virgin within the enclosures of the temple, there to be educated with
the other virgins, and themselves returned home.
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