The gospels tell us little about the family and home of our Lord’s mother. She is thought to have been of Davidic descent and to have been broughtup in a devout Jewish family that cherished the hope of Israel for the coming kingdom of God, in remembrance of the promise to Abraham and the forefathers.

In the second century, a devout Christian sought to supply a fuller account of Mary’s birth and family, to satisfy the interest and curiosity of b…