In the Annunciation, the archangel Gabriel interrupts the Virgin Mary to reveal she will become the mother of the Messiah. But interrupts her doing what? Luke’s gospel account says only Gabriel arrived and began talking; what Mary was up to goes unmentioned.
An early Christian writing known as the Protoevangelium of James provides Mary’s backstory and offers a retelling of the Nativity. It presents Mary spinning purple thread for a new veil in the Jerusalem temple. Gabriel’s otherworldly voice sounds when Mary stops to get a drink of water. Unnerved, she returns to her seat and resumes her work, at which point Gabriel appears and relays his message.
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