The Descent of Mary (''Γεννα Μαριας'' or "Genna Marias") is a minor work of the New Testament apocrypha which is only known through mention in the ''

Panarion In early Christian heresiology, the ''Panarion'' ( grc-koi, Πανάριον, derived from Latin ''panarium'', meaning "bread basket"), to which 16th-century Latin translations gave the name ''Adversus Haereses'' (Latin: "Against Heresies"), is t ...

'' of

Epiphanius of Salamis Epiphanius of Salamis ( grc-gre, Ἐπιφάνιος; c. 310–320 – 403) was the bishop of Salamis, Cyprus, at the end of the 4th century. He is considered a saint and a Church Father by both the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Churches. He gai ...

, who gives a short passage. Epiphanius attributes the tale to the

Gnostics Gnosticism (from grc, γνωστικός, gnōstikós, , 'having knowledge') is a collection of religious ideas and systems which coalesced in the late 1st century AD among Jewish and early Christian sects. These various groups emphasized pe ...

.''New Testament Apocrypha: Gospels and related writings'' by Wilhelm Schneemelcher and Robert McLachlan Wilson The excerpt purports to be the story about the death of Zechariah, the father of

John the Baptist John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...

, who is supposed to have seen a vision of a man "in the form of an ass" while burning

incense Incense is aromatic biotic material that releases fragrant smoke when burnt. The term is used for either the material or the aroma. Incense is used for aesthetic reasons, religious worship, aromatherapy, meditation, and ceremony. It may also be ...

in the

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

. When he emerges, he is unable to speak at first, but when he is able to relate the vision, those about him kill him. The story is consonant with other Gnostic writings and depiction of Gnostic thought in the writings of

Origen Origen of Alexandria, ''Ōrigénēs''; Origen's Greek name ''Ōrigénēs'' () probably means "child of Horus" (from , "Horus", and , "born"). ( 185 – 253), also known as Origen Adamantius, was an Early Christianity, early Christian scholar, ...

, as well as with the '' Gospel of James''; but there is no other testimony to this particular tale. Scholars have suggested a 2nd-century date to the text.

References

* New Testament apocrypha Gnostic apocrypha {{NewTestament-apocrypha-stub