9 It was after sunset, when the old woman and Joseph with her reached the cave, and they both went into it. 10 And behold, it was all filled with lights, greater than the light of lamps and candles, and greater than the light of the sun itself. 11 The infant was then wrapped up in swaddling clothes, and sucking the breasts of his mother St. Mary. 12 When they both saw this light, they were surprised; the old woman asked St. Mary, Art thou the mother of this child? 13 St. Mary replied, She was. 14 On which the old woman said, Thou art very different from all other women. 15 St. Mary answered, As there is not any child like to my son, so neither is there any woman like to his mother. 16 The old woman answered, and said, O my Lady, I am come hither that I may obtain an everlasting reward. 17 Then our Lady St. Mary said to her, Lay thine hands upon the infant, which, when she had done, she became whole. 18 And as she was going forth, she said, From henceforth, all the days of my life, I will attend upon and be a servant of this infant. 19 After this, when the shepherds came, and had made a fire, and they were exceedingly rejoiceing, the heavenly host appeared to them, praising and adoring the supreme God. 20 And as the shepherds were engaged in the same employment, the cave at that time seemed like a glorious temple, because both the tongues of angels and men united to adore and magnify God, on account of the birth of the Lord Christ. 21 But when the old Hebrew woman saw all these evident miracles, she gave praises to God, and said, I thank thee, O God, thou God of Israel, for that mine eyes have seen the birth of the Saviour of the world. CHAP. II. 1 The child circumcised in the cave, 2 and the old woman preserving his foreskin or navel-string in a box of spikenard, Mary afterwards annoints Christ with it. 5 Christ brought to the temple; 6 He shines, 7 and angels stand around him adoring. 8 Simeon praises Christ. AND when the time of his circumcision was come: namely, the eighth day, on which the law commanded the child to be circumcised; they circumcised him in the cave. 2 And the old Hebrew woman took the foreskin (others say she took the navel-string), and preserved it in an alabaster-box of old oil of spikenard. 3 And she had a son who was a druggist, to whom she said, Take heed thou sell not this alabaster- box of spikenard-ointment, although thou shouldst be offered three hundred pence for it. 4 Now this is that alabaster- box which Mary the sinner procured, and poured forth the ointment out of it upon the head and the feet of our Lord Jesus Christ, and wiped them off with the hairs of her head.