Joseph, having reached some level of understanding of what was occurring, feeling that he was doing the right thing, began to make plans to return to work. It was the first day of the week.
Noticing that Joseph was back at home, Annas the local synagogue scribe came to him, and said: “Why have you not appeared in our assembly?” referring to the regular village synagogue meeting two days earlier.
Joseph said to him: “Because I was weary from my journey, and rested the first day.”
As Joseph answered, Annas turned and saw Mary behind him in the house. He was stunned. Mary was pregnant! Before Joseph could say anything more, Annas hurried off to the local priest, and said to him: “Joseph, whom you vouched for when the matter of who would look after this virgin from Jerusalem came up, has committed a grievous crime.”
The priestsaid: “How so?”
“Joseph has defiled the virgin whom he received out of the temple of the Lord, and has married her by stealth, and has not revealed it to the sons of Israel,” Annas replied.
“Indeed,” the priest answered, “Has Joseph done this?”
Annas replied: “Send officers, and you will find the virgin with child.”
The officers were located and dispatched, and found the situation as Annas had said. They wasted no time but brought Mary along with Joseph to a hastily called tribunal. The priest said sternly: “Mary, why have you done this? Why have you brought your soul low, and forgotten the Lord your God? You who were reared in the Holy of Holies, why have you done this?”
Mary wept bitterly. Just when things had seemed to take a turn for the better with her conversation with Joseph, her old fears returned. She protested: “As the Lord my God lives, I am pure before Him, and know not a man.”
Not believing her, particularly as she was only a woman, who was not regarded as a valid witness in that society, the priest turned to Joseph: “Why have you done this?”
Joseph answered as had Mary: “As the Lord lives, I am pure concerning her.”
The priest rebuked Joseph: “Bear not false witness, but speak the truth. You have married her by stealth, and have not revealed it to the sons of Israel, and have not bowed your head under the strong hand, that your seed might be blessed.
Joseph remained silent. He was by now quite sure of the real status of his and Mary’s situation before God and was not too unnerved by the priest’s expected judgmental tone.
Then the priest said: “Give up the virgin whom you received out of the temple of the Lord.”
Then Joseph burst into tears. How could this happen. Just when things seemed to be falling into place in a good way. Just when he had begun to realize that he loved this strange young woman. Was it all coming undone?
The priest announced: “We must first test you, both of you. I will give you to drink of the water of the ordeal of the Lord, and He shall make manifest your sins in your eyes.”
Joseph knew what was coming. This was a longheld practice among his people. Once he took the drink, he had to leave the village, as he was considered unclean, a sinner under judgment, until the answer of the test was revealed. If he was lying before God, the drink would kill him and his body would be found.
The priest took the water, and gave Joseph to drink and sent him away to the hill-country. He also gave Mary to drink, and sent her away to the hill-country. The crowd that had gathered parted to let them pass. Most were silent but a few could not hold back from uttering harsh words of condemnation. With that, the tribunal disbanded and the crowd that remained drifted quietly away, sombered by the gravity of what had just played out.
Some time later, to the astonishment of those who saw them, both Joseph and Mary returned unhurt. Those who had seen them return anxiously, if not eagerly, followed them to the priest’s home to see what would happen. When the priest saw them unharmed he too was amazed. But the answer was clear. Echoing his thoughts, he laid his hands on their heads as they knelt before him and said: “If the Lord God has not made manifest your sins, neither do I judge you.” Then he blessed them and sent them away. All the people who had seen this wondered that sin did not appear in them. But Joseph took Mary, and they went away to their home, rejoicing and glorifying the God of Israel. Their minds were full of imagining what could be in store for them.
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