THE LILY OF THE SAINTS 225 



obeyed except Mary, who replied that she might 

 not, as her parents had dedicated her to the 

 Lord and she herself had vowed her virginity 

 to God. And the High Priest, being perplexed 

 by Mary's vow (which ought to be kept) on the 

 one hand, and the introduction of a new custom 

 in Israel on the other, summoned the elders 

 together to consult upon the matter. And as 

 they prayed, a voice came from the sanctuary 

 commanding that every man of the house of 

 David, who was not wedded, should place his 

 rod on the altar, and he whose rod should bud, 

 and the Holy Spirit descend upon it in the form 

 of a dove, according to the prophecy of Isaiah, 

 should be the spouse of Mary. 



' And there was among the rest a certain 

 Joseph of the House of David, an old man and 

 a widower, and who had sons and grandsons. 

 And thinking it unseemly that an aged man 

 should marry a tender virgin, when the others 

 presented their rods he withheld his own. And 

 no miracle appearing, the High Priest inquired 

 of the Lord, who answered that he only to whom 

 the Virgin was to be espoused had not presented 

 his rod. So Joseph was brought forward, and 



