I recently had the opportunity of visiting Turkey including the region of Cappadocia. Cappadocia is famous for rock cut dwellings and churches. Many of the churches contain spectacular frescos that are 1100 + years old.

One of the churches Tokali Kilise (Buckle Church), at Goreme, Turkey, contains murals highlighting major events from the life of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, photos inside the church are not permitted, but I managed to purchase a used copy of a wonderful book containing images of most of the frescos in, not only the Buckle Church, but others as well. Unfortunately, the used copies are currently considerably more expensive than the copy I got. Perhaps, the cost will go down again. The name of the book is: The Guide to the Rock-Cut Churches of Cappadocia by Mustafa Uysun

As I was reading through the book I was reminded of this passage from Temple Theology: An Introduction: (p. 82-83)

"A papyrus of the Infancy Gospel of James tells how Mary was given to the temple when she was three years old, like the infant Samuel (1 Sam. 1.24). The priest received her and sat her on the third step of the altar, and she danced at his feet in the temple. She was fed by an angel, and grew up in the temple until at the age of twelve and the onset of puberty, she had to leave. A husband was found for her, Joseph, who was a widower with sons. When a new veil was needed for the temple, seven young women were chosen to spin the wool and to weave. Mary was one of them, and while she was spinning, the angel told her that she would give birth to the Son of God Most High. Mary spinning the red wool as the angel speaks to her became the icon of the Annunciation. The little girl in the temple, dancing before the high priest is exactly how Wisdom was described in Proverbs 8: playing and dancing before the Creator. Like Wisdom, Mary is depicted in icons as seated in the holy of holies, being fed by an angel. She left the holy place to give birth to her child, like the woman clothed with the sun appearing through the open veil of the holy of holies. Whilst she was weaving the new veil, the symbol of incarnation, she was pregnant with her child, and in the icons she is shown holding her spindle, the ancient symbol of the Great Lady. The Queen of Heaven and her Son were Mary and her Son, and just as Jesus was proclaimed the LORD, the God of Israel, so Mary was depicted as the Great Lady, his Mother."

The Buckle Church frescoes depict this event from the Protevangelium of James and I thought the group might be interested in seeing photos of this event that I scanned from the book. I'm including the photos along with the descriptions that are provided in the book.

If you ever get the opportunity to visit Turkey, don't miss Cappadocia, it's wonderful.

In this scene, Virgin Mary is standing before a seat, her head slightly bent. In her left hand she holds a spindle with silk rolled on it; her right hand is stretched out open toward the Archangel. Gabriel is before her; he salutes her with the right hand, and holds a baton (as long as a lance) in his left. The sky above the house painted with blue color.

The Archangel Gabriel is coming to Mary's house for Annunciation, Mary holding a spindle in her left hand and standing before a backless throne. The Archangel Gabriel, salutes her with the right hand, and holds a baton in his left hand. The half arch in the background symbolizes Mary's house. ...

1. HERETISMOS = Annunciation
2. MP XY = Mother of Christ
3. ΓΑΒΡΙΗΛ = Gabriel

The Archangel Gabriel moves vigorously toward the Virgin Mary, who stands on a footstool before a gabled house. She gestures with surprise, with her right hand held high but close to her body, while holding the scarlet linen in her left. A yellow water jug appears at Mary's feet and the Archangel's greeting, "Hail, O favored one (the Lord is with you)", appears at the top of the scene.