Apocrypha
Passing of Mary
Dormition of the Virgin
1 chapter · read and listen
Reading note
An apocryphal or pseudepigraphal text — outside the canon of the Western churches, yet widely circulated among ancient Jews and Christians. Published here from a public-domain translation, edited for continuous reading.
Chapters
Dossier
The death of Mary with the apostles gathered around the bed — carried on clouds from wherever they were preaching, so that none would be missing.
Where this text comes from
Greek and Latin, 5th or 6th century AD, with many versions in Syriac, Coptic, Arabic and Ethiopic. It is the body of texts behind the feast of the Dormition in the East and the Assumption in the West.
Why it is not in the Bible
Outside every canon, and listed among the apocrypha in the Gelasian decree. Even so, it is the narrative source of one of the great feasts of the Christian calendar.
What you will find
- The apostles arrive on clouds, each interrupted in the middle of preaching on another continent.
- Thomas arrives late again — a detail later tradition made much of.
- The scene of Mary's soul handed to her Son, which Byzantine art fixed for good.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the Assumption of Mary in the Bible?
- No. No biblical book narrates the end of Mary's life. The narratives come from this group of apocryphal texts of the 5th and 6th centuries.