Protoevangelium of James 8

1Her parents went down, marveling, praising, and glorifying the Lord God because the child had not turned back. Mary remained in the Temple of the Lord. She was nurtured like a dove and received food from the hand of an angel. When she became twelve years old, the priests held a council and said, “Look, Mary has been in the Temple of the Lord for twelve years. What should we do about her so that she will not defile the sanctuary of the Lord our God?” They said to the chief priest, “You stand at the altar of the Lord. Go in and pray about her. If the Lord God reveals anything to you, we will do it.” The chief priest went in, taking the robe with twelve bells into the Holy of Holies, and prayed about her. And look! An angel of the Lord stood nearby and said, “Zechariah, Zechariah, go out and assemble the widowers of the people, and let each of them bring a staff. The man whom the Lord God points out with a sign—she will be his wife.” The heralds went throughout the whole surrounding region of Judea and sounded the trumpet of the Lord. And look! All the men rushed in.