Mary in the Temple (III)

And Mary was given the task of weaving the purple and scarlet In the Apocalypse of Baruch, the existence of virgins living in the Temple as weavers of the holy veil is confirmed: "And you virgins who weave byssus and silk, and gold from Ophir, in haste pick it all up and throw it in the fire that it will return it to its Author, and that the flame will take it back to its Creator, from fear that the enemy might seize it." And further: "In the Temple, the Great Priest said, evoking the virgins and the veil: 'Draw lots to see who will weave the gold, asbestos, linen, silk, Tyrian purple, scarlet and genuine purple'." "And Mary was given the task of weaving the purple and scarlet" echoes the apocryphal book of James's proto-Gospel. The insight of Christian faith can discern in this weaving of purple and scarlet represented on icons of the Annunciation, the flesh of the Son of God that the Virgin would later weave in her womb.