The ancient Dormition and Assumption traditions are a collection of over sixty different narratives, preserved in nine ancient languages, that commemorate the end of the Virgin Mary's life. These traditions have long been overlooked by scholars of early Christianity, no doubt largely becausethis complicated corpus was insufficiently well known. The present study aims to remedy this situation with a detailed analysis of the earliest traditions of Mary's death, including liturgical and archaeological evidence as well as the numerous narrative sources. Several of the most importantnarratives are translated in appendices, many appearing in English for the first time. The book will be of interest to all scholars of early Christian literature. | Ancient Traditions of the Virgin Mary's Dormition and Assumption by Stephen J. Shoemaker, Paperback | Indigo Chapters