The Childhood of Mary. Until the age of three, Mary lived with her parents. The Protoevangelium of James states that when the Child was six months old, Anna set her on the ground to see if she could stand. Mary walked seven steps and returned to her mother’s arms. Therefore, Anna decided that her daughter should not walk upon the earth until she was led into the temple of the Lord. 'And she made a sanctuary in her bed-chamber, and allowed nothing common or unclean to pass through it; and she called the undefiled daughters of the Hebrews, and they led her along.'The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Protoevangelium of James tells of Mary’s upbringing in an environment of special ritual purity and of her 'Presentation in the Temple' when Mary was three years old: 'And the Child became three years old, and Joachim said: Invite the undefiled daughters of the Hebrews, and let them take each a lamp, and let them stand with the lamps burning, that the Child may not turn back, and that her heart may not be enticed away from the temple of the Lord. 'At the temple, Mary was met by the high priest (according to the apocrypha, this was Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist) along with many priests. Her parents placed Mary on the first step of the staircase leading to the entrance of the temple. According to the apocrypha... when she was set before the temple of the Lord, she ran up the fifteen steps without turning back or calling for her parents, as children usually do. And everyone was filled with wonder at the sight of this, and the priests of the temple were amazed. Then, according to tradition, the high priest, by divine inspiration, led the Virgin Mary into the Holy of Holies, where into all people only the high priest entered once a year with the cleansing sacrificial blood. During her stay at the Temple of Jerusalem, Mary was brought up alongside other pious virgins, studied the Holy Scriptures, engaged in needlework, and prayed constantly. The Betrothal to Joseph. However, upon reaching maturity, Mary could not remain at the temple, and according to the traditional rite, a spouse was chosen for her to protect her and respect her vow—the elderly Joseph the Betrothed, chosen from the tribe of David. According to another version, this occurred when Mary was fourteen years old, on the initiative of the high priest. Joseph was selected from among the other suitors because his staff miraculously blossomed.