45 minAudiobook15 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 45 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · 30 pagesHardcover · 6 × 9 in · 30 pagesAbout this book
An angel announces Mary’s approaching death, and a reunion that seems impossible becomes the heart of a sacred story.
In The Falling Asleep of Mary, the mother of Jesus prays and visits the place associated with her son’s burial. Then an angel tells her that her earthly life draws toward its close. She wishes to see the apostles again, but they preach in distant places. According to the account, clouds carry them to her side.
This anonymous Christian narrative, traditionally attributed to John the Theologian, brings prayer, affection, opposition, and heavenly signs into Mary’s final days. It belongs to the Dormition traditions that speak of her death as a falling asleep. Especially valued in Eastern Christian traditions, such stories give readers a sacred account where the New Testament says nothing about her death.
What you’ll discover
- Mary at prayer Meet Mary as she prepares for departure through prayer and longs for familiar companions.
- A reunion across distances Follow the story’s scattered apostles as clouds bring them together around Mary.
- Affection beside the miraculous Discover how apostolic care and reverence stand alongside angelic messages and extraordinary journeys.
- The meaning of Dormition Explore a Christian understanding of death as passage rather than final defeat.
- Roots of sacred remembrance See how accounts like this nourish devotion to Mary and Eastern Christian feast traditions.
Who will love it
This is for readers who love ancient stories of wonder, for anyone drawn to Mary and the early Church, and for those curious about how Christians pictured death and angels.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Mary prays at the tomb and meets Gabriel
- John is carried by a cloud to her door
- The apostles arrive on clouds from every land
- Each apostle tells how he was carried
- Enemies rise against her and fail
- Death as sleep and the body as a treasure
- How the story is told and why it endures
Who’s who
- MaryThe mother of Jesus, who prays daily at his tomb, learns of her coming departure, and asks to see John and the apostles.
- JohnThe apostle who tells the story, carried on a cloud from Ephesus to Mary's door, and who promises that her body will not see corruption.
- GabrielThe archangel who comes to Mary at the tomb and tells her that her prayer is accepted and that she will go to her Son.
- PeterThe leader of the apostles, lifted by a cloud from Rome, who asks each apostle to tell how he came and begins the hymn.
- Paul, Thomas and MatthewApostles from distant lands who tell of clouds that carry them from a city near Rome, from India and from a stormy sea.
- The chief priests and their peopleOpponents who hate the wonders around Mary, press the procurator to act, and try to burn her house with the apostles inside.
- The procuratorThe Roman governor who at first refuses to drive Mary out, yields to threats, and then speaks of her Son as the Son of God.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet or computer, once the book texts are online.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, once the book texts are online.
- Audiobook
- Read by James Mitchell, complete. It opens once the recording is online.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 15 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in, 30 pages: 6,95 USD on its own. Print it at cost when you start free.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in, 30 pages: 13,95 USD on its own. Print it at cost when you start free.
- Large print paperback
- 6 × 9 in, 44 pages: 4,95 USD on its own. Print it at cost when you start free.
- Large print hardcover
- 6 × 9 in, 44 pages: 13,95 USD on its own. Print it at cost when you start free.
Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout. The eBook and the audiobook open when the book texts go online.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then 0,14 USD a day in your first year on the yearly plan and 0,27 USD a day after, or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
The Falling Asleep of Mary
by Attributed to John the Theologian · 500
Clouds carry the apostles from Rome, India and Alexandria to the bedside of a dying Mary in Bethlehem.
ChallengingUnder 2 hours to readEspañol
Learn a language with challenging classicsEspañolFrancésAlemánItalianoJaponésPortuguésInglésHow we measure levels
Excellent
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then 0,14 USD a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
- Read or listen
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
In short
What would it look like if the apostles, scattered across the known world, were gathered by clouds of light? That is the scene at the heart of The Falling Asleep of Mary, an ancient account of the last days of Jesus's mother.
Keep listening. The whole audiobook, 45 min, and 200,000+ more, free to start. Renews every year; cancel anytime.
Listen freeOr hold it in print: paperback, hardcover or large print, at costFrom the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Mary prays at the tomb and meets Gabriel
The story opens with a habit. Mary goes each day to the tomb of her Son to burn incense and kneel in prayer. She asks for one thing only, that Christ, who was born of her, would come to her again. The whole narrative is the answer to that single request.
Her visits do not pass unnoticed. Some Jews report her to the chief priests, who have posted guards at the tomb with orders to let no one pray there. The guards say they saw nothing, for God did not allow them to see her. The watchers are present and yet blind to her.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
You looked at
Which edition is right for me
- Audiobook
- For the walk, the drive and the evening. Read by James Mitchell.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 15 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
- Paperback
- Light and easy to carry. A real book for the bedside table and the beach.
- Hardcover
- Made to last. For the shelf, and for giving.
- Large print paperback
- Bigger, clearer type. Easy on the eyes for long evenings and for reading aloud.
- Large print hardcover
- Bigger, clearer type. Easy on the eyes for long evenings and for reading aloud.
See the type size
Pick a size and read a line at that size. Hold your phone at reading distance.
Clouds carry the apostles from Rome, India and Alexandria to the bedside of a dying Mary in Bethlehem.
Shown close to the printed size on most screens.
Details
- First published
- 500
- Language
- Español
- Listening time
- 45 min
- Level
- Challenging
- Paperback
- 30 pages · 6 × 9 in
- Hardcover
- 30 pages · 6 × 9 in
- Large print paperback
- 44 pages · 6 × 9 in
- Large print hardcover
- 44 pages · 6 × 9 in
- Delivery and returns
- Printed when you order. Usually here in 12 to 14 days.Arrives to to Estados Unidos, printed for you at cost
For Christmas, order by
Cite this edition
John the Theologian. The Falling Asleep of Mary. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/loa-falling-asleep-of-mary.
John the Theologian. (2026). The falling asleep of Mary. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/loa-falling-asleep-of-mary (Original work published ca. 500)
John the Theologian. The Falling Asleep of Mary. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/loa-falling-asleep-of-mary.
@book{johnthetheologian2026falling,
author = {John the Theologian},
title = {The Falling Asleep of Mary},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/loa-falling-asleep-of-mary},
note = {First published ca. 500}
}
Hazlo personal
Tu mensaje impreso en su propia página al principio del libro. Gratis con cada ejemplar impreso.
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
170 USDFREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
120 USDFREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
60 USDFREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
60 USDFREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about The Falling Asleep of Mary
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is The Falling Asleep of Mary about?
It tells of Mary's last days. An angel tells her she will soon go to her Son, the apostles are carried on clouds to her bedside, wonders heal the sick, and her opponents fail to stop what is happening.
Who wrote The Falling Asleep of Mary and when?
The text names John as its eyewitness narrator, but the real author is unknown. Scholars date the earliest written forms to between the fourth and sixth centuries, and many think older oral traditions stand behind them.
Why is it not in the Bible?
It was not among the writings accepted into the New Testament canon. Even so, churches read it aloud and used it in sermons, art and feasts, and it is kept in several languages and versions.
More like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
