“The Gospel of James, also known as the Infancy Gospel of James or the Protevangelium of James, is an apocryphal Gospel probably written about AD 145, which expands backward in time the infancy stories contained in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, and presents a narrative concerning the birth and upbringing of Mary herself. It is the oldest source to assert the virginity of Mary not only prior to but during (and after) the birth of Jesus.[1] The ancient manuscripts that preserve the book have different titles, including “The Birth of Mary”, “The Story of the Birth of Saint Mary, Mother of God,” and “The Birth of Mary; The Revelation of James.”[2]”
From Wikipedia. I posted the quote in case it changes as can happen on Wikipedia. But that quote above seems accurate.
It’s not Scripture. However that along with other “apocryphal” works can and do show the historicity of many Marian devotions and traditions (some of which later came to be recognized as Tradition).
Those are my thoughts on it, and this: we Catholics are to follow Church teaching on these and all dogmatic matters and thus, as such, while the Protoevangelum of James contains some truths it’s not to be taken as entirely the inerrant Word of God (as Scripture is). So it may contain some errors.
I have seen those shows on the History channel at least advertised. I never watched them because the title “Banned from the Bible” is too provocative for my taste. It’s almost implying some type of gnostic conspiracy to “supres the truth” about Christianity. The fact of the matter is the so called “apocryphal” works were never “banned” from the Bible (as if they were in the canon originally). They weren’t in the canon originally; they were never in the canon. But that’s just a pet peeve of mine.
Personally, Mary has become far more interesting to me than simply as someone we think of only at Christmas, as used to be the case with me.
For example, if that woman was healed thanks to her belief in Him and that simply by touching Jesus' clothes she would be healed, well...what of the woman who carried not yet baby Jesus and gave birth to Him, raised and cared for Him, etc.?
In trying to get my head around "all of that", there's no way I see Mary as a standard issue human, either in life or "death".
Instead, I think what the Catholics (and perhaps the Orthodox?) believe is likely much closer to the truth than the Protestant take on her.
As such, I think I'll keep my mind open in my seeking answers, so as not to err in ignorance, nor be condemned my own mouth speaking foolishly, such as from not pondering the mystery more fully. There's no fooling God.
To me and my thinking, any reverence given to Mary is also given to the Holy Trinity at the same time, since she received all from God and is merely reflecting His Light and not an actual source. He is the source and all Glory goes to Him.