Joachim's sacrifice refused by the priest

Joachim's sacrifice refused by the high priest is the opening episode of the Marian cycle from the Protevangelium of James: the aged and childless Joachim attempts to make an offering at the Temple but is turned away by the priest Rubim because childless men were considered unworthy. The humiliation drives Joachim into exile in the wilderness, where the angel announces that Anna will conceive. The Master of Alkmaar treats this scene with particular psychological interest — the priest's rejection and Joachim's shame are the emotional fulcrum of the narrative.

The Temple interior is rendered as a simplified Gothic hall whose orthogonal floor and pointed arches suggest spatial depth without extreme foreshortening. The priest's dismissive gesture and Joachim's hunched withdrawal create a studied contrast in posture that carries the narrative content efficiently.