The Childhood of Jesus
The Infancy Gospel of Thomas
Greek Text A
From “The Apocryphal New Testament”
M.R. James-Translation and Notes
Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1924
The stories of Thomas the Israelite, the Philosopher, concerning the works of the Childhood of the Lord.
These vignettes of the child Jesus were stories of miracles that circulated among the early followers of Jesus and were later gathered into a written work attributed to Thomas the Israelite, a Jewish Christian writer who likely lived during the second century, around AD 140 to 180. – Barbelo.com
I. I, Thomas of Israel, offer this account to people of every culture and generation. As our world changes and our understanding grows, it remains important to preserve the stories of Jesus’ early years. Here are the accounts of His childhood, the remarkable works attributed to Him, and the events that shaped the beginning of His life among us. This is where the story begins.
Jesus was born with all the knowledge that belonged to Him as God. Yet His earthly body and human mind were muted and still had to grow and mature so that His divine wisdom and understanding could be revealed, expressed, and brought to fullness within the created man – Barbelo
II. 1 This little child Jesus when he was five years old was playing at the ford of a brook: and he gathered together the waters that flowed there into pools, and made them straightway clean, and commanded them by his word alone.
2 Having made soft clay, he fashioned thereof twelve sparrows. But it was the Sabbath when he made these things. There were also many other little children playing with him.
3 A certain Jew when he saw what Jesus did, playing upon the Sabbath day, departed straightway and told Jesus’s father Joseph, “Look at what your son is doing by the brook. He has taken clay and molded it into the shape of twelve birds. Many would say that this breaks the Sabbath tradition.”
4 Joseph came to the place and saw: and cried out to him, saying, “Jesus, why are you doing this on the Sabbath, which it is not lawful to do? Jesus then clapped his hands together and cried out to the sparrows and said to them, “Go!” and the sparrows took to flight and went away chirping.
5 When the Jews saw it, they were amazed They departed and told their chief men that which they had seen Jesus do.
III. 1 But the son of Annas the scribe was standing there with Joseph. He took a branch of a willow and disrupted and dispersed the waters which Jesus had gathered together.
2 When Jesus saw what was done, he was upset and said to him, “O evil, ungodly, and foolish one, what harm have these pools or these waters done to you? Behold, now you too shall be withered like a tree, and shalt not bear leaves, neither root, nor fruit.”
3 Immediatly the young man withered up wholly, but Jesus departed and went unto Joseph’s house.
The parents of the boy whose body had withered picked him up, grieving over what had happened to their son. They brought him to Joseph and accused him, saying, “How can you allow your child to do things like this? Look at what has happened because of him.”
IV. 1 After that, Jesus went through the village, and a child ran and dashed against his shoulder. Jesus was provoked and said to him, “You will not finish you path (lit. go all thy way). Immediately the child fell down and died.
Some who witnessed what had happened said, “Where did this child come from? Every word he speaks seems to become reality.”
The parents of the child who had died came to Joseph and confronted him, saying “You cannot continue to live among us with a son like this. Either teach him to bless people instead of cursing them, or leave this village. Our children are dying because of him.”
V. 1 Joseph took his son aside and spoke to him privately. “Why do you do these things?” he asked. “People are suffering because of it. They hate us now and continue to accuse and persecute us.”
Jesus replied, “I know these words are not truly your own. Even so, for your sake I will remain silent. But those who have brought these accusations upon me will face the consequences of their actions.” And immediately, those who had accused him were struck with blindness.
2 Those that saw this were sore afraid and perplexed. They claimed that every word which Jesus spoke, whether it good or bad, was a deed, and became real. When they saw that Jesus had done, Joseph came and took hold upon his ear and wrung it sore.
3 The child Jesus became angry and said to his father Joseph: “It is enough that they continue searching without understanding. What you have done was unwise. Do you not know that I belong with you? Do not provoke me.”
VI. 1 Now a certain teacher, Zacchaeus by name, stood there and he heard in part when Jesus said these things to his father and he marveled greatly that being a young child he spoke in such matters.
2 After a few days he came back to see Joseph and said to him, “You have a very wise child, and he has great understanding. Bring Him to me so that he may learn letters. I will teach him his letters and all manner of learning. I will also teach him to greet and respect his elders, honoring them as grandfathers and fathers, and to show love to those his own age.
3 He told Jesus all the letters from Alpha even to Omega clearly, with much questioning. Jesus looked upon Zacchaeus the teacher and said to him, “You do not even understand the true nature of Alpha. How, then, can you teach others Beta? You are pretending to know what you do not understand. First explain Alpha, and then we may believe what you have to say about Beta.”
Jesus then began questioning the teacher about the first letter, and the teacher found himself unable to answer. No matter how he responded, Zacchaeus could not overcome Jesus’ questions or match his understanding.
4 In the presence of many people, the child Jesus said to Zacchaeus: Hear, O teacher, the order of the first letter and pay attention to this-how what follows is really unintelligible in this and in all the parallel texts. A literal version would run something like this-how it has lines, and a middle mark, which you see is common to both, going apart; coming together, raised up on high, dancing (a corrupt word), of three signs, like in kind (a corrupt word), balanced, equal in measure]: These are the rules of the Alpha. (Here. Jesus proclaims the spoken word as it is transformed into the written word. Alpha is the learning of letters that create words. Beta is the formation of words that evolve into sentences with proper punctuation and grammar. For truth to be manifest into the future mind, it must be properly conveyed for man that which is written – Barbelo)
VII. 1 When Zacchaeus the teacher heard such and so many allegories of the first letter spoken by the young child, he was perplexed at his answer and his instruction being so great. He said to those that were there, “I can’t believe how wrong I was. I thought I could teach this child, but instead I’ve exposed my own ignorance. The one who should be ashamed here is me.”
2 “Please, my brother Joseph, take him away. I cannot endure the intensity of his gaze, nor can I answer him or make sense of what he is saying.” This young child is not born of this earth. “This child is one who could command even fire itself. It is as though he existed before the world was made.”
“What mother carried this child? What womb brought him forth? I do not know. I am crushed, my friend. He has completely overwhelmed my understanding. I cannot grasp the depth of his wisdom or follow his reasoning. I have deceived myself—what a miserable man I am. I thought I was taking on a student, but instead I have found myself standing before a master.”
3 I think, O my friends, upon my shame, that being old I have been overcome by a young child. I am even ready to faint and to die because of the boy, for I am not able at this present hour to look him in the face. When all men say that I have been overcome by a little child, what can I say? What can I tell concerning the lines of the first letter whereof he spoke to me? I am ignorant, O my friends, for neither beginning nor end of him do I know.
4 “Therefore, my brother Joseph, I beg you, take him back to your home. There is something extraordinary about this child. Whether he is from God, an angel, or something beyond my understanding, I cannot say. I simply do not know.”
VIII. 1 As the Jews were counselling Zacchaeus, the young child laughed greatly and said, “Now let those who were barren become fruitful, and let those who were blind in heart come to see. I have come from above, not only to bring judgment, but also to call people to greater understanding and higher things—to what is beyond this world. I do these things according to the command of the One who sent me. It is for your sake that I have come.”
2 When the young Jesus finished speaking, all who had come under his punishment were immediately made whole. From that time on, no one dared provoke him again, afraid that he might pronounce judgment against them and leave them afflicted.
IX. 1 After several days, Jesus was playing in the upper story of a certain house. One of the young children that played with him named Zeno fell down from the roof mortally injured and died. The other children present saw it and fled but Jesus remained behind alone.
2 The parents of the dead boy came and accused Jesus of pushing him off the roof. Jesus said, “I did not cast him down” but they accused him still.
3 Jesus then climbed down from the roof and stood by the body of the child and cried with a loud voice saying, Zeno, arise and tell me, did I cast you down? Straightway Zeno stood up and said, “No, you did not cast me down but did raise me up. When those present saw this they were amazed. The parents of the child glorified God for the sign which had come to pass, and worshipped Jesus.
X. 1 Another time, a certain young man was cleaving wood in the neighborhood. While swinging the axe, it slipped and struck his foot, cutting deeply into his sole. He lost a great deal of blood and was close to death.
2 As a crowd quickly gathered around the scene, the young Jesus also ran there. Pushing his way through the crowd, he reached the injured young man, took hold of his wounded foot, and immediately it was healed. The child Jesus said to the young man, “Arise now and cleave the wood and remember me.” When the people there saw what Jesus had done, they worshipped him, saying, “Truly, the Spirit of God dwells within this child.”
XI. 1 When Jesus was six years old, his mother sent him to fetch water and bring it home in a clay pitcher. As he made his way through the crowd, the pitcher struck against another vessel and shattered. But Jesus spread out the garment he was wearing, filled it with water, and carried the water home to his mother. When Mary saw what he had done, she embraced him with affection. Yet she kept these things to herself, quietly pondering the remarkable things she had witnessed him do.
XII. 1 Later, during the season for planting, Jesus went out with his father to sow wheat in their field. As Joseph scattered the seed across the land, the young Jesus also planted a single grain of wheat.
2 When the harvest came, he gathered the grain from that single seed, threshed it, and from it produced a hundred measures of wheat. Then Jesus called all the poor of the village unto the threshing floor and gave them the wheat. Joseph gathered what remained of the wheat. Jesus was eight years old when he performed this sign.
XIII. 1 At that time his father Joseph was a carpenter who made ploughs and yokes. There was certain rich man who required Joseph make a bed for him. Whereas one beam, that which is called the shifting one, was too short and Joseph didn’t know what to do. The young child Jesus said to his father Joseph, “Place the two pieces of wood together and align them so that their ends are even.” Joseph did as the young child said. Jesus stood at the other end and took hold of the shorter beam and stretched it to make it equal length with the other. His father Joseph saw this and marveled. He embraced the young child and kissed him, saying “I am happy that God has given me this young child.”
XIV. 1 As Joseph observed the Jesus’ intelligence and saw that his understanding was continuing to mature, he again decided that he should not grow up without learning to read. So he took him and entrusted him to another teacher.
The teacher said to Joseph, “First I will teach him the Greek letters, and afterward the Hebrew.” The teacher had already heard of the child’s extraordinary abilities and was somewhat apprehensive. Nevertheless, he wrote out the alphabet before him.
Jesus studied it for a long time without saying a word.
2 Jesus then said to him, “If you are truly a teacher and understand the letters well, then tell me the meaning of Alpha, and I will tell you the meaning of Beta.”
The teacher became angry at his challenge and struck him on the head. The child was hurt and, in anger, spoke a curse against him. Immediately, the teacher collapsed and fell face down upon the ground.
3 The child Jesus returned to Joseph’s house. Joseph was deeply troubled and said to his mother, “Do not let him go outside by himself, for everyone who provokes him to anger seems to come to harm.”
XV. 1 After some time yet another teacher which was a faithful friend of Joseph said to him, “Bring the young child to me to the school. Perhaps, by being patient and gentle with him, I may be able to teach him his letters.”
Joseph replied, “If you are not afraid, my brother, then take him with you.” He took Jesus with him, in fear and much trouble of spirit, but the young child followed him gladly.
2 Going with boldness into the school Jesus found a book resting on the lectern and picked it up. Yet he did not know how to read the words written on its pages. Instead, he opened his mouth and spoke through the Holy Spirit, teaching the Law to those who stood nearby.
A large crowd soon gathered to listen. They were amazed by the beauty of his teaching and the wisdom of his words. Though he was still was only a child, he spoke with an understanding far beyond his years.
3 When Joseph heard this, he became afraid and hurried to the school, wondering whether this teacher too had been overwhelmed and unable to cope with the child.
But the teacher said to Joseph, “My brother, understand that I accepted this child as my student, yet he is filled with grace and wisdom beyond measure. I ask you, therefore, take him back to your home.”
4 When the young Jesus heard this, he smiled and said, “Because you have spoken truthfully and given an honest account, the afflicted teacher shall be healed for your sake.”
At once, the other teacher was restored. Then Joseph took the child and returned home with him.
XVI. 1 Joseph sent his son James to gather firewood and bring it home. The young Jesus went with him. As James was collecting bundles of sticks, a viper suddenly struck and bit him on the hand.
2 James was in great pain, and his life seemed to be slipping away. Jesus came to him, bent down, and breathed upon the wound. Immediately the pain disappeared. The serpent burst apart, and James was completely healed.
XVII. 1 And after these things, in the neighborhood of Joseph, a little child fell sick and died, and his mother wept sore. And Jesus heard that there was great mourning and trouble and he ran quickly and found the child dead: and he touched his breast and said “I say to you, Child, do not die, but live and be with your mother.” And straightway the child looked up and laughed. Jesus said to the woman, “Pick him up and give him milk, and remember me.
2 The multitudes that stood by and witnessed it marveled, and said, “Of a truth this young child is either a god or an angel of God; for every word of his is a perfect work.” Then Jesus departed and went about playing with the other children.
XVIII. 1 After some time, there was work of building. There came a great commotion, and Jesus arose and went to see and he saw a man lying dead. Jesus took hold of his hand and said, “Man, I say to you, arise and go back to your work. Immediately he arose and worshipped him.
2 When the multitude saw this they were astonished, and said, “This young child is from heaven-for he has saved many souls from death, and has the power to save them all his life long.
XIX. 1 When Jesus was twelve years old, his parents went, according to the custom of Jerusalem, to the feast of the Passover with their company. After Passover they returned to go back to their house. As they traveled back home the child Jesus went back to Jerusalem, but Joseph and Mary believed that he was still in their company.
2 After a day’s journey they realized Jesus was not with them among their family. When they did not find him, they were worried and returned back again to Jerusalem to locate him. After three days they finally located the boy Jesus in the temple sitting amongst the doctors listening and asking them questions. All the men listened to him closely and marveled at how a child so young could silence the elders and teachers of the people, expounding the heads of the law and the parables of the prophets.
3 His mother Mary came near and said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been searching for you and have been worried.”
Jesus replied, “Why were you looking for me? Don’t you know that I would be in my Father’s house?”
4 But the scribes and Pharisees said, “Are you this boy’s mother?” And Mary answered, “I am.”
They said to her, “Blessed are you among women, for God has blessed this child you have borne. Never before have we seen or heard of such wisdom, understanding, and greatness as we see in him.”
5 Jesus rose and followed his mother and was subject unto his parents, but his mother kept in mind all that came to pass. Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and grace as he grew. Unto Him be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Scanned and Edited by
Joshua Williams
Further Edited by Barbelo.com