Read Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament Online
Authors: [edited by] Bart D. Ehrman
Tags: #Biblical Reference, #Bible Study Guides, #Bibles, #Other Translations, #Apocryphal books (New Testament), #New Testament, #Christianity, #Religion, #Biblical Commentary, #Biblical Studies, #General, #History
The text provides few clues to help us fix the time of its composition.
Translation by Bart D. Ehrman, based on the Greek text of Constantin von Tischendorf,
Evangelia
Apocrypha
. (Hildesheim: Georg Olms, 1987; original: Leipzig, 1867), with textual alterations made by the translator based on manuscript evidence.
57
58
NON-CANONICAL GOSPELS
Most scholars believe that such “infancy Gospels” began to circulate during the first half of the second century. The Infancy Gospel of Thomas appears to have been one of the earliest.
Tales
of
the
Israelite
Philosopher
3
Thomas,
Concerning
the
Childhood
Now the son of Annas the scribe
was standing there with Joseph;
Activities
of
the
Lord
and he took a willow branch and scattered the water that Jesus had gathered.
2
Jesus was irritated when he saw what
had happened, and he said to him: “You
I, Thomas the Israelite, make this
1
unrighteous, irreverent idiot! What did
report to all of you, my brothers
the pools of water do to harm you? See,
among the Gentiles, that you may know
now you also will be withered like a tree,
the magnificent childhood activities of
and you will never bear leaves or root or
our Lord Jesus Christ—all that he did
fruit.”
3
Immediately that child was comafter being born in our country. The bepletely withered. Jesus left and returned ginning is as follows:
to Joseph’s house. But the parents of the
withered child carried him away, mourn
When this child Jesus was five
2
ing his lost youth. They brought him to
years old, he was playing by the
Joseph and began to accuse him, “What
ford of a stream; and he gathered the
kind of child do you have who does such
flowing waters into pools and made them
things?”
immediately pure. These things he ordered simply by speaking a word.
2
He Somewhat later he was going
4
then made some soft mud and fashioned
through the village, and a child ran
twelve sparrows from it. It was the Sabup and banged into his shoulder. Jesus bath when he did this. A number of other
was aggravated and said to him, “You
children were also playing with him.
will go no further on your way.” And
3
But when a certain Jew saw what Jesus
right away the child fell down and died.
had done while playing on the Sabbath,
Some of those who saw what happened
he left right away and reported to his
said, “Where was this child born? For
father, Joseph, “Look, your child at the
everything he says is a deed accomstream has taken mud and formed twelve plished?”
2
The parents of the dead child
sparrows. He has profaned the Sabbath!”
came to Joseph and blamed him, saying
4
When Joseph came to the place and saw
“Since you have such a child you cannot
what had happened, he cried out to him,
live with us in the village. Or teach him
“Why are you doing what is forbidden
to bless and not to curse—for he is killing
on the Sabbath?” But Jesus clapped his
our children!”
hands and cried to the sparrows, “Be
gone!” And the sparrows took flight and
Joseph called to the child and ad5
went off, chirping.
5
When the Jews saw
monished him privately, “Why are
this they were amazed; and they went
you doing such things? These people are
away and reported to their leaders what
suffering, they hate us and are persecutthey had seen Jesus do.
ing us!” But Jesus replied, “I know these
THE INFANCY GOSPEL OF THOMAS
59
are not your words, and so I also will
tively crossing, then coming together, and
keep silent for your sake. But those others
proceeding upward again till they reach
will bear their punishment.” And immethe top, so that it is divided into three diately those who were accusing him
equal parts, each of them fundamental
were blinded.
2
Those who saw these
and foundational, of equal length. Now
things were frightened and disturbed;
you have the set patterns of the Alpha.”
they began saying about him, “Everything he has said, whether good or bad, When the teacher Zachaeus heard
has become an amazing reality.” When
7 the child setting forth so many al
Joseph saw what Jesus had done, he rose
legorical interpretations like this of the
up, grabbed his ear, and yanked it hard.
first letter, he was at a complete loss
3
The child was irritated and said to him,
about this kind of explanation and teach
“It is enough for you to seek and not find;
ing, and he said to those standing there,
you have not acted at all wisely. Do you
“Woe is me! I am wretched and at a
not know that I am yours? Do not grieve
complete loss; I have put myself to
me.”
shame, taking on this child.
2
I beg of
you, brother Joseph, take him away. I can
There was an instructor named Za6
not bear his stern gaze or make sense of
chaeus standing off to the side who
a single word. This child is not of this
heard Jesus say these things to his father.
world; he can even tame fire. Maybe he
And he was amazed that he was speaking
was born before the world came into besuch things, though just a child.
2
After ing. I cannot fathom what kind of uterus
a few days he approached Joseph and said
bore him or what kind of womb nourto him, “You have a bright child with a ished him. Woe is me, friend. He has
good mind. Come, let me have him that
befuddled me; I cannot follow his reahe may learn to read, and through reading soning. I have fooled myself and am mis
I will teach him everything, including
erable three times over. I was struggling
how to greet all the elders and to honor
to have a student, and I have been found
them as his ancestors and fathers, and to
to have a teacher.
3
My friends, I know
love children his own age.”
3
And he told
all too well my shame: though an old
him all the letters from Alpha to Omega,
man, I have been defeated by a child. I
clearly and with great precision. But Jemay grow weak and die because of this sus looked the instructor Zachaeus in the
child. For at this moment I cannot look
face and said to him, “Since you do not
him in the face. When everyone says that
know the true nature of the Alpha, how
I have been defeated by a young child,
can you teach anyone the Beta? You hypwhat can I say? And how can I explain ocrite! If you know it, first teach the
the things he told me about the set pat
Alpha, and then we will believe you
terns of the first letter? I have no idea,
about the Beta.” Then he began to quesmy friends. For I do not know itsa begintion the teacher sharply about the first ning or end.
4
And so I ask you, brother
letter, and he was not able to give him
Joseph, take him back home. I do not
the answers.
4
And while many others
know what kind of great thing he is—
were listening, the child said to Zachaeus,
whether a divine being or angel; I do not
“Listen, teacher, to the arrangement of
know even what to say.”
the first letter of the alphabet; observe
here how it has set patterns, and middle strokes which you see collecaOr:
his
60
NON-CANONICAL GOSPELS
While the Jews were giving Za8
healed. And he said to the young man,
chaeus advice, the child laughed
“Rise now, split the wood, and remember
aloud and said, “Now let what is yours
me.” When the crowd saw what had hapbear fruit, and let the blind in heart see.
pened it worshiped the child, saying,
I have come from above to curse them
“The Spirit of God certainly lives within
and call them to the realm above, just as
this child.”
the one who sent me for your sake commanded.”
2
When the child stopped When he was six years old, his
11
speaking, immediately all those who had
mother gave him a water jug
fallen under his curse were healed. No
and sent him to draw some water to bring
one dared to anger him from that time
back home. But he was jostled by the
on, fearing that he might cripple them
crowd, and the water jug was shattered.
with a curse.
2
So Jesus unfolded the cloak he was
wearing and filled it with water, and
Some days later Jesus was playing
9
brought it back to his mother. When his
on a flat rooftop of a house, and
mother saw the sign that had happened,
one of the children playing with him fell
she kissed him. And she kept to herself
from the roof and died. When the other
the mysterious deeds that she saw
children saw what had happened, they
him do.
ran away, so that Jesus stood there alone.
2
When the parents of the one who died
When it later became time for
12
arrived they accused him of throwing him
sowing, the child went out with
down. But Jesus said, “I certainly did not
his father to sow wheat in their field. And
throw him down.” But they began to
when his father sowed, the child Jesus
abuse him verbally.
3
Jesus leapt down
also sowed a single grain of wheat.
from the roof and stood beside the child’s
2
When he harvested and threshed the
corpse, and with a loud voice he cried
grain, it produced a hundred large bushout, “Zenon!” (for that was his name) els. He called all the poor people of the
“rise up and tell me: did I throw you
village to the threshing floor and gave
down?” And right away he rose up and
them the wheat; and Joseph took what
said, “Not at all Lord! You did not throw
was left of it. He was eight years old
me down, but you have raised me up!”
when he did this sign.
When they saw this they were astounded.
The parents of the child glorified God for
13
the sign that had occurred, and they wor
Now his father was a carpenter,
and at that time he used to make
shiped Jesus.
plows and yokes. He received an order
from a certain rich man to make a bed.
A few days later there was a
10
But when the measurement for one of the
young man who was splitting
beautiful crossbeams came out too short,
wood in a secluded spot. The axe fell and
he did not know what to do. The child
split open the sole of his foot. He lost a
Jesus said to his father Joseph, “Place the
lot of blood and was dying.
2
There was
two pieces of wood on the floor and line
a disturbance and a crowd started to
them up from the middle to one end.”
gather, and the child Jesus also ran to the
2
Joseph did just as the child said. Then
spot. Forcing his way through the crowd,
Jesus stood at the other end, grabbed the
he grabbed the young man’s foot that had
shorter board, and stretched it out to
been struck, and immediately it was
make it the same length as the other. His
THE INFANCY GOSPEL OF THOMAS
61
father Joseph saw what he had done and
at the great beauty of his teaching and
was amazed. He embraced the child and
his carefully crafted words—amazed that
gave him a kiss, saying “I am blessed that
he could speak such things though still a
God has given me this child.”
babe.
3
But when Joseph heard about this
he was frightened. He ran to the school,
14 When Joseph observed the thinking that this instructor may also have mind of the child and saw that
proved ignorant. But the instructor said
he was starting to mature, he again did
to Joseph, “You should know, brother,
not want him to be unable to read, and
that I took the child as a pupil; but he is
so took him out to give him over to anfilled with great grace and wisdom. Now other teacher. The teacher said to Joseph,