Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament (15 page)

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,