Infancy Gospel of Thomas

Thomas the Israelite's preface, the boy Jesus and the sparrows of clay, His rebuke of the son of Annas, the cursing and restoration of the boy that ran against Him, and the wonder of the elders.

1I, Thomas the Israelite, have thought it needful to make known unto all the brethren that are of the gentiles the mighty childhood deeds which our Lord Jesus Christ wrought after His birth in our country. The beginning thereof is on this wise.

2When this boy Jesus was five years old, He was playing at the ford of a brook; and He gathered together the waters that flowed there into pools; and He made them straightway clean; and He commanded them by His word alone.

3And having made soft clay, He fashioned thereof twelve sparrows. It was the sabbath day when He did these things; and there were also many other children playing with Him.

4But a certain Jew, beholding the things which Jesus did at His play upon the sabbath, departed straightway and told His father Joseph, saying: Behold, Thy boy is at the brook; He hath taken clay and fashioned twelve birds, and hath profaned the sabbath.

5Joseph came unto the place; and beholding it, cried out unto Him, saying: Wherefore doest Thou these things on the sabbath, which it is not lawful to do? Jesus clapped His hands together, and cried out unto the sparrows, and said unto them: Go away. The sparrows took flight, and went away chirping.

6And the Jews seeing it were astonished; and they departed and told their elders that which they had beheld Jesus do.

7Now the son of Annas the scribe was standing there with Joseph; and he took a willow branch, and let out the waters which Jesus had gathered. And Jesus, beholding what was done, was wroth, and said unto him: Thou unrighteous, ungodly, and foolish one — what harm did the pools and the waters do thee? Behold, even now thou shalt wither away as a tree, and shalt bear neither leaves nor root nor fruit. And straightway that lad was withered up wholly. But Jesus departed, and went unto Joseph's house. The parents of him that was withered took him up, mourning his youth, and brought him unto Joseph, and reproached Joseph that he had a son which doeth such things.

8After this again He went through the village; and a child ran and dashed against His shoulder. Jesus was provoked, and said unto him: Thou shalt not finish thy course. And straightway he fell down, and died. But certain that beheld it said: Whence was this boy born, since His every word is an accomplished deed? And the parents of the dead child went unto Joseph, blaming him, and saying: Forasmuch as Thou hast such a child, Thou canst not dwell with us in the village; or do Thou teach Him to bless, and not to curse — for He is slaying our children.

9Joseph called the young child apart, and admonished Him, saying: Wherefore doest Thou such things, that these suffer and hate us and persecute us? Jesus said: I know that these are not Thy words; nevertheless for Thy sake I shall hold My peace. Yet they shall bear their punishment. And straightway they that accused Him were smitten with blindness.

10But beholding what had befallen them, Joseph took hold of His ear, and wrung it sore. The boy was vexed, and said unto him: It sufficeth Thee to seek and not to find; and most unwisely hast thou done. Knowest thou not that I am Thine? Vex Me not.

11And as Joseph reproved Him for the things He had done, behold, His mercy was moved; and He stretched forth His hand, and touched the eyes of them that were blind, and they saw. And He raised up the child that had fallen, and the boy that had been withered. And the parents of the children glorified God, saying: This is a great child of God, and a holy one.

Jesus and the schoolmasters — He confounds Zacchaeus the teacher; He rebukes the second master; He learns of the third; and the boy that fell from the roof, the carpentry of His father, and the loaves of Joseph the servant.

1A certain teacher named Zacchaeus stood there; and he heard in part Jesus saying these things unto His father. He marvelled greatly that being a young child He spake such weighty matters. After a few days he came near unto Joseph, and said unto him: Thou hast a wise child, and he hath understanding. Come, deliver Him unto me, that He may learn letters; and I shall teach Him with the letters all knowledge, and to salute all the elder men, and to honour them as forefathers and fathers, and to love them of His own years.

2And he wrote for Him the alphabet in fair characters; and he was at it a long time. But Jesus held His peace. Then said Jesus unto Zacchaeus the teacher: Tell me first, thou, the meaning of the Alpha; and I shall tell thee the meaning of the Beta. And the teacher was vexed, and smote Him on the head. The young child took the smiting with patience, and answered him, saying: I shall teach thee, that thou mayest understand thyself, and not learn from another.

3And He began clearly to expound the letters Alpha and Beta, and the figures, and the parts of speech, and all the principles of letters. The teacher heard with great wonder, saying: I esteem this young child to be older than Noah; for I think it must be that He was born before the creation of the world. And he looked upon Joseph, saying: Thou hast brought me a child to teach, that is greater than any teacher. Take Him therefore back unto thine house. Lest, perhaps, He be the Word, or the angel of God, or what I know not.

4Now while Joseph and Mary marvelled at the matter, Jesus laughed aloud, saying unto Zacchaeus: Now let the unfruitful bring forth fruit, and the blind see, and the foolish understand: I am here from above, that I might curse them, and call them above unto the things that are higher. Even as He commanded that one which would have spoken with Him.

5And straightway all that had fallen under His curse were made whole. None ventured to provoke Him after that, lest he be cursed and become maimed.

6After certain days Jesus was playing in the upper chamber of an house, in the upper storey; and one of the boys that played with Him fell down from the house, and died. And when the other boys saw it, they fled. Jesus remained alone. And the parents of the boy that had died came up; and they accused Jesus that He had cast him down. And Jesus said unto them: I have not cast him down. They reviled Him still. Jesus came down from the upper storey; and stood by the body of the boy, and cried with a loud voice, saying: Zeno, Zeno — for that was his name — arise; and tell whether I cast thee down. He arose straightway, and said: Nay, Lord, Thou didst not cast me down, but didst raise me up. They that beheld it were amazed; and the parents of the boy glorified God for the sign that had been done; and they worshipped Jesus.

7After certain days a young man was cleaving wood; the axe fell, and clave in twain the sole of his foot, and he was at the point to die from the loss of much blood. There was a tumult and a gathering; and the young child Jesus also ran thither; and forced His way through the multitude; and laid hold of the smitten foot, and straightway it was healed. He said unto the young man: Arise now, cleave thy wood, and remember Me. The multitude beholding what was done worshipped the young child, saying: Verily the spirit of God dwelleth in this young child.

8And when He was six years old, His mother sent Him to draw water, and to bear it into the house — having given Him a pitcher. But in the press He brake the pitcher. Jesus spread out the garment that was upon Him, and filled it with water, and brought it unto His mother. And His mother, when she beheld the sign that had come to pass, kissed Him, and kept within herself the mysteries which she had seen Him do.

9Again, in the season of sowing, the young child went forth with His father to sow wheat in their land; and as His father sowed, the young child Jesus also sowed one grain of wheat. And when He had reaped it, and threshed it, He made an hundred quarters of wheat; and He called all the poor of the village unto the threshing-floor, and gave them the wheat. And Joseph took with himself that which remained of the wheat. He was eight years old when He wrought this sign.

10Now Joseph was a carpenter; and at that time he made plows and yokes. There was given unto him a couch by a certain rich man, that he should make it for him. Now whereas one stretcher of that which is called the alternating beam was shorter than the other, and Joseph knew not what to do, the young child Jesus said unto His father Joseph: Set down the two pieces of wood, and even them on one side. Joseph did as the young child said. Jesus stood at the other side, and laid hold of the shorter beam, and stretched it, and made it equal with the other. And His father Joseph beheld it, and marvelled; and he embraced the young child, and kissed Him, saying: Blessed am I, for that God hath given me this young child.

11When Joseph beheld the wisdom of the young child, and His age, that He waxed unto perfection, he resolved again that He should not be ignorant of letters; and he led Him thence, and delivered Him unto another teacher. And the teacher said unto Joseph: First I shall teach Him the Greek, and afterward the Hebrew. For the teacher knew that the young child was of full understanding, and was afraid of Him. Howbeit he wrote out the alphabet, and practised Him therein for a long time; but the young child gave him no answer. And Jesus said unto him: If thou be indeed a teacher, and if thou knowest the letters well, tell Me the meaning of the Alpha; and I shall tell thee the meaning of the Beta. And the teacher was vexed; and he smote Him upon the head. The young child Jesus cursed him; and he straightway swooned, and fell upon his face.

12Now Joseph, seeing it, was sore afraid, and said unto Mary: Be not over careful — for whosoever provoketh Him is delivered unto judgment. Then there came a third teacher, and he said unto Joseph: Bring Him; I shall teach Him with goodwill. And Jesus entered with goodwill into the schoolhouse, and found a book lying upon the desk. And He took it; but read not the things that were written therein, but opened His mouth, and spake by the Holy Spirit, and taught the law unto them that stood about. The crowd which stood by hearkened unto Him; and entreated Him to expound yet more. He sat down, and taught them. And the teacher was glad, and said unto Joseph: Take Him back unto thine house with great joy, my brother — for grace is given unto Him from God.

13Now after these things, when Jesus was twelve years old, His parents went up unto Jerusalem according unto the custom of the feast of the Passover, with their company. After the Passover they returned unto their house. And as they returned, the young child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; but His parents knew not. They supposed Him to be in their company; and after they had gone a day's journey, they sought Him among their kinsfolk; and not finding Him, they were grieved, and returned unto the city seeking Him. After three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions; and all that beheld Him were astonished — that He, being a young child, did so put to silence the elders and teachers of the people, expounding the chief points of the law and the parables of the prophets. And His mother Mary came near, and said unto Him: Wherefore hast Thou done thus unto us, child? Behold, we have sought Thee in great sorrow. Jesus said unto them: Wherefore did ye seek Me? Wist ye not that I must be in the things which are My Father's? But the scribes and the Pharisees said: Art thou the mother of this young child? She said: I am. They said unto her: Blessed art thou among women, because the Lord hath blessed the fruit of thy womb; for never have we seen, neither heard, such glory and such virtue and wisdom.

14Jesus arose, and followed His mother, and was subject unto His parents. His mother kept all these sayings in her heart. Jesus advanced in wisdom, and stature, and grace, before God and men. Unto Him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.