Infancy - childhood of
Jesus Christ - Our Lord and Savior according to Thomas
[Translated by Alexander Walker, Esq., one of Her Majesty's Inspectors of
Schools for Scotland.]
LATIN FORM
HERE BEGINNETH THE TREATISE OF THE BOYHOOD
OF JESUS ACCORDING TO THOMAS.
CHAP. I.--HOW
MARY AND JOSEPH FLED WITH HIM INTO EGYPT.
WHEN a commotion took place in consequence of the search made by
Herod
for our Lord Jesus Christ to kill Him, then an angel said to Joseph: Take
Mary and her boy, and flee into Egypt from the face of those who seek to
kill Him. And Jesus was two years old when He went into Egypt.
And as He was walking through a field of corn, He stretched forth
His
hand, and took of the ears, and put them over the fire, and rubbed them,
and began to eat.
And when they had come into Egypt, they received hospitality in the
house of a certain widow, and they remained in the same place one year.
And Jesus was in His third year. And seeing boys playing, He began
to
play with them. And He took a dried fish, and put it into a basin, and
ordered it to move about. And it began to move about. And He said again to
the fish: Throw out thy salt which thou hast, and walk into the water. And
it so came to pass. And the neighbours, seeing what had been done, told it
to the widow woman in whose house Mary His mother lived. And as soon as she
heard it, she thrust them out of her house with great haste.
CHAP. II.--
HOW A
SCHOOLMASTER THRUST HIM OUT OF THE CITY.
And as Jesus was walking with Mary His mother through the middle of
the
city market-place, He looked and saw a schoolmaster teaching his scholars.
And behold twelve sparrows that were quarrelling fell over the wall into
the bosom of that schoolmaster, who was teaching the boys. And seeing this,
Jesus was very much amused, and stood still. And when that teacher, saw Him
making merry, he said to his scholars with great fury: Go and bring him to
me. And when they had carried Him to the master, he seized Him by the ear,
and said: What didst thou see, to amuse thee so much? And He said to him:
Master, see my hand full of wheat. I showed it to them, and scattered the
wheat among them, and they carry it out of the middle of the street where
they are in danger; and on this account they fought among themselves to
divide the wheat. And Jesus did not pass from the place until it was
accomplished. And this being done, the master began to thrust Him out of
the city, along with His mother.
CHAP. III.--
HOW JESUS WENT OUT OF
EGYPT.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord met Mary, and said to her: Take up
the
boy, and return into the land of the Jews, for they who sought His life are
dead. And Mary rose up with Jesus; and they proceeded into the city of
Nazareth, which is among the possessions of her father. And when Joseph
went out of Egypt after the death of Herod, he kept Him in the desert until
there should be quietness in Jerusalem on the part of those who were
seeking the boy's life. And he gave thanks to God because He had given him
understanding, and because he had found favour in the presence of the Lord
God. Amen.
CHAP. IV.--
WHAT
THE LORD JESUS DID IN THE CITY OF NAZARETH.
It is glorious that Thomas the Israelite and apostle of the Lord
gives
an account also of the works of Jesus after He came out of Egypt into
Nazareth. Understand all of you, my dearest brethren, what the Lord Jesus
did when He was in the city of Nazareth; the first chapter of which is as
follows:--
And when Jesus was five years old, there fell a great rain upon the
earth, and the boy Jesus walked up and down through it. And there was a
terrible rain, and He collected it into a fish-pond, and ordered it by His
word to become clear. And immediately it became so. Again He took of the
clay which was of that fish-pond, and made of it to the number of twelve
sparrows. And it was the Sabbath when Jesus did this among the boys of the
Jews. And the boys of the Jews went away, and said to Joseph His father:
Behold, thy son was playing along with us, and he took clay and made
sparrows, which it was not lawful to do on the Sabbath; and he has broken
it. And Joseph went away to the boy Jesus, and said to Him: Why hast thou
done this, which it was not lawful to do on the Sabbath? And Jesus opened
His hands, and ordered the sparrows, saying: Go up into the air, and fly;
nobody shall kill you. And they flew, and began to cry out, and praise God
Almighty. And the Jews seeing what had happened, wondered, and went away
and told the miracles which Jesus had done. But a Pharisee who was with
Jesus took an olive branch, and began to let the water out of the fountain
which Jesus had made. And when Jesus saw this, He said to him in a rage:
Thou impious and ignorant Sodomite, what harm have my works the fountains
of water done thee? Behold, thou shalt become like a dry tree, having
neither roots, nor leaves, nor fruit. And immediately he dried up, and fell
to the ground, and died. And his parents took him away dead, and reproached
Joseph, saying: See what thy son has done; teach him to pray, and not to
blaspheme.
CHAP. V.--
HOW
THE CITIZENS WERE ENRAGED AGAINST JOSEPH
ON ACCOUNT OF THE DOINGS OF JESUS.
And a few days after, as Jesus was walking through the town with
Joseph, one of the children ran up and struck Jesus on the arm. And Jesus
said to him: So shalt thou not finish thy journey. And immediately he fell
to the ground, and died. And those who saw these wonderful things cried
out, saying: Whence is that boy? And they said to Joseph: It is not right
for such a boy to be among us. And Joseph went and brought Him. And they
said to him: Go away from this place; but if thou must live with us, teach
him to; pray, and not to blaspheme: hut our children have been killed.
Joseph called Jesus, and reproved Him, saying: Why dost thou blaspheme? For
these people who live here hate us And Jesus said: I know that these words
are not mine, but thine; but I will hold my tongue for thy sake: and let
them see to it in their wisdom. And immediately those who were speaking
against Jesus became blind. And they walked up and down, and said: All the
words which proceed from his mouth are accomplished. And Joseph seeing what
Jesus bad done, in a fury seized Him by the ear; and Jesus said to Joseph
in anger: It is enough for thee to see me, not to touch me. For thou
knowest not who I am; but if thou didst know, thou wouldst not make me
angry. And although just now I am with thee, I was made before thee.
CHAP. VI.--
HOW JESUS
WAS TREATED BY THE SCHOOLMASTER.
Therefore a certain man named Zacheus(1) listened to all that Jesus
was
saying to Joseph, and in great astonishment said to himself: Such a boy
speaking in this way I have never seen. And he went up to Joseph, and said:
That is an intelligent boy of thine; hand him over to me to learn his
letters; and when he has thoroughly learned his letters, I shall teach him
honourably, so that he may be no fool. But Joseph answered and said to him:
No one can teach him but God alone. You do not believe that that little boy
will be of little consequence? And when Jesus heard Joseph speaking in this
way, He said to Zacheus: Indeed, master, whatever proceeds from my mouth is
true. And before all I was Lord, but you are foreigners. To me has been
given the glory of the ages, to you has been given nothing; because I am
before the ages. And I know how many years of life thou wilt have, and that
thou wilt be carried into exile: and my Father hath appointed this, that
thou mayest understand that whatever proceeds from my mouth is true. And
the Jews who were standing by, and hearing the words which Jesus spoke,
were astonished, and said: We have seen such wonderful things, and heard
such words from that boy, as we have never heard, nor are likely to hear
from any other human being,--either from the high priests, or the masters,
or the Pharisees. Jesus answered and said to them: Why do you wonder? Do
you consider it incredible that I have spoken the truth? I know when both
you and your fathers were born, and to tell you more, when the world was
made: I know also who sent me to you.(2) And when the Jews heard the words
which the child had spoken, they wondered, because that they were not able
to answer. And, communing with Himself, the child exulted and said: I have
told you a proverb; and I know that you are weak and ignorant.
And that schoolmaster said to Joseph: Bring him to me, and I shall
teach him letters. And Joseph took hold of the boy Jesus, and led Him to
the house of a certain schoolmaster, where other boys were being taught.
Now the master in soothing words began to teach Him His letters, and wrote
for Him the first line, which is from A to T,(3) and began to stroke Him
and teach Him. And that teacher struck the child on the head: and when He
had received the blow, the child said to him: I should teach thee, and not
thou me; I know the letters which thou wishest to teach me, and I know that
you are to me like vessels from which there come forth only sounds, and no
wisdom. And, beginning the line, He said the letters from A to T in full,
and very fist. And He looked at the master, and said to him: Thou indeed
canst not tell us what A and B are; how dost thou wish to teach others? O
hypocrite, if thou knowest and will tell me about the A, then will I tell
thee about the B. And when that teacher began to tell(4) about the first
letter, he was unable to give any answer. And Jesus said to Zacheus: Listen
to me, master; understand the first letter. See how it has two lines;
advancing in the middle, standing still, giving, scattering, varying,
threatening; triple intermingled with double; at the same time homogeneous,
having all common.(1)
And Zacheus, seeing that He so divided the first letter, was
stupefied
about the first letter, and about such a human being and such learning; and
he cried out, and said: Woe's me, for I am quite stupefied; I have brought
disgrace upon myself through, that child. And he said to Joseph: I
earnestly entreat thee, brother, take him away from me, because I cannot
look upon his face, nor hear his mighty words. Because that child can tame
fire and bridle the sea: for he was born before the ages. What womb brought
him forth, or what mother(2) nursed him, I know not. Oh, my friends, I am
driven out of my senses; I have become a wretched laughing-stock. And I
said that I had got a scholar; but he has been found to be my master. And
my disgrace I cannot get over, because I am an old man; and what to say to
him I cannot find. All I have to do is to fall into some grievous illness,
and depart from this world; or to leave this town, because all have seen my
disgrace. An infant has deceived me. What answer can I give to others, or
what words can I say, because he has got the better of me in the first
letter? I am struck dumb, O my friends and acquaintances; neither beginning
nor end can I find of an answer to him. And now I beseech thee, brother
Joseph, take him away from me, and lead him home, because he is a master,
or the Lord, or an angel. What to say I do not know. And Jesus turned to
the Jews who were with Zacheus, and said to them: Let all not seeing see,
and not understanding understand; let the deaf hear, and let those who are
dead through me rise again; and those who are exalted, let me call to still
higher things, as He who sent me to you hath commanded me. And when Jesus
ceased speaking, all who had been affected with any infirmity through His
words were made whole. And they did not dare to speak to Him.
CHAP. VII.--
HOW JESUS RAISED A BOY
TO LIFE.
One day, when Jesus was climbing on a certain house, along with the
children, He began to play with them. And one of the boys fell down through
a back-door, and died immediately: And when the children saw this, they all
ran away; but Jesus remained in the house.(3) And when the parents of the
boy who had died had come, they spoke against Jesus: Surely it was thou who
made him fall down; and they reviled Him. And Jesus, coming down from the
house. stood over the dead child, and with a loud voice called out the name
of the child: Sinoo, Sinoo, rise and say whether it was I that made thee
fall down. And suddenly he rose up, and said: No, my lord. And his parents,
seeing such a great miracle done by Jesus, glorified God, and adored Jesus.
CHAP. VIII.--
HOW JESUS HEALED A
BOY'S FOOT.
And a few days thereafter, a boy in that town was splitting wood,
and
struck his foot. And a great crowd went to him, and Jesus too went with
them. And He touched the foot which had been hurt, and immediately it was
made whole. And Jesus said to him: Rise, and split the wood, and remember
me. And when the crowd saw the miracles that were done by Him, they adored
Jesus, and said: Indeed we most surely believe that Thou art God.
CHAP. IX.--
HOW JESUS CARRIED WATER IN A CLOAK.
And when Jesus was six years old, His mother sent Him to draw water.
And when Jesus had come to the fountain, or to the well, there were great
crowds there, and they broke His pitcher. And He took the cloak which He
had on, and filled it with water, and carried it to His mother Mary. And
His mother, seeing the miracles which Jesus had done, kissed Him, and said:
O Lord, hear me, and save my son.
CHAP. X.--
HOW JESUS SOWED WHEAT.
In the time of sowing, Joseph went out to sow wheat, and Jesus
followed
him. And when Joseph began to sow, Jesus stretched out His hand, and took
as much wheat as He could hold in His fist, and scattered it. Joseph
therefore came at reaping-time to reap his harvest. Jesus came also, and
collected the ears which He had scattered, and they made a hundred pecks(4)
of the best grain; and he called the poor, and the widows, and the orphans,
and distributed to them the wheat which He had made. Joseph also took a
little of the same wheat, for the blessing of Jesus to his house.
CHAP. XI.--
HOW JESUS MADE A
SHORT PIECE OF WOOD
OF THE SAME LENGTH AS A LONGER ONE.
And Jesus reached the age of eight years, Joseph was a master
builder,(5) and used to make ploughs and ox-yokes. And one day a rich man
said to Joseph: Master, make me a couch, both useful and beautiful. And
Joseph was in distress, because the wood which he had brought (1) for the
work was too short. And Jesus said to him: Do not be annoyed. Take hold of
this piece of wood by one end, and I by the other;I and let us draw it out.
And they did so; and immediately he found it useful for that which he
wished. And He said to Joseph: Behold, do the work which thou wishest. And
Joseph, seeing what He had done, embraced Him, and said: Blessed am I,
because God hath given me such a son.
CHAP. XII. --
HOW
JESUS WAS HANDED OVER TO LEARN HIS LETTERS.
And Joseph, seeing that He had such favour, and that He was
increasing
in stature, thought it right to take Him to learn His letters. And he
handed Him over to another teacher to be taught. And that teacher said to
Joseph: What letters dost thou wish me to teach that boy? Joseph answered
and said: First teach him the Gentile letters, and then the Hebrew. For the
teacher knew that He was very intelligent, and willingly took Him in hand.
And writing for Him the first line, which is A and B, he taught Him for
some hours. (2) But Jesus was silent, and made him no answer. Jesus said to
the master: If thou art indeed a master, and if thou indeed knowest the
letters, tell me the power (3) of the A, and I shall tell thee the power of
the B. Then His master was filled with fury, and struck Him on the head.
And Jesus was angry, and cursed him; and he suddenly fell down, and died.
And Jesus returned home. And Joseph gave orders to Mary His mother,
not
to let Him go out of the court of his house.
CHAP. XIII. --
HOW HE WAS
HANDED OVER TO ANOTHER MASTER.
Many days after came another teacher, a friend of Joseph, and said
to
him: Hand him over to me, and I with much sweetness will teach him his
letters. And Joseph said to him: If thou art able, take him and teach him.
May it be attended with joy. When the teacher had taken Him, he went along
in fear and in great firmness, and held Him with exultation. And when He
had come to the teacher's house, He found a book lying there, and took it
and opened it, and did not read what was written in the book; but opened
His mouth, and spoke from the Holy Spirit, and taught the law. And, indeed,
all who were standing there listened to Him attentively;
and the master sat down beside Him, and listened to Him with pleasure, and
entreated Him to teach them more. And a great crowd being gathered
together, they heard all the holy teaching which He taught, and the choice
words which I came forth from the mouth of Him who, child as He was, spake
such things. And Joseph, hearing of this, was afraid, and running (4) . . .
the master, where Jesus was, said to Joseph: Know, brother, that I have
received thy child to teach him or train him; but he is filled with much
gravity and wisdom. Lo, now, take him home with joy, my brother; because
the gravity which he has, has been given him by the Lord. And Jesus,
hearing the master thus speaking, became cheerful, and said: Lo, now,
master, thou hast truly said. For thy sake, he who is dead shall rise
again. And Joseph took Him home.
CHAP. XIV. --
HOW JESUS
DELIVERED JAMES FROM THE BITE OF A SERPENT.
And Joseph sent James to gather straw, and Jesus followed him. And
while James was gathering the straw, a viper bit him; and he fell to the
ground, as if dead from the poison. And Jesus seeing this, blew upon his
wound; and immediately James was made whole, and the viper died.
CHAP. XV. --
HOW JESUS RAISED
ANOTHER BOY TO LIFE.
A few days after, a child, His neighbour, died, and his mother
mourned
for him sore. Jesus, hearing this, went and stood over the boy, and knocked
upon his breast, and said: I say to thee, child, do not die, but live. And
immediately the child rose up. And Jesus said to the boy's mother: Take thy
son, and give him the breast, and remember me. And the crowd, seeing this
miracle, said: In truth, this child is from heaven; for already has he
freed many souls from death, and he has made whole all that hope in him.
The scribes and Pharisees said to Mary: Art thou the mother of this
child? And Mary said: Indeed I am. And they said to her: Blessed art thou
among women, (5) since God hath blessed the fruit of thy womb, seeing that
He hath given thee such a glorious child, and such a gift of wisdom, as we
have never seen nor heard of. Jesus rose up and followed His mother. And
Mary kept in her heart all the great miracles that Jesus had done among the
people, in healing many that were diseased. And Jesus grew in stature and
wisdom; and all who saw Him glorified God the Father Almighty, who is
blessed for ever and ever. Amen.
And all these things I Thomas the Israelite have written what I have
seen, and have recounted them to the Gentiles and to our brethren, and many
other things done by Jesus, who was born in the land of Judah. Behold, the
house of lsrael has seen all, from the first even to the last; how great
signs and wonders Jesus did among them, which were exceedingly good, and
invisible to their father, (1) as holy Scripture relates, and the prophets
have borne witness to His works in all the peoples of Israel. And He it is
who is to judge the world according to the will of immortality, since He is
the Son of God throughout all the world. To Him is due all glory and honour
for ever, who lives and reigns God through all ages of ages. Amen.
THE
ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE INFANCY OF THE SAVIOUR
IN the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, one
God.
With the help and favour of the Most High we begin to write a book
of
the miracles of our Lord and Master and Saviour Jesus Christ, which is
called the Gospel of the Infancy: in the peace of the Lord. Amen.
1. We find (1) what follows in the book of Joseph the high priest,
who
lived in the time of Christ. Some say that he is Caiaphas. (2) He has said
that Jesus spoke, and, indeed, when He was lying in His cradle said to Mary
His mother: I am Jesus, the Son of God, the Logos, whom thou hast brought
forth, as the Angel Gabriel announced to thee; and my Father has sent me
for the salvation of the world.
2. In the three hundred and ninth year of the era of Alexander,
Augustus put forth an edict, that every man should be enrolled in his
native place. Joseph therefore arose, and taking Mary his spouse, went away
to (3) Jerusalem, and came to Bethlehem, to be enrolled along with his
family in his native city. And having come to a cave, Mary told Joseph that
the time of the birth was at hand, and that she could not go into the city;
but, said she, let us go into this cave. This took place at sunset. And
Joseph went out in haste to go for a woman to be near her. When, therefore,
he was busy about that, he saw an Hebrew old woman belonging to Jerusalem,
and said: Come hither, my good woman, and go into this cave, in which there
is a woman near her time.
3. Wherefore, after sunset, the old woman, and Joseph with
her, came
to the cave, and they both went in. And, behold, it was filled with lights
more beautiful than the gleaming of lamps and candles, (4) and more
splendid than the light of the sun. The child, enwrapped in swaddling
clothes, was sucking the breast of the Lady Mary His mother, being placed
in a stall. And when both were wondering at this light, the old woman asks
the Lady Mary: Art thou the mother of this Child? And when the Lady Mary
gave her assent, she says: Thou art not at all like the daughters of Eve.
The Lady Mary said: As my son has no equal among children, so his mother
has no equal among women. The old woman replied: My mistress, I came to get
payment; I have been for a long time affected with palsy. Our mistress the
Lady Mary said to her: Place thy hands upon the child. And the old woman
did so, and was immediately cured. Then she went forth, saying: Henceforth
I will be the attendant and servant of this child all the days of my life.
4. Then came shepherds; and when they had lighted a fire, and were
rejoicing greatly, there appeared to them the hosts of heaven praising and
celebrating God Most High. And while the shepherds were doing the same, the
cave was at that time made like a temple of the upper world, since both
heavenly and earthly voices glorified and magnified God on account of the
birth of the Lord Christ. And when that old Hebrew woman saw the
manifestation of those miracles, she thanked God, saying: I give Thee
thanks, O God, the God of Israel, because mine eyes have seen the birth of
the Saviour of the world.
5. And the time of circumcision, that is, the eighth day, being at
hand, the child was to be circumcised according to the law. Wherefore they
circumcised Him in the cave. And the old Hebrew woman took the piece of
skin; but some say that she took the navel-string, and laid it past in a
jar of old oil of nard. And she had a son, a dealer in unguents, and she
gave it to him, saying: See that thou do not sell this jar of unguent of
nard, even although three hundred denarii (5) should be offered thee for
it. And this is that jar which Mary the sinner bought and poured upon the
head and feet of our Lord Jesus Christ, which thereafter she wiped with the
hair of her head. (1) Ten days after, they took Him to Jerusalem; and on
the fortieth day (2) after His birth they carried Him into the temple, and
set Him before the Lord, and offered sacrifices for Him, according to the
command-meet of the law of Moses, which is: Every male that openeth the
womb shall be called the holy of God. (3)
6. Then old Simeon saw Him shining like a pillar of light, when the
Lady Mary, His virgin mother, rejoicing over Him, was carrying Him in her
arms. And angels, praising Him, stood round Him in a circle, like life
guards standing by a king. Simeon therefore went up in haste to the Lady
Mary, and, with hands stretched out before her, said to the Lord Christ:
Now, O my Lord, let Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word; for
mine eyes have seen Thy compassion, which Thou hast prepared for the
salvation of all peoples, a light to all nations, and glory to Thy people
Israel. Hanna also, a prophetess, was present, and came up, giving thanks
to God, and calling the Lady Mary blessed. (4)
7. And it came to pass, when the Lord Jesus was born at Bethlehem of
Judaea, in the time of King Herod, behold, magi came from the east to
Jerusalem, as Zeraduscht (5) had predicted; and there were with them gifts,
gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And they adored Him, and presented to
Him their gifts. Then the Lady Mary took one of the swaddling-bands, and,
on account of the smallness of her means, gave it to them; and they
received it from her with the greatest marks of honour. And in the same
hour there appeared to them an angel in the form of that star which had
before guided them on their journey; and they went away, following the
guidance of its light, until they arrived in their own country. (6)
8. And their kings and chief men came together to them, asking what
they had seen or done, how they had gone and come back, what they had
brought with them. And they showed them that swathing-cloth which the Lady
Mary had given them. Wherefore they celebrated a feast, and, according to
their custom, lighted a fire and worshipped it, and threw that swathing-
cloth into it; and the fire laid hold of it, and enveloped it. And when the
fire had gone out, they took out the swathing-cloth exactly as it had been
before, just as if the fire had not touched it. Wherefore they began to
kiss it, and to put it on their heads and their eyes, saying: This verily
is the truth without doubt. Assuredly it is a great thing that the fire was
not able to burn or destroy it. Then they took it, and with the greatest
honour laid it up among their treasures.
9. And when Herod saw that the magi had left him, and not come back
to
him, he summoned the priests and the wise men, and said to them: Show me
where Christ is to be born. And when they answered, In Bethlehem of Judaea,
he began to think of putting the Lord Jesus Christ to death. Then appeared
an angel of the Lord to Joseph in his sleep, and said: Rise, take the boy
and His mother, and go away into Egypt. (7) He rose, therefore, towards
cockcrow, and set out.
10. While he is reflecting how be is to set about his journey,
morning
came upon him after he had gone a very little way. And now he was
approaching a great city, in which there was an idol, to which the other
idols and gods of the Egyptians offered gifts and vows. And there stood
before this idol a priest ministering to him, who, as often as Satan spoke
from that idol, reported it to the inhabitants of Egypt and its
territories. This priest had a son, three years old, beset by several
demons; and he made many speeches and utterances; and when the demons
seized him, he tore his clothes, and remained naked, and threw stones at
the people. And there was a hospital in that city dedicated to that idol.
And when Joseph and the Lady Mary had come to the city, and had turned
aside into that hospital, the citizens were very much afraid; and all the
chief men and the priests of the idols came together to that idol, and said
to it: What agitation and commotion is this that has arisen in our land?
The idol answered them: A God has come here in secret, who is God indeed;
nor is any god besides Him worthy of divine worship, because He is truly
the Son of God. And when this land became aware of His presence, it
trembled at His arrival, and was moved and shaken; and we are exceedingly
afraid from the greatness of His power. And in the same hour that idol fell
down, and at its fall all, inhabitants of Egypt and others, ran together.
11. And the son of the priest, his usual disease having come upon
him,
entered the hospital, and there came upon Joseph and the Lady Mary, from
whom all others had fled. The Lady Mary had washed the cloths of the Lord
Christ, and had spread them over some wood. That demoniac boy, therefore,
came and took one of the cloths, and put it on his head. Then the demons,
fleeing in the shape of ravens and serpents, began to go forth out of his
mouth. The boy, being immediately healed at the command of the Lord Christ,
began to praise God, and then to give thanks to the Lord who had healed
him. And when his father saw him restored to health, My son, said he, what
has happened to thee? and by what means hast thou been healed? The son
answered: When the demons had thrown me on the ground, I went into the
hospital, and there I found an august woman with a boy, whose newly-washed
cloths she had thrown upon some wood: one of these I took up and put upon
my head, and the demons left me and fled. At this the father rejoiced
greatly, and said: My son, it is possible that this boy is the Son of the
living God who created the heavens and the earth: for when he came over to
us, the idol was broken, and all the gods fell, and perished by the power
of his magnificence.
12. Here was fulfilled the prophecy which says, Out of Egypt have I
called my son. (1) Joseph indeed, and Mary, when they heard that that idol
had fallen down and perished, trembled, and were afraid. Then they said:
When we were in the land of Israel, Herod thought to put Jesus to death,
and on that account slew all the children of Bethlehem and its confines;
and there is no doubt that the Egyptians, as soon as they have heard that
this idol has been broken, will burn us with fire. (2)
13. Going out thence, they came to a place where there were robbers
who
had plundered several men of their baggage and clothes, and had bound them.
Then the robbers heard a great noise, like the noise of a magnificent king
going out of his city with his army, and his chariots and his drums; and at
this the robbers were terrified, and left all their plunder. And their
captives rose up, loosed each other's bonds, recovered their baggage, and
went away. And when they saw Joseph and Mary coming up to the place, they
said to them: Where is that king, at the hearing of the magnificent sound
of whose approach the robbers have left us, so that we have escaped safe?
Joseph answered them: He will come behind us.
14. Thereafter they came into another city, where there was a
demoniac
woman whom Satan, accursed and rebellious, had beset, when on one occasion
she had gone out by night for water. She could neither bear clothes, nor
live in a house; and as often as they tied her up with chains and thongs,
she broke them, and fled naked into waste places; and, standing in cross-
roads and cemeteries, she kept throwing stones at people, and brought very
heavy calamities upon her friends. And when the Lady Mary saw her, she
pitied her; and upon this Satan immediately left her, and fled away in the
form of a young man, saying: Woe to me from thee, Mary, and from thy son.
So that woman was cured of her torment, and being restored to her senses,
she blushed on account of her nakedness; and shunning the sight of men,
went home to her friends. And after she put on her clothes, she gave an
account of the matter to her father and her friends; and as they were the
chief men of the city, they received the Lady Mary and Joseph with the
greatest honour and hospitality.
15. On the day after, being supplied by them with provision for
their
journey, they went away, and on the evening of that day arrived at another
town, in which they were celebrating a marriage; but, by the arts of
accursed Satan and the work of enchanters, the bride had become dumb, and
could not speak a word. And after the Lady Mary entered the town, carrying
her son the Lord Christ, that dumb bride saw her, and stretched out her
hands towards the Lord Christ, and drew Him to her, and took Him into her
arms, and held Him close and kissed Him, and leaned over Him, moving His
body back and forwards. Immediately the knot of her tongue was loosened,
and her ears were opened; and she gave thanks and praise to God, because
He had restored her to health. And that night the inhabitants of that town
exulted with joy, and thought that God and His angels had come down to
them.
16. There they remained three days, being held in great honour, and
living splendidly. Thereafter, being supplied by them with provision for
their journey, they went away and came to another city, in which, because
it was very populous, they thought of passing the night. And there was in
that city an excellent woman: and once, when she had gone to the river to
bathe, lo, accursed Satan, in the form of a serpent, had leapt upon her,
and twisted himself round her belly; and as often as night came on, he
tyrannically tormented her. This woman, seeing the mistress the Lady Mary,
and the child, the Lord Christ, in her bosom, was struck with a longing for
Him, and said to the mistress the Lady Mary: O mistress, give me this
child, that I may carry him, and kiss him. She therefore gave Him to the
woman; and when He was brought to her, Satan let her go, and fled and left
her, nor did the woman ever see him after that day. Wherefore all who were
present praised God Most High, and that woman bestowed on them liberal
gifts
17. On the day after, the same woman took scented water to wash the
Lord Jesus; and after she had washed Him, she took the water with which she
had done it, and poured part of it upon a girl who was living there, whose
body was white with leprosy, and washed her with it. And as soon as this
was done, the girl was cleansed from her leprosy. And the townspeople said:
There is no doubt that Joseph and Mary and that boy are gods, not men. And
when they were getting ready to go away from them, the girl who had
laboured under the leprosy came up to them, and asked them to let her go
with them.
18. When they had given her permission, she went with them. And
afterwards they came to a city, in which was the castle of a most
illustrious prince, who kept a house for the entertainment of strangers.
They turned into this place; and the girl went away to the prince's wife;
and she found her weeping and sorrowful, and she asked why she was weeping.
Do not be surprised, said she, at my tears; for I am overwhelmed by a great
affliction, which as yet I have not endured to tell to any one. Perhaps,
said the girl, if you reveal it and disclose it to me, I may have a remedy
for it. Hide this secret, then, replied the princess, and tell it to no
one. I was married to this prince, who is a king and ruler over many
cities, and I lived long with him, but by me he had no son. And when at
length I produced him a son, he was leprous; and as soon as he saw him, he
turned away with loathing, and said to me: Either kill him, or give him to
the nurse to be brought up in some place from which we shall never hear of
him more. After this I can have nothing to do with thee, and I will never
see thee more. On this account I know not what to do, and I am overwhelmed
with grief. Alas! my son. Alas! my husband. Did I not say so? said the
girl. I have found a cure for thy disease, and I shall tell it thee. For I
too was a leper; but I was cleansed by God, who is Jesus, the son of the
Lady Mary. And the woman asking her where this God was whom she had spoken
of, Here, with thee, said the girl; He is living in the same house. But how
is this possible? said she. Where is he? There, said the girl, are Joseph
and Mary; and the child who is with them is called Jesus; and He it is who
cured me of my disease and my torment. But by what means, said she, wast
thou cured of thy leprosy? Wilt thou not tell me that? Why not? said the
girl. I got from His mother the water in which He had been washed, and
poured it over myself; and so I was cleansed from my leprosy. Then the
princess rose up, and invited them to avail themselves of her hospitality.
And she prepared a splendid banquet for Joseph in a great assembly of the
men of the place. And on the following day she took scented water with
which to wash the Lord Jesus, and thereafter poured the same water over her
son, whom she had taken with her; and immediately her son was cleansed from
his leprosy. Therefore, singing thanks and praises to God, she said:
Blessed is the mother who bore thee, O Jesus; dost thou so cleanse those
who share the same nature with thee with the water in which thy body has
been washed? Besides, she bestowed great gifts upon the mistress the Lady
Mary, and sent her away with great honour.
19. Coming thereafter to another city, they wished to spend the
night
in it. They turned aside, therefore, to the house of a man newly married,
but who, under the influence of witchcraft, was not able to enjoy his wife;
and when they had spent that night with him, his bond was loosed. And at
daybreak, when they were girding themselves for their journey, the
bridegroom would not let them go, and prepared for them a great banquet.
20. They set out, therefore, on the following day; and as they came
near another city, they saw three women weeping as they came out of a
cemetery. And when the Lady Mary beheld them, she said to the girl who
accompanied her: Ask them what is the matter with them, or what calamity
has befallen them. And to the girl's questions they made no reply, but
asked in their turn: Whence are you, and whither are you going? for the day
is already past, and night is coming on apace. We are travellers, said the
girl, and are seeking a house of entertainment in which we may pass the
night. They said: Go with us, and spend the night with us. They followed
them, therefore, and were brought into a new house with splendid
decorations and furniture. Now it was winter; and the girl, going into the
chamber of these women, found them again weeping and lamenting. There stood
beside them a mule, covered with housings of cloth of gold, and sesame was
put before him; and the women were kissing him, and giving him food. And
the gift said: What is all the ado, my ladies, about this mule? They
answered her with tears, and said: This mule, which thou seest, was our
brother, born of the same mother with ourselves. And when our father died,
and left us great wealth, and this only brother, we did our best to get him
married, and were preparing his nuptials for him, after the manner of men.
But some women, moved by mutual jealousy, bewitched him unknown to us; and
one night, a little before daybreak, when the door of our house was shut,
we saw that this our brother had been turned into a mule, as thou now
beholdest him. And we are sorrowful, as thou seest, having no father to
comfort us: there is no wise man, or magician, or enchanter in the world
that we have omitted to send for; but nothing has done us any good. And as
often as our hearts are overwhelmed with grief, we rise and go away with
our mother here, and weep at our father's grave, and come back again.
21. And when the girl heard these things, Be of good courage, said
she,
and weep not: for the cure of your calamity is near; yea, it is beside you,
and in the middle of your own house. For I also was a leper; but when I
saw that woman, and along with her that young child, whose name is Jesus,
I sprinkled my body with the water with which His mother had washed Him,
and I was cured. And I know that He can cure your affliction also. But
rise, go to Mary my mistress; bring her into your house, and tell her your
secret; and entreat and supplicate her to have pity upon yon. After the
woman had heard the girl's words, they went in haste to the Lady Mary, and
brought her into their chamber, and sat down before her weeping, and
saying: O our mistress, Lady Mary, have pity on thy hand-maidens; for no
one older than ourselves, and no head of the family, is left--neither
father nor brother--to live with us; but this mule which thou seest was our
brother, and women have made him such as thou seest by witchcraft. We
beseech thee, therefore, to have pity upon us. Then, grieving at their lot,
the Lady Mary took up the Lord Jesus, and put Him on the mule's back; and
she wept as well as the women, and said to Jesus Christ: Alas! my son, heal
this mule by Thy mighty power, and make him a man endowed with reason as he
was before. And when these words were uttered by the Lady Mary, his form
was changed, and the mule became a young man, free from every defect. Then
he and his mother and his sisters adored the Lady Mary, and lifted the boy
above their heads, and began to kiss Him, saying: Blessed is she that bore
Thee, O Jesus, O Saviour of the world; blessed are the eyes which enjoy the
felicity of seeing Thee.
22. Moreover, both the sisters said to their mother: Our brother
indeed, by the aid of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the salutary
intervention of this girl, who pointed out to us Mary and her son, has
been raised to human form. Now, indeed, since our brother is unmarried, it
would do very well for us to give him as his wife this girl, their servant.
And having asked the Lady Mary, and obtained her consent, they made a
splendid wedding for the girl; and their sorrow being changed into joy,
and the beating of their breasts into dancing, they began to be glad, to
rejoice, to exult, and sing--adorned, on account of their great joy, in
most splendid and gorgeous attire. Then they began to recite songs and
praises, and to say: O Jesus, son of David, who turnest sorrow into
gladness, and lamentations into joy! And Joseph and Mary remained there ten
clays. Thereafter they set out, treated with great honours by these
people, who bade them farewell, and from bidding them farewell returned
weeping, especially the girl.
23. And turning away from this place, they came to a desert; and
hearing that it was infested by robbers, Joseph and the Lady Mary resolved
to cross this region by night. But as they go along, behold, they see two
robbers lying in the way, and along with them a great number of robbers,
who were their associates, sleeping. Now those two robbers, into whose
hands they had fallen, were Titus and Dumachus. Titus therefore said to
Dumachus: I beseech thee to let these persons go freely, and so that our
comrades may not see them. And as Dumachus refused, Titus said to him
again: Take to thyself forty drachmas from me, and hold this as a pledge.
At the same time he held out to him the belt which he had about his waist,
to keep him from opening his mouth or speaking. And the Lady Mary, seeing
that the robber had done them a kindness, said to him: The Lord God will
sustain thee by His right hand, and will grant thee remission of thy sins.
And the Lord Jesus answered, and said to His mother: Thirty years hence, O
my mother, the Jews will crucify me at Jerusalem, and these two robbers
will be raised upon the cross along with me, Titus on my right hand and
Dumachus on my left; and after that day Titus shall go before me into
Paradise. And she said: God keep this from thee, my son. And they went
thence towards a city of idols, which, as they came near it, was changed
into sand-hills.
24. Hence they turned aside to that sycamore which is now called
Matarea,[1] and the Lord Jesus brought forth in Matarea a fountain in which
the Lady Mary washed His shirt. And from the sweat of the Lord Jesus which
she sprinkled there, balsam was produced in that region.
25. Thence they came down to Memphis, and saw Pharaoh, and remained
three years in Egypt; and the Lord Jesus did in Egypt very many miracles
which are recorded neither in the Gospel of the Infancy nor in the perfect
Gospel.
26. And at the end of the three years He came back out of Egypt, and
returned. And when they had arrived at Judaea, Joseph was afraid to enter
it; but hearing that Herod was dead, and that Archelaus his son had
succeeded him, he was afraid indeed, but he went into Judaea. And an angel
of the Lord appeared to him, and said: O Joseph, go into the city of
Nazareth, and there abide.
Wonderful indeed, that the Lord of the world should be thus borne
and
carried about through the world!
27. Thereafter, going into the city of Bethlehem, they saw there
many
and grievous diseases infesting the eyes of the children, who were dying in
consequence. And a woman was there with a sick son, whom, now very near
death, she brought to the Lady Mary, who saw him as she was washing Jesus
Christ. Then said the woman to her: O my Lady Mary, look upon this son of
mine, who is labouring under a grievous disease. And the Lady Mary listened
to her, and said: Take a little of that water in which I have washed my
son, and sprinkle him with it. She therefore took a little of the water, as
the Lady Mary had told her, and sprinkled it over her son. And when this
was done his illness abated; and after sleeping a little, he rose up from
sleep safe and sound. His mother rejoicing at this, again took him to the
Lady Mary. And she said to her: Give thanks to God, because He hath healed
this thy son.
28. There was in the same place another woman, a neighbour of her
whose
son had lately been restored to health. And as her son was labouring under
the same disease, and his eyes were now almost blinded, she wept night and
day. And the mother of the child that had been cured said to her: Why dost
thou not take thy son to the Lady Mary, as I did with mine when he was
nearly dead? And he got well with that water with which the body of her son
Jesus had been washed. And when the woman heard this from her, she too went
and got some of the same water, and washed her son with it, and his body
and his eyes were instantly made well. Her also, when she had brought her
son to her, and disclosed to her all that had happened, the Lady Mary
ordered to give thanks to God for her son's restoration to health, and to
tell nobody of this matter.
29. There were in the same city two women, wives of one man, each
having a son ill with fever. The one was called Mary, and her son's name
was Cleopas. She rose and took up her son, and went to the Lady Mary, the
mother of Jesus, and offering her a beautiful mantle, said: O my Lady Mary,
accept this mantle, and for it give me one small bandage. Mary did so, and
the mother of Cleopas went away, and made a shirt of it, and put it on her
son. So he was cured of his disease; but the son of her rival died. Hence
there sprung up hatred between them; and as they did the house-work week
about, and as it was the turn of Mary the mother of Cleopas, she heated the
oven to bake bread; and going away to bring the lump that she had kneaded,
she left her son Cleopas beside the oven. Her rival seeing him alone--and
the oven was very hot with the fire blazing under it--seized him and threw
him into the oven, and took herself off. Mary coming back, and seeing her
son Cleopas lying in the oven laughing, and the oven quite cold, as if no
fire had ever come near it, knew that her rival had thrown him into the
fire. She drew him out, therefore, and took him to the Lady Mary, and told
her of what had happened to him. And she said: Keep silence, and tell
nobody of the affair; for I am afraid for you if you divulge it. After this
her rival went to the well to draw water; and seeing Cleopas playing beside
the well, and nobody near, she seized him and threw him into the well, and
went home herself. And some men who had gone to the well for water saw the
boy sitting on the surface of the water; and so they went down and drew him
out. And they were seized with a great admiration of that boy, and praised
God. Then came his mother, and took him up, and went weeping to the Lady
Mary, and said: O my lady, see what my rival has done to my son, and how
she has thrown him into the well; she will be sure to destroy him some day
or other. The Lady Mary said to her: God will avenge thee upon her.
Thereafter, when her rival went to the well to draw water, her feet got
entangled in the rope, and she fell into the well. Some men came to draw
her out, but they found her skull fractured and her bones broken. Thus she
died a miserable death, and in her came to pass that saying: They have
digged a well deep, but have fallen into the pit which they had
prepared.[1]
30. Another woman there had twin sons who had fallen into disease,
and
one of them died, and the other was at his last breath. And his mother,
weeping, lifted him up, and took him to the Lady Mary, and said: O my lady,
aid me and succour me. For I had two sons, and I have just buried the one,
and the other is at the point of death. See how I am going to entreat and
pray to God. And she began to say: O Lord, Thou art compassionate, and
merciful, and full of affection. Thou gavest me two sons, of whom Thou hast
taken away the one: this one at least leave to me. Wherefore the Lady Mary,
seeing the fervour of her weeping, had compassion on her, and said: Put thy
son in my son's bed, and cover him with his clothes. And when she had put
him in the bed in which Christ was lying, he had already closed his eyes in
death; but as soon as the smell of the clothes of the Lord Jesus Christ
reached the boy, he opened his eyes, and, calling upon his mother with a
loud voice, he asked for bread, and took it and sucked it. Then his mother
said: O Lady Mary, now I know that the power of God dwelleth in thee, so
that thy son heals those that partake of the same nature with himself, as
soon as they have touched his clothes. This boy that was healed is he who
in the Gospel is called Bartholomew.
31. Moreover, there was there a leprous woman, and she went to the
Lady
Mary, the mother of Jesus, and said: My lady, help me. And the Lady Mary
answered: What help dost thou seek? Is it gold or silver? or is it that thy
body be made clean from the leprosy? And that woman asked: Who can grant me
this? And the Lady Mary said to her: Wait a little, until I shall have
washed my son Jesus, and put him to bed. The woman waited, as Mary had told
her; and when she had put Jesus to bed, she held out to the woman the water
in which she had washed His body, and said: Take a little of this water,
and pour it over thy body. And as soon as she had done so, she was
cleansed, and gave praise and thanks to God.
32. Therefore, after staying with her three days, she went away; and
coming to a city, saw there one of the chief men, who had married the
daughter of another of the chief men. But when he saw the woman, he beheld
between her eyes the mark of leprosy in the shape of a star; and so the
marriage was dissolved, and became null and void. And when that woman saw
them in this condition, weeping and overwhelmed with sorrow, she asked the
cause of their grief. But they said: Inquired not into our condition, for
to no one living can we tell our grief, and to none but ourselves can we
disclose it. She urged them, however, and entreated them to entrust it to
her, saying that she would perhaps be able to tell them of a remedy. And
when they showed her the girl, and the sign of leprosy which appeared
between her eyes, as soon as she saw it, the woman said: I also, whom you
see here, laboured under the same disease, when, upon some business which
happened to come in my way, I went to Bethlehem. There going into a cave, I
saw a woman named Mary, whose son was he who was named Jesus; and when she
saw that I was a leper. she took pity on me, and handed me the water with
which she had washed her son's body. With it I sprinkled my body, and came
out clean. Then the woman said to her: Wilt thou not, O lady, rise and go
with us, and show us the Lady Mary? And she assented; and they rose and
went to the Lady Mary, carrying with them splendid gifts. And when they had
gone in, and presented to her the gifts, they showed her the leprous girl
whom they had brought. The Lady Mary therefore said: May the compassion of
the Lord Jesus Christ descend upon you; and handling to them also a little
of the water in which she had washed the body of Jesus Christ, she ordered
the wretched woman to be bathed in it. And when this had been done, she
was immediately cured; and they, and all standing by, praised God. Joyfully
therefore they returned to their own city, praising the Lord for what He
had done. And when the chief heard that his wife had been cured, he took
her home, and made a second marriage, and gave thanks to God for the
recovery of his wife's health.
33. There was there also a young woman afflicted by Satan; for that
accursed wretch repeatedly appeared to her in the form of a huge dragon,
and prepared to swallow her. He also sucked out all her blood, so that she
was left like a corpse. As often as he came near her, she, with her hands
clasped over her head, cried out, and said: Woe, woe's me, for nobody is
near to free me from that accursed dragon. And her father and mother, and
all who were about her or saw her, bewailed her lot; and men stood round
her in a crowd, and all wept and lamented, especially when she wept, and
said: Oh, my brethren and friends, is there no one to free me from that
murderer? And the daughter of the chief who had been healed of her leprosy,
hearing the girl's voice, went up to the roof of her castle, and saw her
with her hands clasped over her head weeping, and all the crowds standing
round her weeping as wall. She therefore asked the demoniac's husband
whether his wife's mother were alive. And when he answered that both her
parents were living, she said: Send for her mother to come to me. And when
she saw that he had sent for her, and she had come, she said: Is that
distracted girl thy daughter? Yes, O lady, said that sorrowful and weeping
woman, she is my daughter. The chiefs daughter answered: Keep my secret,
for I confess to thee that I was formerly a leper; but now the Lady Mary,
the mother of Jesus Christ, has healed me. But if thou wishest thy daughter
to be healed, take her to Bethlehem, and seek Mary the mother of Jesus, and
believe that thy daughter will be healed; I indeed believe that thou wilt
come back with joy, with thy daughter healed. As soon as the woman heard
the words of the chief's daughter, she led away her daughter in haste; and
going to the place indicated, she went to the Lady Mary, and revealed to
her the state of her daughter. And the Lady Mary hearing her words, gave
her a little of the water in which she had washed the body of her son
Jesus, and ordered her to pour it on the body of her daughter. She gave her
also from the clothes of the Lord Jesus a swathing-cloth, saying: Take this
cloth, and show it to thine enemy as often as thou shalt see him. And she
saluted them, and sent them away.
34. When, therefore, they had gone away from her, and returned to
their
own district, and the time was at hand at which Satan was wont to attack
her, at this very time that accursed one appeared to her in the shape of a
huge dragon, and the girl was afraid at the sight of him. And her mother
said to her: Fear not, my daughter; allow him to come near thee, and then
show him the cloth which the Lady Mary hath given us, and let us see what
will happen. Satan, therefore, having come near in the likeness of a
terrible dragon, the body of the girl shuddered for fear of him; but as
soon as she took out the cloth, and placed it on her head, and covered her
eyes with it, flames and live coals began to dart forth from it, and to be
cast upon the dragon. O the great miracle which was done as soon as the
dragon saw the cloth of the Lord Jesus, from which the fire darted, and was
cast upon his head and eyes! He cried out with a loud voice: What have I to
do with thee, O Jesus, son of Mary? Whither shall I fly from thee? And with
great fear he turned his back and departed from the girl, and never
afterwards appeared to her. And the girl now had rest from him, and gave
praise and thanks to God, and along with her all who were present at that
miracle.
35. Another woman was living in the same place, whose son was
tormented
by Satan. He, Judas by name, as often as Satan seized him, used to bite all
who came near him; and if he found no one near him, he used to bite his own
hands and other limbs. The mother of this wretched creature, then, hearing
the fame of the Lady Mary and her son Jesus, rose up and brought her son
Judas with her to the Lady Mary. In the meantime, James and Joses had taken
the child the Lord Jesus with them to play with the other children; and
they had gone out of the house and sat down, and the Lord Jesus with them.
And the demoniac Judas came up, and sat down at Jesus' right hand: then,
being attacked by Satan in the same manner as usual, he wished to bite the
Lord Jesus, but was not able; nevertheless he struck Jesus on the right
side, whereupon He began to weep. And immediately Satan went forth out of
that boy, fleeing like a mad dog. And this boy who struck Jesus, and out of
whom Satan went forth in the shape of a dog, was Judas Iscariot, who
betrayed Him to the Jews; and that same side on which Judas struck Him, the
Jews transfixed with a lance.(1)
36. Now, when the Lord Jesus had completed seven years from His
birth,
on a certain day He was occupied with boys of His own age. For they were
playing among clay, from which they were making images of asses, oxen,
birds, and other animals; and each one boasting of his skill, was praising
his own work. Then the Lord Jesus said to the boys: The images that I have
made I will order to walk. The boys asked Him whether then he were the son
of the Creator; and the Lord Jesus bade them walk. And they immediately
began to leap; and then, when He had given them leave, they again stood
still. And He had made figures of birds and sparrows, which flew when He
told them to fly, and stood still when He told them to stand, and ate and
drank when He handed them food and drink. After the boys had gone away and
told this to their parents, their fathers said to them: My sons, take care
not to keep company with him again, for he is a wizard: flee from him,
therefore, and avoid him, and do not play with him again after this.
37. On a certain day the Lord Jesus, running about and playing with
the
boys, passed the shop of a dyer, whose name was Salem; and he had in his
shop many pieces of cloth which he was to dye. The Lord Jesus then, going
into his shop, took up all the pieces of cloth, and threw them into a tub
full of indigo. And when Salem came and saw his cloths destroyed, he began
to cry out with a loud voice, and to reproach Jesus, saying: Why hast thou
done this to me, O son of Mary? Thou hast disgraced me before all my
townsmen: for, seeing that every one wished the colour that suited himself,
thou indeed hast come and destroyed them all. The Lord Jesus answered: I
shall change for thee the colour of any piece of cloth which thou shalt
wish to be changed. And immediately He began to take the pieces of cloth
out of the tub, each of them of that colour which the dyer wished, until He
had taken them all out. When the Jews saw this miracle and prodigy, they
praised God.
38. And Joseph used to go about through the whole city, and take the
Lord Jesus with him, when people sent for him in the way of his trade to
make for them doors, and milk-pails, and beds, and chests; and the Lord
Jesus was with him wherever he went. As often, therefore, as Joseph had to
make anything a cubit or a span longer or shorter, wider or narrower, the
Lord Jesus stretched His hand towards it; and as soon as He did so, it
became such as Joseph wished. Nor was it necessary for him to make anything
with his own hand, for Joseph was not very skilful in carpentry.
39. Now, on a certain day, the king of Jerusalem sent for him, and
said: I wish thee, Joseph, to make for me a throne to fit that place in
which I usually sit. Joseph obeyed, and began the work immediately, and
remained in the palace two years, until he finished the work of that
throne. And when he had it carried to its place, he perceived that each
side wanted two spans of the prescribed measure. And the king, seeing this,
was angry with Joseph; and Joseph, being in great fear of the king, spent
the night without supper, nor did he taste anything at all. Then, being
asked by the Lord Jesus why he was afraid, Joseph said: Because I have
spoiled all the work that I have been two years at. And the Lord Jesus said
to him: Fear not, and do not lose heart; but do thou take hold of one side
of the throne; I shall take the other; and we shall put that to rights. And
Joseph, having done as the Lord Jesus had said and each having drawn by his
own side, the throne was put to rights, and brought to the exact measure of
the place. And those that stood by and saw this miracle were struck with
astonishment, and praised God. And the woods used in that throne were of
those which are celebrated in the time of Solomon the son of David; that
is, woods of many and various kinds.
40. On another day the Lord Jesus went out into the road, and saw
the
boys that had come together to play, and followed them; but the boys hid
themselves from Him. The Lord Jesus, therefore, having come to the door of
a certain house, and seen some women standing there, asked them where the
boys had gone; and when they answered that there was no one there, He said
again: Who are these whom you see in the furnace?' They replied that they
were kids of three years old. And the Lord Jesus cried out, and said: Come
out hither, O kids, to your Shepherd. Then the boys, in the form of kids,
came out, and began to dance round Him; and the women, seeing this, were
very much astonished, and were seized with trembling, and speedily,
supplicated and adored the Lord Jesus, saying: O our Lord Jesus, son of
Mary, Thou art of a truth that good Shepherd of Israel; have mercy on Thy
handmaidens who stand before Thee, and who have never doubted: for Thou
hast come, O our Lord, to heal, and not to destroy. And when the Lord Jesus
answered that the sons of Israel were like the Ethiopians among the
nations, the women said: Thou, O Lord, knowest all things, nor is anything
hid from Thee; now, indeed, we beseech Thee, and ask Thee of Thy affection
to restore these boys Thy servants to their former condition. The Lord
Jesus therefore said: Come, boys, let us go and play. And immediately,
while these women were standing by, the kids were changed into boys.
41. Now in the month Adar, Jesus, after the manner of a king,
assembled the boys together. They spread their clothes on the ground, and
He sat down upon them. Then they put on His head a crown made of flowers,
and, like chamber-servants, stood in His presence, on the right and on the
left, as if He were a king. And whoever passed by that way was forcibly
dragged by the boys, saying: Come hither, and adore the king; then go thy
way.
42. In the meantime, while these things were going on, some men came
up
carrying a boy. For this boy had gone into the mountain with those of his
own age to seek wood, and there he found a partridge's nest; and when he
stretched out his hand to take the eggs from it, a venomous serpent bit him
from the middle of the nest, so that he called out for help. His comrades
accordingly went to him with haste, and found him lying on the ground like
one dead. Then his relations came and took hun up to carry him back to the
city. And after they had come to that place where the Lord Jesus was
sitting like a king, and the rest of the boys standing round Him like His
servants, the boys went hastily forward to meet him who had been bitten by
the serpent, and said to his relations: Come and salute the king. Bat when
they were unwilling to go, on account of the sorrow in I which they were,
the boys dragged them by force against their will. And when they had come
up to the Lord Jesus, He asked them why they were carrying the boy. And
when they answered that a serpent had bitten him, the Lord Jesus said to
the boys: Let us go and kill that serpent. And the parents of the boy asked
leave to go away, because their son was in the agony of death; but the boys
answered them, saying: Did you not hear the king saying: Let us go kill the
serpent? and will yon not obey him? And so, against their will the could
was carried back. And when they came to the nest, the Lord Jesus said to
the boys: Is this the serpent's place? They saint that it was; and the
serpent, at the call of the Lord, came forth without delay, and submitted
itself to Him. And He said to it: Go away, and suck out all the poison
which thou hast infused into this boy. And so the serpent crawled to the
boy, and sucked out all its poison. Then the Lord Jesus cursed it, and
immediately on this being done it burst asunder; and the Lord Jesus stroked
the boy with his hand, and he was healed. And he began to weep; but Jesus
said: Do not weep, for by and by thou shalt be my disciple. And this is
Simon the Cananite,(2) of whom mention is made in the Gospel.(3)
43. On another day, Joseph sent his son James to gather wood, and
the
Lord Jesus went with him as his companion. And when they had come to the
place where the wood was, and James had begun to gather it, behold, a
venomous viper bit his band, so that he began to cry out and weep. The Lord
Jesus then, seeing him in this condition, went up to him, and blew upon the
place where the viper had bitten him; and this being done, he was healed
immediately.
44. One day, when the Lord Jesus was again with the boys playing on
the
roof of a house, one of the boys fell down from above, and immediately
expired. And the rest of the boys fled in all directions, and the Lord
Jesus was left alone on the roof. And the relations of the boy came up and
said to the Lord Jesus: It was thou who didst throw our son headlong from
the roof. And when He denied it, they cried out, saying: Our son is dead,
and here is he who has killed him. And the Lord Jesus said to them: Do not
bring an evil report against me; but if you do not believe me, come and let
us ask the boy himself, that be may bring the truth to light. Then the Lord
Jesus went down, and standing over the dead body, said, with a loud voice:
Zeno, Zeno, who threw thee down from the roof? Then the dead boy answered
and said: My lord, it was not thou who didst throw me down, but such a one
cast me down from it. And when the Lord commanded those who were standing
by to attend to His words, all who were present praised God for this
miracle.
45. Once upon a time the Lady Mary bad ordered the Lord Jesus to go
and
bring her water from the well. And when He had gone to get the water, the
pitcher already full was knocked against something, and broken. And the
Lord Jesus stretched out His handkerchief, and collected the water, and
carried it to His mother; and she was astonished at it. And she hid and
preserved in her heart all that she saw.
46. Again, on another day, the Lord Jesus was with the boys at a
stream
of water, and they had again made little fish-ponds. And the Lord Jesus had
made twelve sparrows, and had arranged them round His fish-pond, three on
each side. And it was the Sabbath-day. Wherefore a Jew, the son of Hanan,
coming up, and seeing them thus engaged, said in anger and great
indignation: Do you make figures of clay on the Sabbath-day? And he ran
quickly, and destroyed their fish-ponds. But when the Lord Jesus clapped
His hands over the sparrows which He had made, they flew away chirping.
Then the son of Hanan came up to the fish-pond of Jesus also, and
kicked it with his shoes, and the water of it vanished away. And the Lord
Jesus said to him: As that water has vanished away, so thy life shall
likewise vanish away. And immediately that boy dried up.
47. At another time, when the Lord Jesus was returning home with
Joseph
in the evening. He met a boy, who ran up against Him with so much force
that He fell. And the Lord Jesus said to him: As thou hast thrown me down,
so thou shall fall and not rise again. And the same hour the boy fell down,
and expired.
48. There was, moreover, at Jerusalem, a certain man named
Zacchaeus,
who taught boys. He said to Joseph: Why, O Joseph, dost thou not bring
Jesus to the to learn his letters? Joseph agreed to do so, and reported the
matter to the Lady Mary. They therefore took Him to the master; and he, as
soon as he saw Him, wrote out the alphabet for Him, and told Him to say
Aleph. And when He had said Aleph, the master ordered Him to pronounce
Beth. And the Lord Jesus said to him: Tell me first the meaning of the
letter Aleph, and then I shall pronounce Beth. And when the master
threatened to flog Him, the Lord Jesus explained to him the meanings of the
letters Aleph and Beth; also which figures of the letter were straight,
which crooked, which drawn round into a spiral, which marked with points,
which without them, why one letter went before another; and many other
things He began to recount and to elucidate which the master himself had
never either heard or read in any book. The Lord Jesus, moreover, said to
the master: Listen, and I shall say them to thee. And He began clearly and
distinctly to repeat Aleph, Beth, Gimel, Daleth, on to Tau. And the master
was astonished, and said: I think that this boy was born before Noah. And
turning to Joseph, be said: Thou hast brought to me to be taught a boy more
learned than all the masters. To the Lady Mary also be said: This son of
thine has no need of instruction.
49. Thereafter they took Him to another and a more learned master,
who,
when be saw Him, said: Say Aleph. And when He had said Aleph, the master
ordered him to pronounce Beth. And the Lord Jesus answered him, and said:
First tell me the meaning of the letter Aleph, and then I shall pronounce
Beth. And when the master hereupon raised his hand and flogged Him,
immediately his hand dried up, and he died. Then said Joseph, to the Lady
Mary: From this time we shall not let him go out of the house, since every
one who opposes him is struck dead.
50. And when He was twelve years old, they took Him to Jerusalem to
the
feast. And when the feast was finished, they indeed returned; but the Lord
Jesus remained in the temple among the teachers and elders and learned men
of the sons of Israel, to whom He put various questions upon the sciences,
and gave answers in His turn.(1) For He said to them: Whose son is the
Messias? They answered Him: The son of David. Wherefore then, said He, does
he in the Spirit call him his lord, when he says, The Lord said to my lord,
Sit at my right hand, that I may put thine enemies under thy footsteps?(1)
Again the chief of the teachers said to Him: Hast thou read the books? Both
the books, said the Lord Jesus, and the things contained in the books. And
He explained the books, and the law, and the precepts, and the statutes,
and the mysteries, which are contained in the books of the prophets--things
which the understanding of no creature attains to. That teacher therefore
said: I hitherto have neither attained to nor heard of such knowledge: Who,
pray, do you think that boy will be?
51. And a philosopher who was there present, a skilful astronomer,
asked the Lord Jesus whether He had studied astronomy. And the Lord Jesus
answered him, and explained the number of the spheres, and of the heavenly
bodies, their natures and operations; their opposition; their aspect,
triangular, square, and sextile; their course, direct and retrograde; the
twenty-fourths,(2) and sixtieths of twenty-fourths; and other things beyond
the reach of reason.
52. There was also among those philosophers one very skilled in
treating of natural science, and he asked the Lord Jesus whether He had
studied medicine. And He, in reply, explained to him physics and
metaphysics, hyperphysics and hypophysics, the powers likewise and humours
of the body, and the effects of the same; also the number of members and
bones, of veins, arteries, and nerves; also the effect of heat and dryness,
of cold and moisture, and what these give rise to; what was the operation
of the soul upon the body, and its perceptions and powers; what was the
operation of the faculty of speech, of anger, of desire; lastly, their
conjunction and disjunction, and other things beyond the reach of any
created intellect. Then that philosopher rose up, and adored the Lord
Jesus, and said: O Lord, from this time I will be thy disciple and slave.
53. While they were speaking to each other of these and other
things,
the Lady Mary came, after having gone about seeking Him for three days
along with Joseph. She therefore, seeing Him sitting among the teachers
asking them questions, and answering in His turn, said to Him: My son, why
hast thou treated us thus? Behold, thy father and I have sought thee with
great trouble. But He said: Why do you seek me? Do you not know that I
ought to occupy myself in my Father's house? But they did not understand
the words that He spoke to them. Then those teachers asked Mary whether He
were her son; and when she signified that He was, they said: Blessed art
thou, O Mary, who hast brought forth such a son. And returning with them to
Nazareth, He obeyed them in all things. And His mother kept all these words
of His in her heart. And the Lord Jesus advanced in stature, and in wisdom,
and in favour with God and man.(3)
54. And from this day He began to hide His miracles and mysteries
and
secrets, and to give attention to the law, until He completed His thirtieth
year, when His Father publicly declared Him at the Jordan by this voice
sent down from heaven: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased;
the Holy Spirit being present in the form of a white dove.(4)
55. This is He whom we adore with supplications, who hath given us
being and life, and who hath brought us from our mothers' wombs; who for
our sakes assumed a human body, and redeemed us, that He might embrace us
in eternal compassion, and show to us His mercy according to His
liberality, and beneficence, and generosity, and benevolence. To Him is
glory, and beneficence, and power, and dominion from this time forth for
evermore. Amen.
Here endeth the whole Gospel of the Infancy, with the aid of God
Most
High, according to what we have found in the original.
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