Вы находитесь на странице: 1из 6
THE NEW TESTAMENT AND OTHER EARLY CHRISTIAN WRITINGS A READER SECOND EDITION, Bart D. Ehrman OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 2004 The Infancy Gospel of Thomas Many early Christians were naturally curious to learn the details of Jesus’ life. As stories circulated about the inspired teachings and miraculous deeds of Jesus’ public ministry, some Christians began to speculate on what he said and did before it began, Only a couple of in- cidents involving Jesus prior to his baptism are found in the New Testament Gospels: the narratives of his birth and infancy in Matthew and Luke and the account, unique to Luke, of his pilgrimage to the Jerusalem Temple as a twelve-year-old (Luke 2:41—52). Other sto- ries of Jesus as a youth, however, were soon in circulation, Behind many of these legends lay a fundamental question: if Jesus was a miracle-working Son of God as an adult, what was he like as a child? The Infancy Gospel of Thomas (not to be confused with the Coptic Gospel of Thomas discovered near Nag Hammadi, Egypt) is one of the ezrliest accounts of these legends. The book was allegedly written by “Thomas, the Israelite.” It is not clear whether or not the au- thor intended his readers to recognize him as Judas Thomas, thought by some early Chris tians to have been Jesus” own brother. IF this was his iatent, then his accounts of Jesus as a youth, needless to say, would have been based on indisputable authority. ‘The narrative begins with Jesus as a five-year-old boy and relates a number of inci- denis, most of them miraculous, that betray a streak ofthe mischievous in Joseph and Mary's precocious son, Here are anecdotes of Jesus at play with his childhood companions (some- times harming them with his divine power, sometimes healing them), in confrontation with his elders (usually bettering them), at school with his teachers (revealing their ignorance), and in the workshop with his father (miraculously correcting his mistakes). For modern read- cts itis difficult to decide whether such stories were meant as serious accounts of Jesus’ ear- ly life or simply as speculative and entertaining stories of the youthful Son of God. The text provides few clues to help us fix the time of its composition. Most scholars believe that such “infancy Gospels” began to circulate during the first half of the second century; some have dated the Infancy Gospel of Thomas itself as early as 125 c.e. 1b Thomas the Israclite, make this report to. he gathered the flowing waters into pools and all of you, my brothers among the Gentiles, __ made them immediately pure. These things he or- that you may know the magnificent childhood. dered simply by speaking a word, 2 He then made tivities of our Lord Jesus Christ—all that he did af- some soft mud and fashioned twelve sparrows ter being born in our country. The beginning is as from it. It was the sabbath when he did this. A follows: number of other children were also playing with 9 When this child Jesus was five years old, him. 3 But when acertain Jew saw what Jesus had he was playing by the ford of a stream; and done while playing on the sabbath, he left right “The Infancy Gospel of Thomas,” translated by Bart D. Ehrman. All rights eserved. Based on the Greek text A reconstructed by Constantine von Tischendort, Evangelia Apocrypha, 2nd ed. (Leipzig: H. Mendels~ sohn, 1876; reprinted Hildesheim: George Olms, 1987) 140-57 (with several textual alterations bythe trans lator) 197 198 away and reported to his father, Joseph, “Look, your child at the stream has taken mud and formed twelve sparrows. He has profaned the sabbath!” 4 When Joseph came to the place and saw what had happened, he cried out to him, “Why are you doing what is forbidden on the sabbath?” But Je- sus clapped his hands and cried to the sparrows, “Be gone!” And the sparrows took flight and went off, chitping. 5 When the Jews saw this they we amazed; and they went away and reported to their leaders what they had seen Jesus do, Now the son of Annas the scribe was S standing thee with Joseph: 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 unrighteous, irreverent idiot! What did the pools of water do to harm you? See, now you also will be withered like a tree, and you will never bear leaves of root or fruit.” 3 Immediately that child was completely withered, Jesus left and returned to Joseph’s house. But the parents of the withered child cartied him away, mourning his lost youth, ‘They brought him to Joseph and began to accuse him, “What kind of child do you have who does such things?” Somewhat later he was going through the A sitag, srt a chit ran up and banged into his shoulder. Jesus was aggravated and said to him, “You will go no further on your way.” And right away the child fell down and died, Some of those who saw what happened said, “Where was this child born? For everything he says is a deed accomplished.” 2The parents of the dead child came to Joseph and blamed him, saying “Since you have such a child you cannot live with us in the village. Or teach him to bless and not to ccurse—for he is killing our children!” Joseph called to the child and admonished Bim privately. “Why are_ you doing such things? These people are suffering, they hate us and are persecuting us!” But Jesus replied, “I know these are not your words, and so [also will keep silent for your sake. But those others will bear their punishment.” And immediately those who were accusing him were blinded. 2 Those who saw these things were frightened and dis- turbed; they began saying about him, “Everything he has said, whether good or bad, has become an EARLY CHRISTIAN GOSPELS amazing reality.” When Joseph saw what Jesus had done, he rose up, grabbed his ear, and yanked it hard. 3 The child was irritated and said to hima, is enough for you to seek and not find; you have not acted at all wisely. Do you not know that lam yours? Do not grieve me.” ‘There was an instructor named Zachaeus G standing ttt the side who ear esis sey these things to his father. And he was amazed that he was speaking such things, though just a child 2 After a few days he approached Joseph and said tohim, “You have a bright child with a good mind, Come, let me have him that he may learn to read, and through reading I will teach him everything, including how to greet all the elders and to honor them as his ancestors and fathers, and to love chil- dren his own age.” 3 And he told him all the let- teis from Alpha to Omega, clearly and with great precision. But Jesus looked the instructor Za- chaeus in the face and said to him, “Since you do not know the true nature of the Alpha, how can you teach anyone the Beta? You hypocrite! If you know it, first each the Alpha, and then we will be- lieve you about the Beta.” Then he began to ques- tion the teacher sharply about the first letter, and he was not able to give him the answers. 4 And while many others were listening, the child said to Zachaeus, “Listen, teacher, to the arrangement of the first letter of the alphabet; observe here how it has set patterns, and middle strokes which you see collectively crossing, then coming together, and proceeding upward again till they reach the top, so that it is divided into three equal parts, each of them fundamental and foundational, of equal length, Now you have the set patterns of the Al- pha.” 7, When the teacher Zachaeus heard the child setting forth so many allegorical interpreta- tions like this of the first letter, he was at a com- plete loss about this kind of explanation and teach- ing, and he said to those standing there, “Woe is me! Lam wretched and at a complete loss; I have put myself to shame, taking on this child, 21 beg of you, brother Joseph, take him away. I cannot bear his stern gaze or make sense of a single word. This child is not of this world: he can even tame fire, Maybe he was born before the world came into being. I cannot fathom what kind of uterus bore him or what kind of womb nourished him. “THE INFANCY GOSPEL OF THOMAS Woe is me, friend. He has befuuddled me; I cannot follow his reasoning, I have fooled myself and am miserable three times over. I was struggling to have a student, and [ have been found to have a teacher. 3 My friends, I know all too well my shame: though an old man, I have been defeated by a child. I may grow weak and die because of this child, For at this moment I cannot look him in the face. When everyone says that I have been de- feated by a young child, what can I say? And how can [ explain the things he told me about the set patterns of the first letter? I have no idea, my friends, For I do not know its* beginning or end. 4 And so Lask you, brother Joseph, take him back home. I do not know what kind of great thing he is—whether a divine being or angel; I do not know even what to say.” 8 While the Jews were giving Zachaeus ad- vice, the child laughed aloud and said, “Now Jet what is yours bear fruit, and let the blind in heart see. I have come from above to curse them and call them to the realm above, just as the one who sent me for your sake commanded.” 2 When the child stopped speaking, immediately all those who had fallen under his curse were healed. No one dared to anger him from that time on, fearing that he might cripple them with a curse. Some days later Jesus was playing on a flat D ootiop of a house, and one of the ehildren playing with him fell from the roof and died. When the other children saw what had happened, they ran away, so that Jesus stood there alone. 2 When the parents of the one who died arrived they ac~ cused him of throwing him down, But Jesus said, “certainly did not throw him down.” But they be- gan to abuse him verbally. 3 Jesus leapt down from the roof and stood beside the child's corpse, and with a loud voice he cried out, “Zenon!” (for that was his name) “rise up and tell me: Did 1 throw you down?” And right away he rose up and said, “Not at all, Lord! You did not throw me down, but you have raised me up!" When they saw this they were astounded. The parents of the child glorified God for the sign that had occurred, and they worshiped Jesus. 10 ‘ few days later there was a young man who was splitting wood in a secluded spot. The axe fell and split open the sole of his foot. He lost alot of blood and was dying. 2'There 129 ‘was a disturbance and a crowd started to gather, and the child Jesus also ran to the spot. Forcing his way through the crowd, he grabbed the young man’s foot that had been struck, and immediately it was healed. And he said to the young man, “Rise now, split the wood, and remember me.” When the crowd saw what had happened it worshiped the child, saying, “The Spirit of God certainly lives within this child.” 11 Wien hows sie yeas old, his mother gave him a water jug and sent him t0 draw some water to bring back home, But he was jostled by the crowd, and the water jug was shat- tered. 2.So Jesus unfolded the cloak he was weat- ing, filled it with water, and brought it back to his mother, When his mother saw the sign that had happened, she kissed him. And she kept to herself the mysterious deeds that she saw him do. When it ter became tine for sowing, the child went out with his father to sow wheat in their field. And when his father sowed, the child Jesus also sowed a single grain of wheat. 2 When he harvested and threshed the grain, it pro- duced a hundred large bushels, He called all the poor people of the village to the threshing floor and gave them the wheat; and Joseph took what was left of it. He was eight years old when he did this sign. 13 Now his father was a carpenter, and at that time he used to make plows and yokes. He received an order from a certain rich man to make a bed. But when the measurement for one of the beautiful crossbeams came out too short, he did not know what to do. The child Jesus said to his father Joseph, “Place the two pieces of wood on the floor and line them up from the mid dle to one end.” 2 Joseph did just as the child said. Then Jesus stood at the other end, grabbed the shorter board, and stretched it out to make it the same length as the other. His father Joseph saw what he had done and was amazed, He embraced the child and gave him a kiss, saying “Lam blessed that God has given me this child.” 14 When Joseph observed the mind of the child and saw that he was starting to ma- ture, he again did not want him to be unable to read, and so took him out to give him over to an- “ornis 130 other teacher, The teacher said to Joseph, “First I will teach him to read Greek, and then Hebrew.” For the teacher knew of the child’s learning and was afraid of him. Nonetheless, he wrote out the alphabet and practiced it for him for a tong times but the child gave him no response, 2 Then Jesus said to him, “If you are really a teacher and know the letters well, tell me the power of the Alpha, and Twill tell you the power of the Beta.” The teacher was aggravated and struck him on the head. The child was hurt and cursed him; and immediately he fainted and fell to the ground on his face. 3 The child returned to Joseph’s house. Joseph was smi ten with grief and ordered his mother, “Do not let hhim out the door; for those who anger him die.” Ot eee structor, a close friend of Joseph, who said to him, “Bring the child to me at the school. Maybe I can use flattery to teach him to read.” Joseph said to him, “If you're that courageous, brother, take him along with you.” He took him with great fear and much anxiety, but the chi went along gladly, 2 He entered the school with confidence and found a book lying on the reading desk. He picked it up, but instead of reading the words in it, he opened his mouth and began to speak in the Holy Spirit, teaching the Law to those who were standing there. A great crowd gathered, standing there to hear him; and they were amazed at the great beauty of his teaching and his careful- ly crafted words—amazed that he could speak such things though still a babe, 3 But when Jo- seph heard about this he was frightened. He ran to the school, thinking that this instructor might also have proved ignorant. But the instructor said to Joseph, “You should know, brother, that I took the child as a pupil; but he is filled with great grace and wisdom. Now I ask you brother, take him home.” 4 When the child heard these things, he immediately laughed at him and said, “Since you have rightly spoken and rightly borne witness, for your sake that other one who was struck down will be healed.” And right away the other instructor was healed. Joseph took the child and returned home. 16 Now osephsenthis son James‘o bundle some wood and bring it to the house, The child Jesus also followed him. While James was gathering the firewood, a snake bit his hand. EARLY CHRISTIAN GOSPELS 2 When he was stretched out on the ground dying, Jesus came up to him and breathed on the bite. The pain immediately stopped, the animal burst, and straight away James was returned to health. 17 Mle nese things, an infant in Joseph’s neighborhood became sick and died; and hhis mother was weeping loudly. When Jesus heard the outburst of sorrow and the disturbance, he ran up quickly and found the child dead, He touched its breast, saying “I say to you, young child, do not die but live, and be with your mother.” Immedi- ately the child opened its eyes and laughed. Jesus said to the woman, “Take him, give him milk, and remember me.” 2 When the crowd standing there saw what had happened, it was amazed. The peo- ple said, “Truly this child is either God or an an- gel of God, for his every word is an accomplished deed.” Jesus then left from there to play with the other children. 18 Some time later a house was being built and there was a great disturbance. Jesus got up and went out to the place. He saw a man ly- ing down, dead; taking his hand he said, “I say to ‘you, O man, rise up and do your work.” Immedi- ately he rose up and worshiped him, 2 When the crowd saw, it was amazed and said, “This child ‘comes from heaven, For he has saved many souls from death—his entire life he is able to save them.” 1G) When he was twelve years old his par ents made their customary trip to Jeru- salem, in a caravan, for the Passover feast. After the Passover they returned home. While they were returning, the child Jesus went back up (0 Jerusalem. But his parents thought he was in the caravan, 2 After their first day of travel, they be~ gan looking for him among their relatives and ‘were upset not to find him. They returned again to the city to look for him. And after the third day they found him sitting in the Temple in the midst of the teachers, both listening and asking them questions. Everyone was attending closely, amazed that though a child, he questioned the elders and teachers of the people sharply, explaining the chief points of the Law and the parables of the prophets. 3 When his mother Mary came up to him she said, “Why have you done this to us, child? See, we have been distressed, looking for you.” to them, “Why are you looking for me? THE INFANCY GOSPEL OF THOMAS Don't you know that I must be with those who are my Father's?” 4 The scribes and Pharisees sai “Are you the mother of this child?” She replied, “I am,” They said to her, “You are most fortunate among women, because God has blessed the fruit of your womb, For we have never seen or heard of such glory, such virtue and wisdom. 5 Jesus got 131 up from there and followed his mother, and he was obedient to his parents, But his mother kept to her- self all these things that had happened. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and grace. To him be the glory forever and ever, amen. 0 be doing my Father‘busines: or be ny Father shone

Вам также может понравиться