 Section 4 of Anti-Nicene Christian Library. Translations of the writings of the fathers down to AD 325. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Anti-Nicene Christian Library. Translations of the writings of the fathers down to AD 325 by Alexander Roberts, editor. The History of Joseph the Carpenter In the name of God, of one essence and three persons. The history of the death of our Father, the Holy Old Man, Joseph the Carpenter. May his blessings and prayers preserve us all, O brethren. Amen. His whole life was 111 years, and his departure from this world happened on the 26th of the month of Bid, which answers to the month Ab. May his prayer preserve us, amen. And indeed it was our Lord Jesus Christ himself who related this history to his holy disciples on the Mount of Olives, and all Joseph's labor, and the end of his days. And the holy apostles have preserved this conversation and have left it written down in the library at Jerusalem. May their prayers preserve us, amen. It happened one day when the Savior, our Master, God, and Savior Jesus Christ was sitting along with his disciples, and they were all assembled on the Mount of Olives, that he said to them, All my brethren and friends, sons of the Father who has chosen you from all men, You know that I have often told you that I must be crucified, and must die for the salvation of Adam and his posterity, that I shall rise from the dead. Now I shall commit to you the doctrine of the Holy Gospel formally announced to you, that you may declare it throughout the whole world. And I shall endow you with power from on high and fill you with the Holy Spirit, and you shall declare to all nations repentance and remission of sins. For a single cup of water, for man shall find it in the world to come, is greater and better than all the wealth of this whole world, and as much ground as one foot can occupy in the house of my Father, is greater and more excellent than all the riches of the earth. Yea, a single hour in the joyful dwelling of the pious is more blessed and more precious than a thousand years among sinners. Inasmuch as their weeping and lamentation shall not come to an end, and their tears shall not cease, nor shall they find for themselves consolation and repose it any time, forever. And now, O my honoured members, go declare to all nations, tell them and say to them, verily the Saviour diligently inquires into the inheritance which is due, and is the administrator of justice. And the angels will cast down their enemies and will fight for them in the day of conflict, and he will examine every single foolish and idle word which men speak, and they shall give an account of it. No one shall escape death, so also the works of every man shall be laid open on the day of judgment, whether they have been good or evil. Tell them also this word, which I have said to you today. Let not the strong man glory in his strength, nor the rich man in his riches, but let him who wishes to glory, glory in the Lord. There was a man whose name was Joseph, sprung from a family of Bethlehem, a town of Judah, in the city of King David. The same man, being well furnished with wisdom and learning, was made a priest in the temple of the Lord. He was, besides skillful in his trade, which was that of a carpenter, and after the manner of all men, he married a wife. Moreover, he begot himself sons and daughters, four sons, namely, and two daughters. These are their names, Judas, Justice, James, and Simon. The names of the two daughters were Asiya and Lydia. At length the wife of righteous Joseph, a woman intent on the divine glory in all her works, departed this life. But Joseph, that righteous man, my father after the flesh, and the spouse of my mother Mary, went away with his sons to his trade, practicing the art of a carpenter. Now, when righteous Joseph became a widower, my mother, Mary, blessed, holy, and pure, was already twelve years old, for her parents offered her in the temple when she was three years of age, and she remained in the temple of the Lord nine years. Then when the priests saw that the virgin, holy and God-fearing, was growing up, they spoke to each other, saying, Let us search out a man, righteous and pious, to whom Mary will be entrusted until the time of her marriage, lest, if she remain in the temple, it happen to her as is want to happen to women, and lest on that account we sin, and God be angry with us. Therefore they immediately sent out and assembled twelve old men of the tribe of Judah, and they wrote down the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, and the lot fell upon the pious old man, righteous Joseph. Then the priests answered and said to my blessed mother, Go with Joseph and be with him till the time of your marriage. Righteous Joseph therefore received my mother, and led her away to his own house. And Mary found James the less in his father's house, broken-hearted and sad on account of the loss of his mother, and she brought him up. Hence Mary was called the mother of James. Thereafter Joseph left her at home and went away to the shop where he wrought at his trade of a carpenter. And after the Holy Virgin had spent two years in his house, her age was exactly fourteen years, including the time at which he received her. And I chose her of my own will with the concurrence of my father and the counsel of the Holy Spirit, and I was made flesh of her by a mystery which transcends the grasp of created reason. And three months after her conception, the righteous man Joseph returned from the place where he worked at his trade. And when he found my virgin mother pregnant, he was greatly perplexed and thought of sending her away secretly. But from fear and sorrow and the anguish of his heart he could endure neither to eat nor drink that day. But at midday there appeared to him in a dream the Prince of the Angels, the Holy Gabriel, furnished with a command from my father. And he said to him, Joseph, son of David, fear not to take Mary as thy wife, for she has conceived of the Holy Spirit and she will bring forth a son whose name shall be called Jesus. He it is who shall rule all nations with the rod of iron. Having thus spoken the angel departed from him, and Joseph rose from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord had said to him, and Mary abode with him. Sometime after that there came forth an order from Augustus Caesar, the king, that all the habitable world should be enrolled, each man in his own city. The old man therefore, righteous Joseph, rose up and took the Virgin Mary and came to Bethlehem, because the time of her bringing forth was at hand. Joseph then inscribed his name in the list. For Joseph, the son of David, whose spouse Mary was, was of the tribe of Judah. And indeed Mary, my mother, brought me forth in Bethlehem, in a cave near the tomb of Rachel, the wife of the patriarch Jacob, the mother of Joseph and Benjamin. But Satan went and told this to Herod the Great, the father of Arkelus, and it was the same Herod who ordered my friend and relative, John, to be beheaded. Recordedly he searched for me diligently, thinking that my kingdom was to be of this world. But Joseph, that pious old man, was warned of this by a dream. Therefore he rose and took Mary, my mother, and I lay in her bosom. Solomon also was their fellow traveler. Having therefore set out from home, he retired into Egypt and remained there the space of one whole year until the hatred of Herod passed away. Now Herod died from the worst form of death, atoning for the shedding of the blood of the children, whom he wickedly cut off, though there was no sin in them. In that impious, tyrant Herod being dead, they returned into the land of Israel and lived in a city of Galilee, which is called Nazareth. And Joseph, going back to his trade of a carpenter, earned his living by the work of his hands, for as the law of Moses had commanded, he never sought to live for nothing by another's labor. At length, by increasing years, the old man arrived at a very advanced age. He did not, however, labor under any bodily weakness, nor had his sight failed, nor had any tooth perished from his mouth. In mind also, for the whole time of his life, he never wandered. But like a boy, he always, in his business, displayed youthful vigor and his limbs remained unimpaired and free from pain. His life, then, and all, amounted to one hundred and eleven years, his old age being prolonged to the utmost limit. Now, Justice and Simeon, the elder brothers of Joseph, were married and had families of their own. Both the daughters were likewise married and lived in their own houses. So they remained in Joseph's house, Judas and James the Less, in my virgin mother. I, moreover, dwelt along with them, not otherwise than if I had been one of his sons. But I passed all my life without fault. Mary I called my mother and Joseph father, and I obeyed them in all that they said, nor did I ever contend against them, but complied with their commands, as other men whom earth produces are want to do. Nor did I at any time arouse their anger or give any word or answer in opposition to them. On the contrary, I cherished them with great love, like the pupil of my eye. It came to pass after these things that the death of that old man, the pious Joseph, and his departure from this world were approaching, as happens to other men who owe their origin to this earth. And as his body was verging on dissolution, an angel of the Lord informed him that his death was now close at hand. Therefore fear and great perplexity came upon him. So he rose up and went to Jerusalem, and going into the temple of the Lord, he poured out his prayers there before the sanctuary and said, O God, author of all consolation, God of all compassion, and Lord of the whole human race, God of my soul, body, and spirit, with supplications I reverence thee, O Lord, in my God. If now my days are ended, and the time draws near when I must leave the world, send me, I beseech thee, the great Michael, the Prince of thy holy angels, let him remain with me, that my wretched soul may depart from this afflicted body without trouble, without terror, and impatience. For great fear and intense sadness take hold of all bodies on the day of their death, whether it be man or woman, beast, wild, or tame, or whatever creeps on the ground or flies in the air. At last all creatures under heaven in whom is the breath of life are struck with horror, and their souls depart from their bodies with strong fear and great depression. Now, therefore, O Lord, and my God, let thy holy angel be present with his help to my soul and body, until they shall be deceivered from each other. And let not the face of the angel point at my guardian from the day of my birth be turned away from me. But may he be the companion of my journey, even until he bring me to thee. Let his countenance be pleasant and gladsome to me, and let him accompany me in peace. And let not demons of frightful aspect come near me in the way in which I am to go, until I come to thee in bliss. And let not the doorkeepers hinder my soul from entering paradise. And do not uncover my sins and expose me to condemnation before thy terrible tribunal. Let not the lions rush in upon me, nor let the waves of the sea of fire overwhelm my soul. For this must every soul pass through before I have seen the glory of thy Godhead. O God, most righteous judge, who in justice and equity will judge mankind and will render unto each one according to his works. O Lord and my God, I beseech thee, be present to me in thy compassion, and enlighten my path that I may come to thee. For thou art a fountain overflowing with all good things, and with glory for evermore. Amen. He came to pass thereafter when he returned to his own house in the city of Nazareth, that he was seized by disease and had to keep his bed. And it was at this time that he died according to the destiny of all mankind. For this disease was very heavy upon him, and he had never been ill as he now was from the day of his birth. And thus assuredly it pleased Christ to order the destiny of righteous Joseph. He lived forty years unmarried, thereafter his wife remained under his care forty-nine years, and then died. And a year after her death, my mother, the Blessed Mary was entrusted to him by the priests that he should keep her until the time of her marriage. She spent two years in his house and in the third year of her stay with Joseph in the fifteenth year of her age. She brought me forth on earth by a mystery which no creature can penetrate or understand, except myself and my father and the Holy Spirit, constituting one essence with myself. The whole age of my father, therefore, that righteous old man, was one hundred and eleven years, my father in heaven having so decreed, and the day on which his soul left his body was the twenty-sixth of the month of Ibb. For now the fine gold began to lose its splendor in the silver to be worn down by use. I mean his understanding and wisdom. He also loathed food and drink and lost all his skill in his trade of carpentry, nor did he any more pay attention to it. It came to pass then in the early dawn of the twenty-sixth day of Ibb, that Joseph, that righteous old man, lying in his bed, was giving up his unquiet soul. Wherefore he opened his mouth with many sighs and struck his hands one against the other, and with a loud voice cried out and spoke after the following manner. Woe to the day on which I was born into the world! Woe to the womb which bear me! Woe to the boughs which admitted me! Woe to the breasts which suckled me! Woe to the feet upon which I sat and rested! Woe to the hands which carried me and reared me until I grew up! For I was conceived in iniquity, and in sins did my mother desire of me! Woe to my tongue and my lips which have brought forth and spoken vanity! Detraction, balsud, ignorance, derision, idle tales, craft, and hypocrisy! Woe to my eyes which have looked upon scandalous things! Woe to my ears which have delighted in the words of slanderers! Woe to my hands which have seized what did not of right belong to them! Woe to my belly and my bowels which have lusted after food unlawful to be eaten! Woe to my throat which, like a fire, has consumed all that it found! Woe to my feet which have too often ways displeasing to God! Woe to my body and woe to my miserable soul which has already turned aside from God its maker! What shall I do when I arrive at that place where I must stand before the most righteous judge and when he shall call me to account for the works which I have heaped up in my youth? Woe to every man dying in his sins! Assuredly the same dreadful hour which came upon my father Jacob when his soul was flying forth from his body is now, behold, near at hand for me! Oh, how wretched I am this day and worthy of lamentation! But God alone is the disposer of my soul and body. He also will deal with him after his own pleasure. These are the words spoken by Joseph that righteous old man and I going in beside him found his soul exceedingly troubled for he was placed in great perplexity. And I said to him, Hail, my father Joseph, thou righteous man, how is it with thee? And he answered me, all hail my well-beloved son. Indeed the agony and fear of death have already enviring me. But as soon as I heard thy voice my soul was at rest. O Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus my Saviour, Jesus the Deliverer of my soul, Jesus my Protector, Jesus, O sweetest name in my mouth in the mouth of all those that love it, O I which seest and ear which hearest, hear me, I am thy servant, this day I most humbly reverence thee and before thy face I pour out my tears. Thou art altogether my God, thou art my Lord as the angel has told me times without number and especially on that day when my soul was driven about with perverse thoughts about the pure and blessed Mary, who was carrying thee in her womb in whom I was thinking of secretly sending away. And while I was thus meditating, behold, there appeared to me in my rest angels of the Lord saying to me in a wonderful mystery, O Joseph, the son of David, fear not to take Mary as thy wife and do not grieve thy soul, nor speak unbecoming words of her conception, because she is with child of the Holy Spirit and shall bring forth a son whose name shall be called Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. Do not, for this cause wish me evil, O Lord, for I was ignorant of the mystery of thy birth. I called to mind also my Lord that day when the boy died and his relations wished to deliver thee to Herod, saying thou hast killed him, but thou distraised him from the dead and restore him to them. Then I went up to thee and took hold of thy hand, saying, my son, take care of thyself. But thou dist say to me in reply, art thou not my father after the flesh? I shall teach thee who I am. Now therefore, O Lord, and my God, do not be angry with me or condemn me on account of that hour. I am thy servant in the Son of Thine Handmaiden, but thou art my Lord, my God and Saviour, most surely the Son of God. When my father Joseph had thus spoken, he was unable to weep more and I saw that death now had dominion over him, and my mother, virgin, undefiled, rose and came to me, saying, O my beloved son, this pious old man Joseph is now dying. And I answered, O my dearest mother, assuredly upon all creatures produced in this world, the same necessity of death lies for death holds sway over the whole human race. Even thou, O my virgin mother, must look for the same end of life as other mortals. Yet thy death as also the death of an old man is not death, but life enduring to eternity. Nay more, even I must die as concerns the body which I have received from thee. But rise, O my venerable mother, and go into Joseph, that blessed old man, in order that thou may see what will happen as his soul ascends from his body. My undefiled mother Mary therefore went and entered the place as it was, and I was sitting at his feet looking at him, for the signs of death already appeared in his countenance. And that blessed old man raised his head and kept his eyes fixed on my face, but he had no power of speaking to me on account of the agonies of death which held him in their grasp. But he kept fetching many sighs, and I held his hands for a whole hour, and he turned his face to me not to leave him. Therefore I put my hand upon his breast, and perceived his soul now near his throat, preparing to depart from its receptacle. And when my virgin mother saw me touching his body, she also touched his feet, and finding them already dead in destitute of heat, she said to me, O my beloved son, assuredly his feet are already beginning to stiffen, and they are as cold as snow. Accordingly she summoned his sons and daughters, and said to them, Come, as many as there are of you, and go to your father, for assuredly he is now at the very point of death. And Asya, his daughter, answered and said, Woe is me, O my brothers, this is certainly the same disease that my beloved mother died of, and she lamented that her other children mourned along with her. I also, and my mother Mary, wept along with them. In turning my eyes towards the region of the south, I saw death already approaching, and all Gehenna with him, closely attended by his army, and his satellites, and their clothes and their faces, and their mouths poured forth flames. And when my father Joseph saw them coming straight to him, he was dissolved in tears, and at the same time he groaned after a strange manner. Accordingly, when I saw the vehemence of his size, I drove back death, and all the hosts of servants which accompanied him, and I called upon my good father, saying, O Father of all mercy, I which seest, and ere which heurest, harken to my prayers and supplications in behalf of the old man Joseph, and send Michael, the Prince of thine angels, and Gabriel, the herald of light, and all the light of thine angels, and let their whole array walk with the soul of my father Joseph, until they shall have conducted it to thee. This is the hour in which my father is need of compassion, and I say unto you that all the saints, yea, as many men as are, born in the world, whether they be just or whether they be perverse, must of necessity taste of death. Therefore Michael and Gabriel came to the soul of my father Joseph, and took it, and wrapped it in a shining wrapper. Thus he committed his spirit into the hands of my good father, and he bestowed upon him peace, and as yet none of his children knew that he had fallen asleep, and the angels preserved his soul from the demons of darkness which were in the way, and preserved God even until they conducted it into the dwelling place of the pious. Now his body was lying prostrate and bloodless. Wherefore I reached forth my hand and put right his eyes, and shut his mouth, and said to the Virgin Mary, O my mother, where is the skill which he showed in all the times that I lived in this world? Lo it has perished, as if it had never existed, and his children heard me speaking with my mother, the pure Virgin. They knew that he had already breathed his last, and they shed tears and lamented. But I said to them, assuredly the death of your father is not death, but life everlasting, for he has been freed from the troubles of this life and has passed to perpetual and everlasting rest. When they heard these words they rent their clothes and wept. And indeed the inhabitants of Nazareth and of Galilee having heard of their lamentation flocked to them and wept from the third hour even to the ninth. And at the ninth hour they all went together to Joseph's bed, and they lifted his body after they had appointed it with costly unguents. But I entreated my father in the prayer of the Celestials, that same prayer which with my own hand I was carried in the womb of the Virgin Mary, my mother. And as soon as I had finished it and pronounced the Amen a great multitude of angels came up, and I ordered two of them to stretch out their shining garments and to wrap in them the body of Joseph, the blessed old man. And I spoke to Joseph and said, the smell or corruption of death shall not have dominion over thee, nor shall a worm ever come forth from thy body. Not a single limb of it shall be broken, nor shall any hair on thy head be changed. Nothing of thy body shall perish o' my father Joseph, but it will remain entire and uncorrupted, even until the banquet of the thousand years. And whosoever shall make an offering on the day of thy remembrance, him will I bless and recompense in the congregation of the versions. Whosoever shall give food to the wretched, the poor, the widows and orphans from the work of his hands on the day in which thy memory shall be celebrated, and in thy name shall not be in want of good things all the days of his life. And whosoever shall have given a cup of water or of wine to drink to the widow or orphan in thy name I will give him to thee that thou mayst go in with him to the banquet of the thousand years. And every man who shall present an offering on the day of thy commemoration will I bless and recompense in the church of the virgins. For one I will render unto him thirty, sixty, and a hundred. And whosoever shall write the history of thy life, of thy labor, and thy departure from this world and this narrative that is issued from my mouth, him shall I commit to thy keeping and have to do with this life. And when his soul departs from the body and when he must leave this world I will burn the book of his sins nor will I torment him with any punishment in the day of judgment. But he shall come across the sea of flames and shall go through it without trouble or pain. And upon every poor man who can give none of these things which I have mentioned these, if a son is born to him he shall call his name Joseph so there shall not take place in that house either poverty or any sudden death forever. Therefore the chief men of the city came together to the place where the body of the blessed old man Joseph had been laid, bring with them burial clothes, and they wish to wrap it up in them after the manner in which the Jews were to arrange their dead bodies. And they perceived that he kept his shroud fast for it adhered to the body in such a way that when they wished to take it off it was found to be like iron impossible to be moved or loosened. Nor could they find any ends in that piece of linen which struck them with the greatest astonishment. At length they carried him out to a place where there was a cave and opened the gate that they might bury his body beside the bodies of his fathers. Then there came into mind the day on which he walked with me into Egypt in that extreme trouble which he endured on my account. Importantly I bewailed his death for a long time and laying upon his body I said O death who makest all knowledge to vanish away and raises so many tears and lamentations surely it is God my father himself who hath granted thee this power. For men die for the transgression of Adam and his wife Eve and death spares not so much as one. Nevertheless nothing happens to anyone or is brought upon him without the command of my father. There have certainly been men who have prolonged their life even to 900 years but they died. Today though some of them have lived longer they have not withstanding succumbed to the same fate nor has any one of them ever said I have not tasted death. For the Lord never sends the same punishment more than once since it hath pleased my father to bring it upon men. And at the very moment when it going forth beholds the command descending to it from heaven it says go forth against that man and will greatly move him then without delay it makes an onset on the soul and obtains the mastery of it doing with it whatever it will for because Adam did not the will of my father but transgressed his commandment the wrath of my father was kindled against him and he doomed him to death and thus it was that death came into the world but if Adam had observed my father's precepts death would never have fallen to his lot. Thank you that I can ask my good father to send me a chariot of fire which may take up the body of my father Joseph and convey it to the place of rest in order that it may dwell with the spirits but on account of the transgression of Adam that trouble and violence of death has descended upon all the human race and it is for this cause that I must die according to the flesh for my work which I have created that they may obtain grace having thus spoken I embraced the body of my father Joseph and wept over it and they opened the door of the tomb and placed his body in it near the body of his father Jacob and at the time when he fell asleep he had fulfilled a hundred and eleven years never did a tooth in his mouth hurt him nor was his eyesight rendered less sharp nor his body bent nor his strength impaired but he worked at his trade of a carpenter to the very last day of his life and that was the sixth and twenty-sixth of the month of Ibb and we apostles when we heard these things from our Savior rose up joyfully and prostrated ourselves in honor of him and said oh our Savior show us thy grace indeed we have heard the word of life nevertheless we wonder oh our Savior at the fate of Enoch and Elias in as much as they had not to undergo death for truly they dwell in the habitation of the righteous even to the present day nor have their bodies seen corruption yet that old man Joseph the carpenter was nevertheless thy father after the flesh and that has ordered us to go to the world and preach the Holy Gospel and I have said relate to them the death of my father Joseph and celebrate to him with annual solemnity a festival in sacred day and whosoever shall take anything away from this narrative or add anything to it commit sin we wonder especially that Joseph even from that day in which thou was born in Bethlehem call thee his son after the flesh wherefore then disthow not make him a mortal as well as them and thou sayest that he was righteous and chosen and our Savior answered and said indeed the prophecy of my father upon Adam for his disobedience has now been fulfilled and all things are arranged according to the will and pleasure of my father for for man rejects the commandment of God and follows the works of the devil by committing sin his life is prolonged for he is preserved in order that he may perhaps repent and reflect that he must be delivered into the hands of death but if anyone has been zealous of good works his life also is prolonged that is the fame of his old age increases upright man may imitate him but when you see a man whose mind is prone to anger his days are shortened for it is these that are taken away in the flower of their age every prophecy therefore which my father had pronounced concerning the sons of men must be fulfilled in every particular but with reference to Enoch and Elias and how they remain alive to this day keeping the same bodies with which they were born and as to what concerns my father Joseph who has not been allowed as well as they to remain in the body indeed though a man live in the world many myriads of years nevertheless at some time or other he is compelled to exchange life for death and I say to you my brethren that they also Enoch and Elias must towards the end of time return into the world and die in that day namely of commotion of terror of perplexity and affliction for antichrist will slay four bodies that will pour out their blood like water because of the reproach to which they shall expose him and the ignominy with which they in their lifetime shall brand him when they reveal his impiety and we said oh our Lord our God and Savior who are these four whom thou hast said antichrist will cut off from the reproach they bring upon him the Lord answered they are Enoch, Elias Shilah and Tabitha when we heard this from our Savior we rejoiced and exalted and we offered all glory and thanksgiving to the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ it is he to whom is due glory, honor, dignity dominion, power and praise as well as to the good Father with him and to the Holy Spirit that giveth life henceforth and in all time forevermore. Amen End of Section 4 Section 5 of Anti-Ni-San Christian Library Translations of the Writings of the Fathers down to AD 325 by Alexander Roberts editor. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. The Gospel of Thomas in Three Forms First Greek Form Thomas the Israelite Philosopher's Account of the Infancy of the Lord I, Thomas in Israelite writes you this account that all the brethren from among the heathen may know the miracles of our Lord Jesus Christ in his infancy which he did after his birth in our country. The beginning of it is as follows this child Jesus when five years old was playing in the Ford of a mountain stream and he collected the flowing waters into pools and made them clear immediately and by a word alone he made them obey him and having made some soft clay he fashioned out of it twelve sparrows and it was the Sabbath when he did these things and there were also many other children playing with him and a certain Jew seeing what Jesus was doing playing on the Sabbath went off immediately and said to his father Joseph, Behold thy son is at the stream and has taken clay and made of it twelve birds and has profaned the Sabbath. And Joseph coming to the place and seeing cried out to him saying wherefore does thou on the Sabbath what is not lawful to do? And Jesus clapped his hands and cried out to the sparrows and said to them off you go and the sparrows flew and went off crying and the Jews seen this were amazed and went away and reported to their chief men what they had seen Jesus doing. And the son of Anas this grive was standing there with Joseph and he took a willow branch and let out the waters which Jesus had collected and Jesus saying what was done was angry and said to him O wicket, impious and foolish, what harm did the pools and the waters do to thee? Behold, even now thou shalt be dried up like a tree and thou shalt not bring forth either leaves or root or fruit. And straight away that boy was quite dried up and Jesus departed and went to Joseph's house. But the parents of the boy that had been dried up took him up bewelling his youth and brought him to Joseph and reproached him because said they were such a child doing such things. After that he was again passing through the village and a boy ran up against him and struck his shoulder and Jesus was angry and said to him thou shalt not go back the way thou came us and immediately he fell down dead. And some who saw what had taken place said once was this child begotten that every word of his is certainly accomplished. And the parents of the boy went away to Joseph and blamed him saying since thou has such a child it is impossible for thee to live with us in the village or else teach him to bless and not to curse for he is killing our children. And Joseph called the child apart and admonished him saying why dost thou such things and these people suffer and hate us and persecute us. And the words of thine are not thine own nevertheless for thysake I will be silent but they shall bear their punishment and straight away those that accused him were struck blind and those who saw it were much afraid and in general perplexity and said about him every word which he spoke whether good or bad was an act and became a wonder and when they saw that Jesus had done such a thing he rose and took hold of his ear and pulled it hard and the child was very angry and said to him it is enough for thee to seek and not define and most certainly thou has not done wisely knowest thou not that I am thine do not trouble me. And a certain teacher Zacchaeus by name was standing in a certain place and heard Jesus thus speaking to his father and a few days thereafter he came to Joseph and said to him thou hast a sensible child and he has some mind give him to me then that he may learn letters and I shall teach him along with the letters all knowledge both how to address all the elders and to honor them as forefathers and fathers and how to love those of his own age and he said to him all the letters from the Alpha even to the Omega clearly and with great exactness and he looked upon the teacher Zacchaeus and said to him thou who are ignorant of the nature of the Alpha how canst thou teach others the Beta thou hypocrite first if thou knowest teach thee A and then we shall believe thee about the B then he began to question the teacher about the first letter and he was not able to answer him and in the hearing of many he said to Zacchaeus herald teacher the order of the first letter and notice here how it has lines in a middle stroke crossing those which thou ceased common lines brought together the highest part supporting them and again bringing them under one head with three points of intersection of the same kind principle and subordinate of equal length thou hast the lines of the A and then Zacchaeus heard the child speaking such in so great allegories of the first letter he was at a great loss about such a narrative and about his teaching and he said to those that were present alas I wretched that I am am at a loss bring shame upon myself by having dragged this child hither take him away then I beseech thee brother Joseph I cannot endure the sternness I cannot make out his meaning at all that child does not belong to this earth he contained even fire assuredly he was born before the creation of the world what sort of a belly bore him what sort of a womb nourished him I do not know alas my friend he has carried me away I cannot get his meaning thrice wretched that I am I have deceived myself I made a struggle to have a scholar I was found to have a teacher my mind is filled with shame my friends because I an old man have been conquered by a child there is nothing for me but despondency and death on account of this boy for I am not able at this hour to look him in the face and when everybody says that I have been beaten by a little child what can I say and how can I give an account of the lines of the first letter oh my friends for I can make neither beginning nor end of him therefore I beseech the brother Joseph take him home what great thing he is either God or angel or what I am to say I know not and when the Jews were in courageings Archaus the child laughed aloud and said now let thy learning bring forth fruit and let the blind and heart see I am here from above that I may curse them and call them those that are above as he that sent me on your account has commanded me and when the child ceased speaking immediately all were made whole who had fallen under his curse and no one after that dared to make him angry lest he should curse him and he should be maimed and some days later Jesus was playing in an upper room of a certain house and one of the children that were playing with him fell down from the house and Jesus was killed and when the other children saw this they ran away and Jesus alone stood still and the parents of the dead child coming reproached and they threatened him and Jesus leaped down from the roof and stood beside the body of the child and cried with a loud voice and said Zeno for that was his name stand up and tell me did I throw thee down and he stood up immediately now dis not throw me down but has raised me up and those that saw this were struck with astonishment and the child's parents glorified God on account of the miracle that had happened and adored Jesus a few days after a young man was splitting wood in the corner and the axe came down and cut the soul of his foot in two and he died from loss of blood and there was a great commotion and the child Jesus ran there too and he pressed through the crowd and laid hold of the young man's wounded foot and he was cured immediately and he said to the young man rise up now, split the wood and remember me and the crowd seeing what had happened adored the child saying truly the spirit of God dwells in this child and when he was six years old his mother gave him a picture and sent him down to draw water and bring it in the house but he struck against someone in the crowd and the picture broke and Jesus unfolded the cloak which he had on and filled it with water and carried it to his mother and his mother seeing the miracle that had happened kissed him and kept within herself the mysteries which she had seen him doing and again in seed time the child went out with his father to sow corn in their land and while his father was sowing he sowed one grain of corn and when he had reaped it and thrashed it he made a hundred cores and calling all the poor of the village to the threshing floor he gave the corn and Joseph took away what was left of the corn and he was eight years old when he did this miracle and his father was a carpenter and at that time made plows and yolks and a certain rich man ordered him to make him a couch and one of what is called the cross pieces being too short they did not know what to do the child Jesus said to his father Joseph put down the two pieces of wood and make them even in the middle and Joseph did as the child said to him and Jesus stood at the other end and took hold of the shorter piece of wood and stretched it and made it equal to the other and his father Joseph saw it and wondered and embraced the child and kissed him saying blessed am I because God has given me this child and Joseph seeing that the child was vigorous in mind and body again resolved that he should not remain ignorant of the letters and took him away and handed him over to another teacher and the teacher said to Joseph I shall first teach him the Greek letters and then the Hebrew for the teacher was aware of the trial that had been made of the child and was afraid of him nevertheless he wrote out the alphabet and gave him all his attention for a long time and he made no answer and Jesus said to him if thou art really a teacher and art well acquainted with the letters tell me the power of the alpha and I will tell thee the power of the beta and the teacher was enraged at this and struck him on the head and the child being in pain cursed him and immediately he swooned away and fell to the ground on his face and the child returned to Joseph's house and Joseph was grieved and gave orders to his mother saying do not let him go outside of the door because those that make him angry die and after some time another master again a genuine friend of Joseph said to him bring the child to my school perhaps I shall be able to flatter him into learning his letters and Joseph said if thou hast the courage brother take him with thee and he took him with him in fear and great agony but the child went along pleasantly and going boldly into the school he found a book lying on the reading desk and taking it he read not the letters that were in it but opening his mouth he spoke by the Holy Spirit and taught the law to those that were standing around and a great crowd having come together stood by and heard him and wondered at the ripeness of his teaching and the readiness of his words in that he child as he was spoke in such a way and Joseph hearing of it was afraid and ran to the school in doubt lest this master too should be without experience and the master said to Joseph no brother that I have taken the child as a scholar and he is full of much grace and wisdom but I beseech thee brother take him home and when the child heard this he laughed at him directly and said since thou hast spoken a right and witnessed a right for thy sake he also that was struck down shall be cured and immediately the other master was cured and Joseph took the child and went away home and Joseph sent his son James to tie up wood and bring it home and the child Jesus also followed him and when James was gathering the kids a viper bit James hand and when he was wracked with pain and at the point of death Jesus came near and blew upon the bite and the pain ceased directly and the beast burst and instantly James remained safe and sound and after this the infant of one of Joseph's neighbors fell sick and died and its mother wept sore and Jesus heard that there was great lamentation and commotion and ran in haste and touched his breast and said I say to thee child be not dead but live and be with thy mother and directly it looked up and laughed and he said to the woman take it and give it milk and remember me and seen this the crowd that was standing by wondered and said truly this child was either God or an angel of God her every word of his is a certain fact and Jesus went out playing with the other children and sometime after there occurred a great commotion while a house was building and Jesus stood up and went away to the place and seeing a man lying dead he took him by the hand and said man I say to thee arise and go with thy work and directly he rose up and adored him and seeing this the crowd wondered and said this child is from heaven for he has saved many souls from death and he continues to save during all his life and when he was 12 years old his parents went as usual to Jerusalem to the feast of the Passover with their fellow travelers and after the Passover they were coming home again and while they were coming home the child Jesus went back to Jerusalem and his parents thought that he was in the company and having gone one day's journey they sought for him among the relations and not finding him they were in great grief and turned back to the city seeking for him and after the third day they found him in the temple sitting in the midst of the teachers both hearing the law and asking them questions and they were all attending to him and wondering that he being a child was shutting the mouths of the elders and teachers of the people explaining the main points of the law and the parables of the prophets and his mother Mary coming up why has thou done this to us child behold we have been seeking for thee in great trouble and Jesus said to them why do you seek me do you not know that I must be about my father's business and the scribes in the Pharisees said ought thou the mother of this child and she said I am and they said to her blessed art thou among women for God hath blessed the fruit of thy womb for such glory for such virtue and wisdom we have neither seen nor heard ever and Jesus rose up and followed his mother and was subject to his parents and his mother observed all these things that had happened and Jesus advanced in wisdom in stature and grace to whom be glory forever and ever Amen the Gospel of Thomas 2nd Greek form the writing of the Holy Apostle Thomas concerning the childhood of the Lord I Thomas the Israelite have deemed it necessary to make known to all the brethren of the heathen the great things which our Lord Jesus Christ did in his childhood when he dwelt in the body in the city of Nazareth going in the fifth year of his age on one of the days there being a rainstorm he went out of the house where his mother was and played on the ground where the waters were flowing and he made pools and brought in the waters and the pools were filled with water then he says it is my will that you become clear and excellent waters and it became so directly in a certain boy the son of Annas the scribe came past and with a willow branch which he was carrying threw down the pools and the water flowed out and Jesus turning said to him O impious and wicked how have the pools wronged thee that thou hast emptied them thou shalt not go on thy way and thou shalt be dried up like the branch which thou art carrying and as he went along in a short time he fell down and died and when the children that were playing with him saw this they wondered and went away and told the father of the dead boy and he ran and found his child dead and he went away and reproached Joseph and Jesus made of that clay twelve sparrows and it was the Sabbath and the child ran and told Joseph saying behold thy child is playing about the stream and of the clay he has made sparrows which is not lawful and when he heard this he went and said to the child why dost thou do this profaning the Sabbath but Jesus gave him no answer but looked upon the sparrows and said go away fly and live and remember me and at this word they flew and went up into the air and when Joseph saw it he wondered in some days after when Jesus was going through the mist of the city a boy threw a stone at him and struck him on the shoulder and Jesus said to him thou shalt not go on thy way and directly falling down he also died and they that happened to be there were struck with astonishment saying once is this child accomplished and they also went and reproached Joseph saying it is impossible for thee to live with us in the city but if thou wishest to do so teach thy child to bless and not to curse for he is killing our children and everything that he says is certainly accomplished and Joseph was sitting in his seat and the child stood before him and he took hold of him by the ear and pinched it hard and Jesus looked at him steadily it is enough for thee and on the day after he took him by the hand and led him to a certain teacher Zacchaeus by name and says to him, oh master take this child and teach him his letters and he says hand him over to me brother and I shall teach him the scripture and I shall persuade him to bless all and not to curse and Jesus hearing laughed and said to them for I am before the ages and I know when your fathers fathers were born and I know how many are the years of your life and hearing this they were struck with astonishment and again Jesus said to them you wonder because I said to you that I knew how many years are the years of your life assuredly I know when the world was created behold you do not believe me now when you see my cross you believe that I speak the truth and they were struck with astonishment when they heard these things and Zacchaeus having written the alphabet in Hebrew says to him alpha and the child says alpha and again the teacher alpha and the child likewise then again the teacher says the alpha for the third time then Jesus looking in the master's face says how can't thou not knowing the alpha teach another the beta and the child beginning from the alpha said by himself the 22 letters then also he says again here old teacher the order of the first letter and know how many entrances and lines it has and strokes common crossing and coming together and when Zacchaeus heard such an account of the one letter he was so struck with astonishment that he could make no answer and he turned to Joseph this child assuredly brother does not belong to the earth take him then away from me and after these things on one of the days Jesus was playing with other children on the roof of a house and one boy was pushed by another and hurled down upon the ground and he died and seeing this the boys that were playing with him ran away and Jesus only was left standing upon the roof from which the boy had been hurled down and when the news was brought to the parents of the dead boy they ran weeping and finding their boy lying dead upon the ground and Jesus standing above they suppose that their boy had been thrown down by him and fixing their eyes upon him they reviled him and seeing this Jesus directly came down from the roof and stood at the head of the dead body and says to him Zeno did I throw he down stand up and tell us for this was the name of the boy and at the word the boy stood up and adored Jesus and said my lord thou didst not throw me down but thou hast brought me to life when I was dead and a few days after one of the neighbors when splitting wood cut away the lower part of his foot with the axe and was on the point of death from loss of blood and a great number of people ran together and Jesus came with them to the place and took hold of the young man's wounded foot and cured him directly and says to him rise up split thy wood and he rose up and adored him giving thanks and splitting the wood likewise also all that were there wondered and gave thanks to him and when he was six years old Mary his mother sent him to bring water from the fountain and as he went along the picture was broken and going to the fountain and folded his overcoat and drew water from the fountain and filled it and took the water to his mother and seeing that she was struck with astonishment and embraced him and kissed him and when Jesus had come to the eighth year of his age Joseph was ordered by a certain rich man to make him a couch for he was a carpenter and he went out into the field to get wood and Jesus went with him and having cut two pieces of wood with the ax he put the one beside the other and in measuring he found it too short and when he saw this he was grieved and sought to find another piece and seeing this Jesus says to him put these two pieces together so as to make both ends even and Joseph in doubt as to what the child should mean did as he was told and he says to him again take a firm hold of the short piece and Joseph in astonishment took hold of it and Jesus also taking hold of the other end drew it towards himself and made it equal to the other piece of wood and he says to Joseph grieve no more but do thy work without hindrance and seeing this he wondered greatly and says to himself blessed am I because God has given me such a boy and when they came back to the city Joseph gave an account of the matter to Mary and when she heard and saw the strange miracles of her son she rejoiced and glorified him with the Father and the Holy Spirit now and ever and forever more Amen the Gospel of Thomas the Latin form here begin it the treatise of the boyhood of Jesus according to Thomas chapter one 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 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 in 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 came so to pass and the neighbor 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 the house with great haste chapter 2 how a schoolmaster thrust him out of the city and as Jesus was walking with Mary his mother through the middle of the city marketplace he looked and saw a schoolmaster teaching his scholars and behold 12 sparrows that were quarreling 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 Mary 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 does 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 chapter 3 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 were 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 favor in the presence of the Lord God amen chapter 4 what the Lord Jesus did in the city of Nazareth it is glorious that Thomas the Israelite an apostle of the Lord gives an account also of the works in 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 5 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 became so again he took of the clay which was of that fish pond and made of it to the number of 12 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 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 Chapter 5 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 they 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 once 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 they 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 his mouth are accomplished and Joseph seen what Jesus had done in a fury seized him by the year 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 dist know thou wouldst not make me angry and although just now I am with thee I was made before thee Chapter 6 How Jesus was treated by the school master therefore a certain man named Zaccheus 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 honorably 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 Zaccheus indeed master whatever proceeds from my mouth is true before all I was Lord but you were foreigners to me has been 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 had appointed this that thou may 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 wonderful 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 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 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 exalted and said I have told you a proverb I know that you are weak and ignorant and that school master said to Joseph bring him to me and I shall teach him letters and Joseph took hold of the boy in Jesus and led him to the house of a certain school master and 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 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 wishes to teach me and I know that you are to me like vessels from which there come with only sounds and no wisdom and beginning the line he said the letters from A to T and full and very fast and he looked at the master and said to him thou indeed cannot tell us what A and B are how does thou wish to teach others oh 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 about the first letter he was unable to give any answer and Jesus said to Zaccheus 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 and Zaccheus 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 what was 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 contain fire and bridle the sea for he was born before the ages what womb brought him forth or what mother nursed him I know not all 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 all 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 Zacchaeus and said to them let all not seen this 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 hire things as he who sent me to you commanded me and when Jesus sees speaking all who had been affected with any infirmity through his words were made whole and they did not dare to speak to him chapter 7 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 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 Sino, Sino, rise and say whether it was I that made me fall down and suddenly he rose up and said know my Lord in his parents seeing such a great miracle done by Jesus glorified God and adored Jesus chapter 8 how Jesus healed a boy's foot and after 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 chapter 9 how Jesus carried water in a cloak and when Jesus was 6 years old his mother sent him to draw water and 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 seen the miracles which Jesus had done kissed him and said oh Lord hear me and save my son chapter 10 and when 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 years which he had scattered and they made 100 pecs of the best grain and he called the poor and the widows in 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 chapter 11 how Jesus made a short piece of wood of the same length as a longer one and Jesus reached the age of 8 years Joseph was a master builder and used to make plows 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 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 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 raised him and said blessed am I because God had given me such a son chapter 12 how Jesus was handed over to learn his letters and Joseph seen that he had such favor 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 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 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 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 marry his mother not to let him go out of the court of his house chapter 13 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 then treated him to teach them more and a great crowd being gathered together they heard all the holy teaching and the choice words which came forth from the mouth of him who child as he was baked such things and Joseph hearing of this was afraid and running the master where Jesus was said to Joseph no brother that I have received thy child to teach him or train him but he is filled with much gravity and wisdom flow now take him home with joy my brother because the gravity which he has poured and Jesus hearing the master though speaking became cheerful and said low now master thou hast truly said for thy sake he who is dead shall now rise again and Joseph took him home chapter 14 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 he forbid 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 chapter 15 how Jesus raised a boy to life a few days after a child as neighbor died and his mother mourned for him soar Jesus hearing this went and stood over the boy and knocked upon his breast and said I say to the 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 he has freed many souls from death and he is 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 since God hath blessed the fruit of thy womb seeing that he hath given these such a glorious child in 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 and 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 forever and ever amen after 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 Israel 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 as Holy Scripture relates and the prophets have born witness to his works and 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 honor forever who lives and reigns God through all ages of ages amen end of section 5 section 6 of anti-nicene Christian library translations of the writings of the fathers down to AD 325 this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org anti-nicene Christian library translations of the writings of the fathers down to AD 325 by Alexander Roberts editor the Gospel of Thomas this is the second Greek form the writing of the Holy Apostle Thomas concerning the childhood of the Lord one I Thomas the Israelite have deemed it necessary to make known to all the brethren of the heathen the great things which our Lord Jesus Christ did in his childhood when he dwelt in the body in the city of Nazareth going in the fifth year of his age two on one of the days there being a rainstorm he went out of the house where his mother was and played on the ground where the waters were flowing and he made pools and brought in the waters and the pools were filled with water and he says it is my will that you become clear and excellent waters and they became so directly and a certain boy the son of Annas the scribe came past and with a willow branch which he was carrying threw down the pools and the water flowed out and Jesus turned he said to him oh impious and wicked how have the pools wronged me that thou hast emptied them thou shalt not go on thy way and thou shalt be dried up like which thou art carrying and as he went along in a short time he fell down and died and when the children that were playing with him saw this they wondered and went away and told the father of the dead boy and he ran and found his child dead and he went away and reproached Joseph three and Jesus made of that clay twelve sparrows and it was the Sabbath and a child ran and told Joseph saying behold by child is playing about the stream of the clay he has made sparrows which is not lawful and when he heard this he went and said to the child why does thou do this profaning the Sabbath but Jesus gave him no answer but looked upon the sparrows and said go away fly and live and remember me and at this word they flew and went up into the air and when Joseph saw it he wondered four and some days after when Jesus was going through the midst of the city a boy threw a stone at him and struck him on the shoulder and Jesus said to him thou shalt not go on thy way and directly falling down he also died and they that happened to be there were struck with astonishment saying once is this child that every word he says is certainly accomplished and they also went and reproached Joseph saying it is impossible for thee to live with us in this city but if thou wishest to do so thus and not to curse for he is killing our children and everything that he says is certainly accomplished five and Joseph was sitting in a seat and the child stood before him and he took hold of him by the ear and pinched it hard and Jesus looked at him steadily and said it is enough for thee six and on the day after he took him by the hand and led him to a certain teacher and said to him oh master take this child and teach him his letters and he says hand him over to me brother and I shall teach him the scripture and I shall persuade him to bless all and not to curse and Jesus hearing laughed and said to them you say what you know but I know more than you for I am before the ages and I know when your fathers fathers were born and I know how many are the years of your life and I know when the world was created behold you do not believe me now when you see my cross then will ye believe that I speak the truth and they were struck with astonishment when they heard these things seven and Zacchaeus having written the alphabet in Hebrew says to him alpha and the child says alpha and again the teacher alpha and the child like Jesus said to him teacher alpha and the child like was then again the teacher says the alpha for the third time then Jesus looking in the master's face says how can thou not knowing the alpha teach another the beta and the child beginning from the alpha said by himself the 22 letters then also he says again hero teacher the order of the first letter and know how many entrances and lines it has and strokes common and when Zacchaeus heard such an account of the one letter he was so struck with astonishment that he could make no answer and he turned and said to Joseph this child assuredly brother does not belong to the earth take him then away from me eight and after these things on one of the days Jesus was playing with other children on the roof of the house and one boy was pushed by another and hurled down upon the ground and he died and seeing this the boys that were playing with him ran away and Jesus only was left standing upon the roof from which the boy had been hurled down and when the news was brought to the parents of the dead boy they ran weeping and finding their boy lying dead upon the ground and Jesus standing above they suppose that their boy had been thrown down by him and fixing their eyes upon him they reviled him and seeing this Jesus directly came down to the roof and stood at the head of the dead body and says to him Zeno did I throw thee down stand up and tell us for this was the name of the boy and at the word the boy stood up and adored Jesus and said my lord thou didst not throw me down but thou hast brought me to life when I was dead nine and a few days after one of the neighbors when splitting wood cut away the lower part of his foot with the axe and the point of death from loss of blood and a great number of people ran together and Jesus came with them to the place and he took hold of the young man's wounded foot and cured him directly and says to him rise up split thy wood and he rose up and adored him giving thanks and splitting the wood likewise also all that were there wondered and gave thanks to him ten and when he was six years old Mary his mother sent him to bring water from the fountain and as he went along the pitcher was broken and going to the fountain he unfolded his overcoat and drew water from the fountain and filled it and took the water to his mother in seeing this she was struck with astonishment and embraced him and kissed him eleven and when Jesus had come to the eighth year of his age Joseph was ordered by a certain Richmond to make him a couch for he was a carpenter and he went out into the field to get wood and Jesus went with him and having cut two pieces of wood and smoothed them with the ax he put the one beside the other and in measuring he found it too short and when he saw this he was grieved and sought to find another piece and seeing this Jesus says to him put these two pieces together so as to make both ends even and Joseph in doubt as to what the boy should mean did as he was told and he says to him again take a firm hold of the short piece and Joseph in astonishment took hold of it and Jesus also taking hold of the other end drew it towards himself and made it equal to the other piece of wood and he says to Joseph grieve no more but do thy work without hindrance and seeing this he wondered greatly and says to himself blessed am I because God has given me such a boy and back to the city Joseph gave an account of the matter to Mary and when she heard and saw the strange miracles of her son she rejoiced and glorified him with the Father and the Holy Spirit now and ever and forevermore amen End of Section 6 Section 7 of Anti-Nicene Christian Library Translations of the Writings of the Fathers Down to AD 325 This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Anti-Nicene Christian Library Translations of the Writings of the Fathers Down to AD 325 by Alexander Roberts Editor The Gospel of Thomas Latin Form Here begin the treatise of the boyhood of Jesus according to Thomas Chapter 1 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 Jesus was two years old when he went into Egypt for a field of corn stretched forth his hand and took up the ears and put them over the fire and rubbed them and began to eat When they had come into Egypt they received hospitality in the house of a certain widow and they remained in that 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 he said again to the fish throw out thy salt which thou hast to walk into the water and it so came to pass and the neighbors 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 the house with great haste Chapter 2 How a schoolmaster thrust him out of the city and as Jesus was walking with Mary his mother through the middle of the city marketplace he looked and saw a schoolmaster teaching his scholars and behold 12 sparrows that were quarreling 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 Mary 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 this 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 carried 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 Chapter 3 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 saw 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 and he gave thanks to God because he had given him understanding because he had found favor in the presence of the Lord God Amen Chapter 4 What the Lord Jesus did in the city of Nazareth It is glorious that Thomas the Israelite an 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 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 he became so again he took of the clay which was of that fish pond made of it to the number of 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 is 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 an ignorant sodomite what harm have my works the fountain 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 Chapter 5 How the citizens were enraged by 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 fell to the ground and died those who saw these wonderful things cried out saying once is that boy and they said to Joseph it is not right for such a boy to be among us but they sat 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 but 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 perceived from his mouth are accomplished and Joseph seeing what Jesus had 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 dist know thou must not make me angry and although just now I am with thee I was made before thee Chapter 6 How Jesus was treated by the schoolmaster therefore a certain man named Zaccheus listened to all that Jesus was saying to Joseph and in great astonishment said to himself such a boy speaking in this way I've never seen and he went up to Joseph and said this 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 honorably 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 Zaccheus indeed master whatever proceeds from my mouth is true and before all I was bored 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 will have and that thou will be carried into exile and my father had 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 set me to you and the sons which the child had spoken they wondered because they were not able to answer and communing with himself the child exalted and said I have told you a proverb and I know that you were 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 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 wishes to teach me and I know that you are to me like vessels from which there come forth only sounds and no wisdom in beginning the line he said the letters from A to T and very fast 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 thou tell me about the A then will I tell thee about the B and when that teacher began to tell about the first letter he was unable to give any answer and Jesus said to Zacchaeus listen to me master understand the first letter he was advancing in the middle standing still giving, scattering, varying, threatening triple intermingled with double at the same time homogenous having all common and Zacchaeus seemed that he so divided the first letter was stupefied about the first letter and about such a human being in such learning and he cried out and said what was me for I am quite stupefied I brought disgrace upon myself 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 contained fire and bridled the sea for he was born before the ages what womb brought him forth or what mother-nurse did I know not O 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 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 has seen my disgrace an infant has deceived me what answer can I give to others well what words can I say because he has got the better of me in the first letter dumb all my friends in acquaintances neither beginning nor end can I find an answer to him and now I beseech thee brother Joseph take him away from me leave 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 Zacchaeus and said to them let all not seeing see and not understanding understand let the deaf hear you are dead through me rise again and those who are exalted let me call to still hire things as he who has sent me to you hath commanded me and when Jesus ceased speaking all who had been affected by any infirmity through his words were made whole and they did not dare to speak to him chapter 7 how Jesus raised a boy to life one day when Jesus was climbing on a certain house with his children he began to play with them and one of the boys fell down through a back door and died immediately when the children saw this they all ran away but Jesus remained in the house 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 with a loud voice called out the name of the child see no rise and say whether it was I that made thee fall down and suddenly rose up and said no my lord and his parents seeing such a great miracle done by Jesus glorified God and adored Jesus chapter 8 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 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 chapter 9 how Jesus carried water in a cloak and when Jesus was 6 years old his mother sent him to draw water and when Jesus had come to the fountain to the well there were great crowds there and they broke his picture and he took the cloak which he had on and filled it with water and carried it to his mother Mary and his mother seen the miracles to which Jesus had done kissed him and said oh lord hear me and save my son chapter 10 how Jesus sewed wheat in the time of sowing Joseph went out to sow wheat and Jesus followed him when Joseph began to sow Joseph 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 years which he had scattered and made a hundred pecks 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 through the blessing of Jesus to his house in chapter 11 how Jesus made a short piece of wood of the same length as a longer one and Jesus reached the age of 8 years Joseph was a master builder and used to make plows and ox yolks 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 for the work was too short and Jesus said to him do not be annoyed hold of this piece of wood by one end and I by the other 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 do the work which thou wishes and Joseph seeing what he had done embraced him and said blessed am I because God had given me such a son chapter 12 how Jesus was handed over to learn his letters Joseph seeing that he had such favor 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 thus 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 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 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 Jesus was angry and cursed him and he suddenly fell down and died Jesus returned home and Joseph gave orders to marry his mother not to let him go out of the court of his house chapter 13 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 line there and took it and opened it it 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 greeted him to teach them more and a great crowd being gathered together they heard all the holy teachings which he taught and the choice words which came forth from the mouth of him who child as he was spake such things and Joseph hearing of this was afraid and running the master where Joseph was said to Joseph no brother that I have received thy child to teach him or train him but he is filled with much gravity 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 chapter 14 how Jesus delivered James from the bite of a serpent and Joseph sent James to gather strong 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 chapter 15 how Jesus raised a boy to life a few days after a child his neighbor died and his mother mourned for him soar and this one stood over the boy 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 he has 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 since God have blessed the fruit of thy womb seeing that he hath given thee such a glorious child in 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 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 forever and ever amen after 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 Israel has seen all from the first even to the last how great signs and wonders Jesus did among them who were exceedingly good and invisible to their Father as Holy Scripture relates and the prophets have born witness to his works and 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 honor forever who lives and reigns God through all ages amen End of section 7