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Infancy Gospel of Thomas

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Chapter 12

About this work

Author: Unknown

Chapter XII.—How Jesus Was Handed Over to Learn His Letters.

And Joseph, seeing that He had such favour, and that

‹ Chapter 11 Chapter 13 ›

He

was

increasing

in

stature

,

thought

it

right

to

take

Him

to

learn

His

letters

.

And

he

handed

Him

over

to

another

teacher

to

be

taught

.

And

that

teacher

said

to

Joseph

:

What

letters

dost

thou

wish

me

to

teach

that

boy

?

Joseph

answered

and

said

:

First

teach

him

the

Gentile

letters

,

and

then

the

Hebrew

.

For

the

teacher

knew

that

He

was

very

intelligent

,

and

willingly

took

Him

in

hand

.

And

writing

for

Him

the

first

line

,

which

is

A

and

B

,

he

taught

Him

for

some

hours

.

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 Mary His mother, not to let Him go out of the court of his house.

Notes

1
This is his translation of ἐπὶ πολλην ωραν.
2
Here again he makes a mistranslation—δύναμις, fortitudo.