Newly deciphered manuscript is oldest written record of Jesus’ childhood: ‘Extraordinary’

NY Post ^ | June 11, 2024 | Andrew Court

[Twotone]

A newly deciphered manuscript dating back more than 1,600 years has been identified as the earliest known account of Jesus Christ’s childhood.

The manuscript, written on papyrus in either the 4th or 5th century, had been stored at a library in Hamburg, Germany, for decades and was long believed to be an insignificant document.

However, two experts have now decoded the text and say it is the earliest surviving copy of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas.

“The papyrus fragment is of extraordinary interest for research,” Lajos Berkes, a theology lecturer and one of the two men who deciphered the document, declared in a press release.

“It was thought to be part of an everyday document, such as a private letter or a shopping list, because the handwriting seems so clumsy,” the expert explained. “We first noticed the word Jesus in the text. Then, by comparing it with numerous other digitized papyri, we deciphered it letter by letter and quickly realized that it could not be an everyday document.”

The piece of papyrus contains a total of 13 lines in Greek letters and originates from late antique Egypt, which was a Christian society at that time.

The manuscript describes the beginning of the “vivification of the sparrows” — a story from Jesus’ childhood in which he turns 12 clay sparrows into live birds.

According to the text, Jesus was playing beside a rushing stream where he molded the sparrows from soft clay. When rebuked by his father, Joseph, the 5-year-old Jesus clapped his hands and brought the clay figures to life.

[Redcitizen]

Yeah but is it the King James Version?

[ealgeone]

I always find it interesting that the same protestants who could care less about what Catholics believe, accept the New Testament as it was assembled by Catholics at the Council of Nicaea as divine and perfect.

Except it didn't. The canon of Scripture was not discussed at the First Council of Nicaea.

And if one does a little homework one will find the NT canon was largely in place before the 2nd century.

The OT canon had already been defined by Christ and it did not include the Apocrypha.

[fidelis]

And Mark twain wrote “The Mysterious Stranger” who performed the same miracle. I wonder if this is where they actually go the idea?

Yes, come to think of it, the stories are very similar, except that in Twain's story it was an "angel."

[rexthecat]

So, a book supposedly written 400 years after Christ died is accurate? Uh...No.

[Twotone]

Personally, I find it interesting that they have all these bits & pieces & haven’t bothered to decipher them yet. You’d think there would be lots of Grad students or PhD candidates who would be doing this kind of work.

[Olog-hai]

That’s correct. The clay birds story is in Surahs 3:49 and 5:110.