Page:The Apocryphal New Testament (1924).djvu/116

XXXV. There is a road from Jericho to Jordan, at the place where Israel crossed and the ark rested. Jesus, eight years old, went from Jericho to Jordan. On the way there was a vault (crypta), where was a lioness with whelps. He went in and sat there, and the whelps played about him: the older lions stood at a distance and adored him, wagging their-tails. The people who saw it said that he or his parents must have sinned or he would not have delivered himself to the lions. Then he came forth and the lions went before him, and the whelps played before his feet. His parents and the people looked on. Jesus said: How much better than you are the beasts which know me and are tame, while men know me not.

XXXVI. Then he went over Jordan, whose waters were divided, with the lions: and told them in the hearing of all to go back home and hurt no one. And so they did.

XXXVII–XXXIX are again from Thomas.

XXXVII. A bed of six cubits was ordered of Joseph, and he told his lad to cut a beam of the right length, but he made it too short. Joseph was troubled. Jesus pulled it out to the right length.

(The change is made in order to free Joseph from the charge of stupidity.)

XXXVIII. He went to school the second time. 'Say Alpha.' Jesus: Tell thou me first what Beta is, and I will tell thee what Alpha is. The master smote him and died.

Joseph said to Mary: Know verily that my soul is sorrowful even unto death because of this boy. It may chance that any one may smite him in malice and he may die. Mary said: O man of God, believe not that this can happen, but believe surely that he who sent him to be born among men will keep him from all malice and in his name preserve him from evil.

XXXIX. For the third time they took him to school at the request of others, though they knew that it was not possible for a man to teach him. He entered the school, took the book from the master's hand, and taught—not what was written in it—like a torrent of water flowing from a living fountain. All marvelled, and the master adored him. Joseph ran thither in fear. The master said: You have given me no scholar but a teacher! Who can ascertain his words? Then was fulfilled the word: 'The river of God is full of water. Thou hast prepared their food, for thus is the preparation thereof.'

XL is not in Thomas.

XL. They removed to Capernaum. A rich man named Joseph fell ill and died. Jesus heard the mourning and said to Joseph: Why dost thou not do him a service since he is of thy name? Joseph: What can I do? Jesus: Take the kerchief that is on thy head and go and put it on his face and say: Christ save thee. He did so and said: Jesus save thee. The dead man was raised and asked who Jesus was.