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

Experts have decoded a manuscript written on papyrus and discovered it is the earliest surviving copy of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, which recorded the early years of Jesus

Andrew Court

2 min read

June 12, 2024 - 6:30PM

Kids News

An image of Jesus Christ made from tiles. Picture: iStock

READING LEVEL: GREEN

A newly decoded* manuscript* dating back more than 1600 years has been identified as the earliest known document 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 unimportant.

However, two experts have now translated the text and say it is the earliest surviving copy of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, which describes Jesus’ early years.

“The papyrus fragment* is of extraordinary interest for research,” Lajos Berkes, a theology lecturer and one of the two men who decoded the document, said.

The papyrus manuscript. Picture: Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Hamburg / PD

“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 digitised papyri*, we deciphered* it letter by letter and quickly realised that it could not be an everyday document.”

The manuscript has 13 lines in Greek letters and originates from late antique* Egypt, which was a Christian* society at that time.

The manuscript describes the early years of Jesus’ life after his birth in a manger, portrayed here in a stained-glass window in a church in Stockholm.

It describes the beginning of the “vivification* of the sparrows” — a story in which a young Jesus turns 12 clay sparrows into live birds.

That story, described as Jesus’ second miracle, is a well-known part of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas. The text was not officially included in the Bible as some early Christian writers were doubtful of its accuracy.

Gabriel Nocchi Macedo, who helped decode the document, said he believed it was a writing exercise completed at either a school or a monastery*.

GLOSSARY

decoded: changed into a language that can be understood
manuscript: paper of record
papyrus: a plant whose leaves resemble paper
papyri: more than one papyrus plant
deciphered: changed into a language that can be understood
antique: very old
Christian: a person who believes in the religion Christianity
vivification: to make more lively
monastery: a building occupied by monks

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QUICK QUIZ
1. Where was the manuscript stored?
2. What was it originally thought to be and why?
3. What is it written on?
4. What story does it tell?
5. Thirteen lines from which language are on the document?

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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. What Can We Learn?
List all of the things that we could learn about life in antique Egypt from this papyrus fragment.

Time: allow at least 20 minutes to complete this activity.
Curriculum Links: English, History.

2. Extension
Why do you think Gabriel believes that the papyrus was a writing exercise? Write down reasons why and list evidence that could be found that could prove this.

Time: allow at least 15 minutes to complete this activity.
Curriculum Links: English, Critical and Creative Thinking, History.

VCOP ACTIVITY
1. News: condensed
Identify the most important pieces of information in this article and write a condensed version of it using 50 words or less.
Draw a picture or diagram to support your condensed news story.

Time: allow 25 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science