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The Infancy Gospels of Jesus: Apocryphal Tales from the Childhoods of Mary & Jesus Annotated & Explained
The three principal infancy gospelsThe Infancy Gospel of James, the Book of Joseph the High Priest, and the Infancy Gospel of Thomasare accounts of the birth and early life of Mary and of the birth and early life of Jesus. These apocryphal stories are fictions but nevertheless of great historical interest in terms of the beliefs and storytelling of early Christians, as they are the sources of well-known Christian legends as well as some of Christianity's beloved heroes and heroines.
Now you can experience the mystery and amusement of these charming folktales without any previous knowledge of early Christian history or thought. This SkyLight Illuminations edition offers insightful yet unobtrusive commentary that explains references and philosophical terms, shares inspiring interpretations of famous spiritual teachers, and gives you a deeper understanding of the sources of devotion Christians feel for the holy infant Jesus. Sharing these folktales told by the ordinary people of early Christianity provides access to the great insight these writings offer into the Christian people's religion of ancient times rather than to the religion of the literate elites.
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 22, 2021
I stumbled on the infancy gospels of Jesus 45 years ago, rummaging through a friend’s peculiar books. The memory of the extraordinary behavior of Jesus in the Infancy Gospel of Thomas had stuck with me all this time, and it served to illumine my reading of JM Coetzee’s recent trio of fable-like novels about a young child he calls David, but which novel’s titles suggest he might be a stand-in for Jesus.
It was, in fact, Coetzee’s novels that were the impetus to read this collection of apocryphal gospels about Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. The translator/annotator Stevan L. Davies translates the original Greek into simple contemporary English, and he accompanies the text on facing pages with explanatory notes that are themselves straightforward and informative without either being ponderous or intrusive. There are three infancy gospels: the Protoevangelion of James (aka the Gospel of James, circa 150 AD), the Gospel of the Infancy (circa 370 AD), and the Infancy Gospel of Thomas (circa 150 AD).
In each of these apocryphal gospels, the unknown authors/compilers were careful to include allusions to events in the Old Testament, re-shaping details to accord with or mimic historic events. These concordances served to insinuate that events in these gospels were fore-ordained. While not accorded a place in the canon, the Gospel of James has been influential from its outset in laying the groundwork for the sanctification of Mary and her elevation alongside the Trinity within the Catholic faith.
The two Gospels dealing specifically with Jesus’s childhood had little influence on Church practice or belief, though their existence suggests they filled a need for the burgeoning Christian faithful to more fully understand who their savior had been. The Gospel of the Infancy relates Jesus’s birth and the young family’s sojourn in Egypt (a precondition of the Messiah’s appearance, as represented in the Old Testament). The Gospel of Thomas relates Jesus’s early miracles, and it is the most startling of the three, because it shows Jesus to have been a wild child, precocious, willful, and thoughtlessly cruel.
As Stevan Davies notes about the surprising incidents in the Gospel of Thomas, this narrative strove to depict what it would have been like to raise up a God who was half mortal and had yet to develop any compassion. In the earliest story from this gospel, Jesus is angry when he is accidentally pushed by another child, and so he commands him to die. Other such events occur and the villagers are afraid and angry. Jesus is haughty and impudent with his first teacher, and he shames him. As Jesus ages and gains control of his powers and emotions, he performs more positive miracles (restoring many to life whom he’d early injured) and by the end of the gospel he’s revered and respected as a great healer and teacher.
I was disappointed that the text of these gospels had not been rendered in the King James argot. It might be this absence—of the sonorous diction that Tyndall and his successors brought to the King James Bible—that makes these gospels appear cruder and more naive in their simplicity than other of the canonized gospels. These gospels were most satisfying for shedding light on Mary’s beatification and for the keen psychological insight displayed in the Gospel of Thomas, where its unknown author shows discernment in speculating on what happens when the rod is spared (and the child is divine).
It was, in fact, Coetzee’s novels that were the impetus to read this collection of apocryphal gospels about Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. The translator/annotator Stevan L. Davies translates the original Greek into simple contemporary English, and he accompanies the text on facing pages with explanatory notes that are themselves straightforward and informative without either being ponderous or intrusive. There are three infancy gospels: the Protoevangelion of James (aka the Gospel of James, circa 150 AD), the Gospel of the Infancy (circa 370 AD), and the Infancy Gospel of Thomas (circa 150 AD).
In each of these apocryphal gospels, the unknown authors/compilers were careful to include allusions to events in the Old Testament, re-shaping details to accord with or mimic historic events. These concordances served to insinuate that events in these gospels were fore-ordained. While not accorded a place in the canon, the Gospel of James has been influential from its outset in laying the groundwork for the sanctification of Mary and her elevation alongside the Trinity within the Catholic faith.
The two Gospels dealing specifically with Jesus’s childhood had little influence on Church practice or belief, though their existence suggests they filled a need for the burgeoning Christian faithful to more fully understand who their savior had been. The Gospel of the Infancy relates Jesus’s birth and the young family’s sojourn in Egypt (a precondition of the Messiah’s appearance, as represented in the Old Testament). The Gospel of Thomas relates Jesus’s early miracles, and it is the most startling of the three, because it shows Jesus to have been a wild child, precocious, willful, and thoughtlessly cruel.
As Stevan Davies notes about the surprising incidents in the Gospel of Thomas, this narrative strove to depict what it would have been like to raise up a God who was half mortal and had yet to develop any compassion. In the earliest story from this gospel, Jesus is angry when he is accidentally pushed by another child, and so he commands him to die. Other such events occur and the villagers are afraid and angry. Jesus is haughty and impudent with his first teacher, and he shames him. As Jesus ages and gains control of his powers and emotions, he performs more positive miracles (restoring many to life whom he’d early injured) and by the end of the gospel he’s revered and respected as a great healer and teacher.
I was disappointed that the text of these gospels had not been rendered in the King James argot. It might be this absence—of the sonorous diction that Tyndall and his successors brought to the King James Bible—that makes these gospels appear cruder and more naive in their simplicity than other of the canonized gospels. These gospels were most satisfying for shedding light on Mary’s beatification and for the keen psychological insight displayed in the Gospel of Thomas, where its unknown author shows discernment in speculating on what happens when the rod is spared (and the child is divine).
February 11, 2026
The Infancy Gospels of Jesus is really interesting. Now, whether it’s literally true or not, that’s hard to say—but even much of the Bible wasn’t written down immediately, so these stories carry that same generational echo.
What I loved about this book is seeing Jesus as a child—learning to understand and manage the extraordinary powers he had, figuring out how to use them for good. It gives a fresh perspective on his upbringing and makes you think about how he grew into the man we read about in the Gospels.
Honestly, this is a must-read for anyone interested in studying the life of Jesus. Any Christian—or anyone curious about his early years—will find it worthwhile. It definitely gives more insight and adds depth to the story of Christ.
What I loved about this book is seeing Jesus as a child—learning to understand and manage the extraordinary powers he had, figuring out how to use them for good. It gives a fresh perspective on his upbringing and makes you think about how he grew into the man we read about in the Gospels.
Honestly, this is a must-read for anyone interested in studying the life of Jesus. Any Christian—or anyone curious about his early years—will find it worthwhile. It definitely gives more insight and adds depth to the story of Christ.
March 20, 2018
I found this book fascinating. I especially enjoyed the way it was formatted with the story on the right hand page and an explanation on the left. I will look for more Apocryphal books written in this format.
December 16, 2024
I did not read most of the notes, only the core text. Fun, but non-transformative. Perhaps my expectations were too high.
January 19, 2026
Insightful gospel that was excluded in the Council of Nicea but whose stories have persisted - absolutely worth reading for any Muslim solidified my faith in Islam tremendously
March 4, 2026
An interesting and bizarre collection of stories, some of which model the canonical gospels, and others that are quite distinct.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews