Arabic Infancy Gospel
Encyclopedia
The Syriac Infancy Gospel is one of the texts found in the New Testament apocrypha
concerning the infancy of Jesus. It may have been compiled as early as the sixth century, and was based on the Infancy Gospel of Thomas
, and Protevangelium of James.
It contains a number of embellishments on the earlier text, however, including a diaper
(of Jesus) that heals people, sweat (of Jesus) that turns into balm, curing leprosy, and dyeing cloth varied colours using only indigo
dye. It also claims earlier encounters for Jesus with Judas Iscariot
, and with the thieves whom he is later crucified with, as well as being one of the earliest documents.
. The narrative of the Arabic Infancy Gospel, particularly the second part concerning the miracles in Egypt, can also be found in the Qur'an
. According to some critical scholarship, its presence in the Qu'ran may be due to the influence the Gospel had amongst the Arabs. It is not known for certain that the Gospel was present in the Hejaz
, but it can be seen as likely. However, Islamic Scholars claim that the Gospel was translated into Arabic in the post-Islamic period due the difficulty that 16th century Europe
ans would have in translating early Arabic's defective script
into Latin as well as the extreme rarity of written texts in Pre-Islamic Arabia
.http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Sources/BBbible.html.
is found in the Arabic Gospel Of The Infancy Of The Savior and Surah 19:29-34, where the story of Jesus speaking as a baby in the cradle in narrated.
The Arabic Gospel Of The Infancy Of The Savior:
v2
"He has said that Jesus spoke, and, indeed, when He was lying in His cradle said to Mary His mother: I am Jesus, the Son of God, the Logos, whom thou hast brought forth, as the Angel Gabriel announced to thee; and my Father has sent me for the salvation of the world."http://wesley.nnu.edu/biblical_studies/noncanon/gospels/infarab.htm.
Abdullah Yusuf Ali
The Holy Quran
Surah 19:29-34
"But she pointed to the babe. They said: "How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?" He said: "I am indeed a servant of Allah: He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet; And He hath made me blessed wheresoever I be, and hath enjoined on me Prayer and Charity as long as I live; (He) hath made me kind to my mother, and not overbearing or miserable; So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)"! Such (was) Jesus the son of Mary: (it is) a statement of truth, about which they (vainly) dispute.http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/crcc/engagement/resources/texts/muslim/quran/019.qmt.html
In both narratives Jesus is presented as a baby in the cradle giving a highly theological discourse in the presence of The Virgin Mary about his respective mission in both religions.
New Testament apocrypha
The New Testament apocrypha are a number of writings by early Christians that claim to be accounts of Jesus and his teachings, the nature of God, or the teachings of his apostles and of their lives. These writings often have links with books regarded as "canonical"...
concerning the infancy of Jesus. It may have been compiled as early as the sixth century, and was based on the Infancy Gospel of Thomas
Infancy Gospel of Thomas
The Infancy Gospel of Thomas is a pseudepigraphical gospel about the childhood of Jesus that dates to the 2nd and 3rd centuries. It was part of a popular genre of biblical work, written to satisfy a hunger among early Christians for more miraculous and anecdotal stories of the childhood of Jesus...
, and Protevangelium of James.
Contents
It consists of three parts:- The birth of Jesus - based on the Protevangelium of James
- Miracles during the Flight into EgyptFlight into EgyptThe flight into Egypt is a biblical event described in the Gospel of Matthew , in which Joseph fled to Egypt with his wife Mary and infant son Jesus after a visit by Magi because they learn that King Herod intends to kill the infants of that area...
- seemingly based on nothing more than local traditions - The miracles of Jesus as a boy - based on the Infancy Gospel of Thomas
It contains a number of embellishments on the earlier text, however, including a diaper
Diaper
A nappy or a diaper is a kind of pant that allows one to defecate or urinate on oneself discreetly. When diapers become soiled, they require changing; this process is often performed by a second person such as a parent or caregiver...
(of Jesus) that heals people, sweat (of Jesus) that turns into balm, curing leprosy, and dyeing cloth varied colours using only indigo
Indigo
Indigo is a color named after the purple dye derived from the plant Indigofera tinctoria and related species. The color is placed on the electromagnetic spectrum between about 420 and 450 nm in wavelength, placing it between blue and violet...
dye. It also claims earlier encounters for Jesus with Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus to the hands of the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver.-Etymology:...
, and with the thieves whom he is later crucified with, as well as being one of the earliest documents.
Dating and disbursement
The text was originally written in Syriac, possibly during the fifth-sixth centuryhttp://books.google.com/books?id=TXMcJPy1axAC&pg=PA100&dq=Arabic+Gospel+of+the+Infancy+Elliott&sig=J2qCmZX8U2VKEmZ2x02_QWPmiVc, but later became translated into an Arabic text, which has since been lost. Its earliest known mention was by Isho'dad of Merv, a ninth-century Syrian church father, in his biblical commentary concerning the Gospel of MatthewGospel of Matthew
The Gospel According to Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels, one of the three synoptic gospels, and the first book of the New Testament. It tells of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth...
. The narrative of the Arabic Infancy Gospel, particularly the second part concerning the miracles in Egypt, can also be found in the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
. According to some critical scholarship, its presence in the Qu'ran may be due to the influence the Gospel had amongst the Arabs. It is not known for certain that the Gospel was present in the Hejaz
Hejaz
al-Hejaz, also Hijaz is a region in the west of present-day Saudi Arabia. Defined primarily by its western border on the Red Sea, it extends from Haql on the Gulf of Aqaba to Jizan. Its main city is Jeddah, but it is probably better known for the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina...
, but it can be seen as likely. However, Islamic Scholars claim that the Gospel was translated into Arabic in the post-Islamic period due the difficulty that 16th century Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
ans would have in translating early Arabic's defective script
Defective script
A defective alphabet is an alphabet that does not represent all the phonemic distinctions of a language. It is different from an irregular script, such as the English alphabet, which can distinguish all the phonemes of the language even if in practice it does not always do so.For example, Italian...
into Latin as well as the extreme rarity of written texts in Pre-Islamic Arabia
Pre-Islamic Arabia
Pre-Islamic Arabia refers to the Arabic civilization which existed in the Arabian Plate before the rise of Islam in the 630s. The study of Pre-Islamic Arabia is important to Islamic studies as it provides the context for the development of Islam.-Studies:...
.http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Sources/BBbible.html.
Quranic Parallels With The Infancy Gospels
One parallel story between an Infancy Gospel and the Qur'anQur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
is found in the Arabic Gospel Of The Infancy Of The Savior and Surah 19:29-34, where the story of Jesus speaking as a baby in the cradle in narrated.
The Arabic Gospel Of The Infancy Of The Savior:
v2
"He has said that Jesus spoke, and, indeed, when He was lying in His cradle said to Mary His mother: I am Jesus, the Son of God, the Logos, whom thou hast brought forth, as the Angel Gabriel announced to thee; and my Father has sent me for the salvation of the world."http://wesley.nnu.edu/biblical_studies/noncanon/gospels/infarab.htm.
Abdullah Yusuf Ali
Abdullah Yusuf Ali
Hafiz Abdullah Yusuf Ali, CBE, FRSL was an Indian Islamic scholar who translated the Qur'an into English. His translation of the Qur'an is one of the most widely-known and used in the English-speaking world....
The Holy Quran
Surah 19:29-34
"But she pointed to the babe. They said: "How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?" He said: "I am indeed a servant of Allah: He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet; And He hath made me blessed wheresoever I be, and hath enjoined on me Prayer and Charity as long as I live; (He) hath made me kind to my mother, and not overbearing or miserable; So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)"! Such (was) Jesus the son of Mary: (it is) a statement of truth, about which they (vainly) dispute.http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/crcc/engagement/resources/texts/muslim/quran/019.qmt.html
In both narratives Jesus is presented as a baby in the cradle giving a highly theological discourse in the presence of The Virgin Mary about his respective mission in both religions.
See also
- General topics
- New Testament apocryphaNew Testament apocryphaThe New Testament apocrypha are a number of writings by early Christians that claim to be accounts of Jesus and his teachings, the nature of God, or the teachings of his apostles and of their lives. These writings often have links with books regarded as "canonical"...
- PseudepigraphyPseudepigraphyPseudepigrapha are falsely attributed works, texts whose claimed authorship is unfounded; a work, simply, "whose real author attributed it to a figure of the past." The word "pseudepigrapha" is the plural of "pseudepigraphon" ; the Anglicized forms...
- Textual criticismTextual criticismTextual criticism is a branch of literary criticism that is concerned with the identification and removal of transcription errors in the texts of manuscripts...
- AgraphaAgraphaAgrapha are sayings of Jesus that are not found in the canonical Gospels. The term was used for the first time by J.G...
- New Testament apocrypha
- Related literature
- List of Gospels
- Apocalyptic literatureApocalyptic literatureApocalyptic literature is a genre of prophetical writing that developed in post-Exilic Jewish culture and was popular among millennialist early Christians....
- Epistles
- Acts of the Apostles (genre)Acts of the Apostles (genre)The Acts of the Apostles is a genre of Early Christian literature, recounting the lives and works of the apostles of Jesus. The Acts are important for many reasons, one of them being the concept of apostolic succession...
External links
- Catholic Encyclopedia - The Arabic Gospel of the Infancy of the Saviour
- The Arabic Gospel of The Infancy of The Saviour - At Wesley center for applied theology.
- Is The Bible Really The Source Of The Qur'ân?
- The Bible Borrowing Theories Of The Qur'ân: An Authoritative Refutation
- The Apocryphal New Testament "The Arabic Infancy Gospel"