Researchers decipher document allegedly about Jesus’ childhood

Spread the love

Read Time:2 Minute, 19 Second

Despite the doubts that can sometimes arise, the existence of Jesus is proven by several historical sources. Recently, the oldest document detailing part of his life was discovered.

For a non-believer, it is difficult to believe in the former presence of Jesus (whom some are said to have encountered in near-death experiences), who is considered the Messiah and the only Son of God in the Christian religion. However, his existence has been confirmed in the course of archaeological research. Incidentally, his birth is so important that it determines our calendar (the famous time before or after Christ). Eric Meyers, archaeologist and professor emeritus at Duke University, said: “I know of no major researcher who doubts the historical person of Jesus.” Although many details of Jesus’ life remain unclear, the oldest document that tells part of it has just been discovered.

What does this document tell us about the life of Jesus?
It is not just any part of the New Testament (written in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD), but a piece of papyrus. It was discovered several decades ago and kept in the library of the University of Hamburg in Germany. Without the intervention of Lajos Berkes and Gabriel Nocchi Macedo, who specialize in Christianity and ancient cultures, it would still be there, as mentioned in a press release from HU Berlin.

It is 1,600 years old and tells an unknown part of Jesus’ life: his childhood. It is the oldest copy of Thomas’s childhood gospel. Incidentally, this part is not included in the Bible. Once the researchers had started analyzing it, they could quickly decipher the name “Jesus” on the cut papyrus. In Greek, a somewhat clumsy script speaks of a miracle that Jesus performed. “For a long time, it was assumed that it was an everyday document like a private letter or a shopping list because the writing was so uncertain,” said researcher Lajos Berkes.

The miracle referred to here is that Jesus supposedly brought clay bird statuettes to life. “First we noticed the word Jesus in the text. Then we compared it with other digitized papyri, deciphered the document letter by letter and realized that it couldn’t be something harmless,” he explained. Experts believe that the document was written as part of a writing workshop in a school or monastery, which would explain the clumsy handwriting.

Whether believers, historians or archaeologists, the life of Jesus is fascinating. It must be said that his existence is associated with “miracles”. Although they are easily accepted in Christian circles, they have no rational scientific explanation. Among Jesus’ many “miracles” are turning water into wine, walking on water, healing people from leprosy or being paralyzed in the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem.