Page:Apocryphal Gospels and Other Documents Relating to the History of Christ.djvu/271

CHAPTER III.

How Jesus departed out of Egypt.

And behold an angel of the Lord met Mary and said to her, Take the Child and return into the land of the Jews, for they are dead who sought his life. And Mary arose with Jesus, and they went to the city of Nazareth, which is in the proper possessions of her father. Now when Joseph went out of Egypt after the death of Herod, he took him into the desert until there should be peace in Jersusalem from those who sought the Child's life; and he thanked God that he gave him understanding, and that he found favour before the Lord God.^[1] Amen.

CHAPTER IV.

What the Lord Jesus did in the city of Nazareth.

It is glorious that Thomas the Israelite and apostle of the Lord should also tell of the works of Jesus after he came out of Egypt into Nazareth. Understand, all of you, dearest brethren, what the Lord Jesus did when he was in the city of Nazareth, which is in the first chapter.^[2]

1. The three preceding chapters clearly form no part of the Gospel of Thomas, although prefixed to it. Where they come from I know not.
2. This paragraph is clearly a very slight modification of what the ancient editor found as the introduction to the book. See the copies from the Greek.