Forbidden Gospels and Epistles, Complete

CHAPTER XX.

4 Christ sent to school to Za­ccheus to learn his let­ters, and teach­es Za­ccheus. 13 Sent to an­oth­er school­mas­ter, 14 re­fus­es to tell his let­ters, and the school­mas­ter go­ing to whip him, his hand with­ers and he dies.

THERE was al­so at Jerusalem one named Za­ccheus, who was a school­mas­ter:

2 And he said to Joseph, Joseph, why dost thou not send Je­sus to me, that he may learn his let­ters?

3 Joseph agreed, and told St. Mary;

4 So they brought him to that mas­ter; who, as soon as he saw him, wrote out an al­pha­bet for him,

5 And he bade him say Aleph; and when he had said Aleph, the mas­ter bade him pro­nounce Beth.

6 Then the Lord Je­sus said to him, Tell me first the mean­ing of the let­ter Aleph, and then I will pro­nounce Beth.

7 And when the mas­ter threat­ened to whip him, the Lord Je­sus ex­plained to him the mean­ing of the let­ters Aleph and Beth;

8 Al­so which were the straight fig­ures of the let­ters, which the oblique, and what let­ters had dou­ble fig­ures; which had points, and which had none; why one let­ter went be­fore an­oth­er; and many oth­er things he be­gan to tell him, and ex­plain, of which the mas­ter him­self had nev­er heard, nor read in any book.

9 The Lord Je­sus far­ther said to the mas­ter, Take no­tice how I say to thee; then he be­gan clear­ly and dis­tinct­ly to say Aleph, Beth, Gimel, Daleth, and so on to the end of the al­pha­bet.

10 At this the mas­ter was so sur­prised, that he said, I be­lieve this boy was born be­fore Noah;

11 And turn­ing to Joseph, he said, Thou hast brought a boy to me to be taught, who is more learned than any mas­ter.

12 He said al­so to St. Mary, This your son has no need of any learn­ing.

13 They brought him then to a more learned mas­ter, who, when he saw him, said, say Aleph;

14 And when he had sand Aleph, the mas­ter bade him pro­nounce Beth; to which the Lord Je­sus replied, Tell me first the mean­ing of the let­ter Aleph, and then I will pro­nounce Beth.

15 But this mas­ter, when he did lift up his hand to whip him, had his hand present­ly with­ered, and he died.

16 Then said Joseph to St. Mary, Hence­forth we will not al­low him to go out of the house; for ev­ery one who dis­pleas­es him is killed.