Scholars have deciphered an ancient papyrus fragment that they believe contains the earliest account of Jesus' childhood. The fragment, which sat unceremoniously at the Hamburg Carl von Ossietzky State and University Library for decades, is believed to be a fragment from the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, an ancient apocryphal account that claims to tell the story of Jesus' childhood from ages 5 to 12. 'We deciphered it letter by letter and quickly realized that it could not be an everyday document.' Scholars believe the Infancy Gospel of Thomas was written in the 2nd century, while the newly discovered Greek fragment is believed to be from the 4th or 5th century. Dr. Lajos Berkes from the Institute for Christianity and Antiquity at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and professor Gabriel Nocchi Macedo from the University of Liège made the discovery. "The fragment is of extraordinary interest for research," Berkes said. "On the one hand, because we were able to date it to the 4th to 5th century, making it the earliest known copy. On the other hand, because we were able to gain new insights into the transmission of the text." The earliest previous known manuscript copy of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas is dated to the 11th century. "Our findings on this late antique Greek copy of the work confirm the current assessment that the Infancy Gospel according to Thomas was originally written in Greek," Macedo said. Image source: Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Hamburg/Public Domain Mark 1.0 According to Berkes, the reason the manuscript fragment went unnoticed is because researchers originally thought it was an "everyday document." "It was thought to be part of an everyday document, such as a private letter or a shopping list, because the handwriting seems so clumsy," Berkes explained. "We first noticed the word Jesus in the text. Then, by comparing it with numerous other digitized papyri, we deciphered it letter by letter and quickly realized that it could not be an everyday document." More from the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin press release: The two researchers assume that the copy of the Gospel was created as a writing exercise in a school or monastery, as indicated by the clumsy handwriting with irregular lines, among other things. The few words on the fragment show that the text describes the beginning of the "vivification of the sparrows," an episode from Jesus' childhood that is considered the “second miracle” in the apocryphal Gospel of Thomas: Jesus plays at the ford of a rushing stream and moulds twelve sparrows from the soft clay he finds in the mud. When his father Joseph rebukes him and asks why he is doing such things on the holy Sabbath, the five-year-old Jesus claps his hands and brings the clay figures to life. The Infancy Gospel of Thomas was a popular text in the early and Medieval Christian church. However, early church leaders considered the composition to be fictional and heretical. The text is distinct from the well-known Gospel of Thomas.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

We’ve gotten so sensitive as a society that common sense is apparently offensive now. Rebel Wilson is living proof of this phenomenon. The Fat Amy actress has recently come under intense fire for simply stating the obvious about the profession of acting. During an interview with BBC’s Radio 4 show “Desert Island Discs,” Wilson called the idea that “only straight actors can play straight roles and gay actors can play gay roles” “total nonsense.” “I think you should be able to play any role that you want,” she argued. Her statement makes sense considering acting literally means to pretend to be someone you’re not. However, “People are all pissed off about that,” says Pat Gray, adding that “it’s called acting for a reason.” What’s strange is that gay actors play heterosexual characters all the time. “I've just seen Neil Patrick Harris playing heterosexual parts in two separate movies,” says Pat. “A gay actor playing a heterosexual person, that's fine, but you know as usual the left has to have it both ways on every issue, so it's not okay for a straight person to play a gay role.” What’s even stranger is that Rebel Wilson is part of the LGBTQ+ community. She’s a lesbian who’s currently engaged to her partner, but apparently that doesn’t make her immune to the woke mob’s constant bellyaching about the latest micro aggression. To hear more of the scandal, which has since escalated after actor and comedian Rob Schneider jumped to Wilson’s defense, watch the clip below. Want more from Pat Gray?To enjoy more of Pat's biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

An American artist best known for painting the official White House portrait for former President Barack Obama has vehemently defended himself against accusations of sexual assault from several men, including two fellow artists and a BLM cofounder.In the past few weeks, Joseph Awuah-Darko, a Ghanan-British artist and curator, and Derrick "Dwreck" Ingram, a BLM cofounder, have both accused Kehinde Wiley of assaulting them sometime in 2021. British artist and filmmaker Nathaniel Lloyd Richards likewise accused Wiley of touching him inappropriately on a date sometime in 2019, but when Richards came forward with the allegations is unclear.'I have a decorated past. I have carried so much shame. But I refuse to be a victim any longer.'Last month, Awuah-Darko took to Instagram to claim that Wiley assaulted him on two occasions in 2021. That June, Wiley and Awuah-Darko met for the first time, and during that first meeting, Wiley allegedly grabbed Awuah-Darko's buttocks and made a suggestive statement. Awuah-Darko claimed Wiley's behavior that evening was "unsolicited," "unwelcome," and "unprovoked."Awuah-Darko also referenced a second attack, which he described as "much more severe and violent" but gave no further details about it. He claimed these assaults brought him "shame" and that he spent months processing and coming to terms with them."Whatever I may have lost from speaking my truth today was never mine to begin with," his post continued. "All I can do is pray for the strength, resources and support to see justice through and hope that others come forward to put an end to this pattern of abuse."Indeed, someone else did come forward. About three weeks later, Ingram followed suit, taking to Instagram to level accusations against Wiley.Ingram claimed that he and Wiley were in a romantic relationship between late July and October 2021. During that time, Ingram said, Wiley had subjected him to significant physical and mental abuse by punching him, slapping him, and otherwise engaging in "emotional manipulation."Wiley also regularly pressured Ingram to use illegal drugs, Ingram said, including "cocaine, meth and weed." Ingram claimed he always refused these offers. Then on September 10, 2021, Wiley "raped ... and sexually assaulted" Ingram at Wiley's Soho apartment in New York City, Ingram claimed. Ingram described the attack as "unprotected." He also said Wiley asked him to sign an NDA about it but that he had declined."I am not the ideal representative for survivors," Ingram wrote in an attending message. "I have a decorated past. I have carried so much shame. But I refuse to be a victim any longer. This part of my story isn’t pretty or glamorous. The veil will be raised for everyone to see the ugliness that permeates these elite spaces."'We live in a world where a single false social media post can destroy someone's life. ... This is dangerous and wrong.'Just 24 hours later, Wiley responded in kind, taking to Instagram to defend himself against what he called "baseless and defamatory" accusations and to share screenshots he claims are exculpatory. While he admitted to having sexual encounters with Awuah-Darko and Ingram, he claimed that such encounters were "consensual" and that Awuah-Darko and Ingram "wanted far more than [he] was willing to give them."To demonstrate, he shared screenshots that seem to indicate that Awuah-Darko continued to pursue and flirt with Wiley for more than a year after the alleged "severe and violent" assault in June 2021. According to the screenshots, Awuah-Darko was even willing to fly from London to Nigeria just to attend Wiley's birthday party in February 2022."Since our first encounter in 2021, he has consistently sent me messages via phone and Instagram professing his love for me, my talent, and my work," Wiley wrote of Awuah-Darko.As for Ingram's accusations, Wiley suggested Ingram had exaggerated the extent of their relationship. He also included screenshots that appear to show Ingram texting Wiley in October 2021 — more than a month after the alleged rape in Wiley's Soho apartment — calling Wiley "handsome" and asking to see him again. "I miss your company," Ingram apparently wrote to Wiley on October 16, 2021.Wiley's attorney Jennifer Barrett also denied that Wiley ever asked Ingram to sign an NDA.Wiley insisted he doesn't know why these former lovers have come forward to hurl these accusations against him now, though he suggested they may feel jilted."Does that give them the right to commit character assassination? No it does not," he said."We live in a world where a single false social media post can destroy someone's life, where people are tried and convicted online without regard for the truth. This is dangerous and wrong."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

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