Arabic Infancy Gospel

The Arabic Infancy Gospel is a New Testament apocryphal writing concerning the infancy of Jesus. It may have been compiled as early as the sixth century, and was partly based on the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of James, and the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew, though much of it is also based on oral tradition. The only two surviving manuscripts date from 1299 AD and the 15th/16th century in Arabic. They were copied in the area of northern Iraq and show influence from the Quran.

The Arabic Infancy Gospel is related to an older East Syriac work titled the History of the Virgin, as it is either an Arabic translation of it or both of them are derived from a common source that might be identified as a Syriac language Infancy Gospel dating to the sixth century or earlier. Both versions feature scenes of the baby Jesus working miracles in common settings. In both texts, Mary helps to bring about the circumstances from which these miracles take place in.