Wesley Huff

And he's hearing these stories about who the Christians and the Jews believe are their prophets and individuals within that are part of the religion. But he's not able to discern between the difference between an actual historical source like, say, the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and, say, apocryphal Christian tales that are floating around the Arabian Peninsula.

And he's hearing these stories about who the Christians and the Jews believe are their prophets and individuals within that are part of the religion. But he's not able to discern between the difference between an actual historical source like, say, the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and, say, apocryphal Christian tales that are floating around the Arabian Peninsula.

And so because there is this inability to actually discern between those sources, some of those things get incorporated into the Qur'an. And we can trace this. A friend of mine, Andy Bannister, did his PhD dissertation, and then he published a book on this.

And so because there is this inability to actually discern between those sources, some of those things get incorporated into the Qur'an. And we can trace this. A friend of mine, Andy Bannister, did his PhD dissertation, and then he published a book on this.

It's called The Oral Formulaic Construction of the Quran, where we can actually tie certain stories in the Quran to apocryphal sources that were floating around in the subsequent centuries after Jesus. So there's a document called The Infancy Gospel of Thomas. Not to be confused with the Gospel of Thomas, which is very different.

It's called The Oral Formulaic Construction of the Quran, where we can actually tie certain stories in the Quran to apocryphal sources that were floating around in the subsequent centuries after Jesus. So there's a document called The Infancy Gospel of Thomas. Not to be confused with the Gospel of Thomas, which is very different.

But the Arab Infancy Gospel of Thomas has a story where Jesus, the childhood Jesus, is making clay birds beside a riverbank. And the Jewish officials get mad at him because he's doing this on the Sabbath. He's breaking the Sabbath. They go off to get his parents to get him into trouble. And Jesus breathes on the birds. They turn into real birds and they fly away. So this is an apocryphal story.

But the Arab Infancy Gospel of Thomas has a story where Jesus, the childhood Jesus, is making clay birds beside a riverbank. And the Jewish officials get mad at him because he's doing this on the Sabbath. He's breaking the Sabbath. They go off to get his parents to get him into trouble. And Jesus breathes on the birds. They turn into real birds and they fly away. So this is an apocryphal story.

It comes centuries after the actual historical Jesus. It has no historical ties to the historical Jesus, but it's a popular story that's being incorporated into this infancy narrative. In the Quran. So the Quran adopts it. So we can trace it to the infancy gospel of Thomas and then later Arab infancy gospel of Thomas.

It comes centuries after the actual historical Jesus. It has no historical ties to the historical Jesus, but it's a popular story that's being incorporated into this infancy narrative. In the Quran. So the Quran adopts it. So we can trace it to the infancy gospel of Thomas and then later Arab infancy gospel of Thomas.

The Quran borrows it and incorporates it, but we know that it's not an actual historical story of Jesus. So when I say that there were stories that like they're familiar.

The Quran borrows it and incorporates it, but we know that it's not an actual historical story of Jesus. So when I say that there were stories that like they're familiar.

That there are stories that are familiar and that you're seeing the name Jesus. You're seeing the name John the Baptist. You're seeing the name Mary. But when you're reading these stories about them in the Quran, they're not stories that... They're not echoing biblical stories as much as they're

That there are stories that are familiar and that you're seeing the name Jesus. You're seeing the name John the Baptist. You're seeing the name Mary. But when you're reading these stories about them in the Quran, they're not stories that... They're not echoing biblical stories as much as they're

talking about these characters in very different ways that if you don't know about, say, where these sources are coming from, if you're not looking into the infancy narratives, then you're like, well, what is this? Like, this is confusing. Is this more information? Is this right information? And so...

talking about these characters in very different ways that if you don't know about, say, where these sources are coming from, if you're not looking into the infancy narratives, then you're like, well, what is this? Like, this is confusing. Is this more information? Is this right information? And so...

Now, later in life, in my formal education, digging into some of those things and figuring out, okay, well, here's how we trace those sources. Here's the paper trail. Here's how we can connect those dots between where potentially the author of the Quran was actually getting them from. That's when I did a lot of that legwork.

Now, later in life, in my formal education, digging into some of those things and figuring out, okay, well, here's how we trace those sources. Here's the paper trail. Here's how we can connect those dots between where potentially the author of the Quran was actually getting them from. That's when I did a lot of that legwork.

But originally, I was reading the Quran, and I found it unusual, but I also found it did not accurately reflect things that I was looking for to answer the ultimate questions. Questions of like meaning and purpose and morality.

But originally, I was reading the Quran, and I found it unusual, but I also found it did not accurately reflect things that I was looking for to answer the ultimate questions. Questions of like meaning and purpose and morality.