Wesley Huff

And so he is going around Arabia in the Arabian Peninsula. He's going up in the countries like what are today modern-day Jordan. What is this, Rob?

And so he is going around Arabia in the Arabian Peninsula. He's going up in the countries like what are today modern-day Jordan. What is this, Rob?

No, this was just Google.

No, this was just Google.

Yeah. Yeah, so if we go by that traditional narrative, he's a caravaner, he's going around, he's being exposed to Christians and Jews because they're all over the place in Syria and in Jordan and in Iraq. Like these were Christian countries a lot of the time.

Yeah. Yeah, so if we go by that traditional narrative, he's a caravaner, he's going around, he's being exposed to Christians and Jews because they're all over the place in Syria and in Jordan and in Iraq. Like these were Christian countries a lot of the time.

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