The gospel accounts of the birth and childhood of Jesus have puzzling discrepancies and contradictions which biblical scholars have tended to ignore. In particular, Matthew and Luke give quite different versions of the genealogy and nativity of Jesus, as well as the events which follow. These have been often excused by the assumption that the gospel writers were not writing “history.”

But a long obscured tradition held that there were two families and two “Jesus boys” – one from the kingly line of Solomon, the other from the priestly line of Nathan – whose destinies were to join and be fulfilled through the divine plan. This forgotten tradition is reflected in early apocryphal texts, as well as in many later works of art in which both children clearly occur.

Bock shows how the pattern and structure of the four gospels support the stories of the descent, birth and childhood of the two boys called Jesus, living side by side in Nazareth until the age of twelve, right up to the dramatic day of their visit to the Temple in Jerusalem.

He also recreates the enigmatic years between this time and Jesus’ baptism in the river Jordan at the start of his ministry, years which saw a strong Essene influence on his spiritual development.

This volume also includes two of the apocryphal gospels – the Pseudo-Matthew and the Arabic gospel – which illustrate the twofold character of the Jesus boys.

See also Rudolf Steiner’s accounts of the 2 Jesus boys, especially in According to Luke and The Fifth Gospel.