1
and heard Jesus thus speaking to his father; and he wondered exceedingly, that,
being a child, he should speak in such a way. And a few days thereafter he came
to Joseph, and said to him:
2
Thou hast a sensible child, and he has some mind. Give him to me, then, that he may learn letters; and I shall teach him along
with the letters all knowledge, both how to address all the elders, and to
honour them as forefathers and fathers, and how to love those of his own age.
3
And He said to him all the letters from the Alpha even to the Omega, clearly and
with great exactness. And He looked upon the teacher Zacchaeus, and said to him:
4
Thou who art ignorant of the nature of the Alpha, how canst thou teach others
the Beta? Thou hypocrite! first, if thou knowest. teach the A, and then we shall
believe thee about the B.
5
Then He began to question the teacher about the first
letter, and he was not able to answer Him. And in the hearing of many, the child
says to Zacchaeus:
6
Hear, O teacher, the order of the first letter, and notice
here how it has lines, and a middle stroke crossing those which thou seest
common; (lines) brought together; the highest part supporting them, and again
bringing them under one head; with three points of intersection; of the
same kind; principal and subordinate; of equal length.
7
Thou hast the lines of
the A.