This is one of several "gospels of the infancy" found among the New Testament Apocrypha. This text describes the birth of Jesus. It was written around the fifth century AD. It includes the visits of the shepherds and the magi, the flight to Egypt, and the miracles Jesus performed as a boy. It describes details about his early life, which are not in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. In this gospel, Mary often takes an active role in the miracles, which differs from the miracle stories in the four Gospels of the New Testament.
This writing may have first been written in the Syriac language and later translated into Arabic. Some of its stories also appear in the Qur’an and in other Islamic writings. Comparing this gospel with the four Gospels in the New Testament shows how different it is from them. It also shows how this and similar writings helped increase the honor and veneration (deep respect and devotion) given to Mary, the mother of Jesus.
See also Apocrypha.