What we know about the unaccounted years of Jesus

The life story of Jesus Christ can, quite obviously, be found in the Bible. Indeed, we have quite a lot of information about his birth and then of his life as an adult. But, it turns out, there is a huge gap in Jesus' life that remains a mystery to this day. As a result, a number of theories arose over the years to explain Jesus Christ's "lost years."

What did Jesus do, and where did he go? Did he settle down as a family man, or did he go traveling? These and many other possibilities are addressed in this gallery. Click on to find out where Christ spent 18 years of his life (at least, according to these theories).

The lost years of Jesus

Much of Jesus’ life is described in the Bible, except for an 18-year period between the ages of 12 and 30. These are known as the lost/unknown/missing years of Jesus.

The life of Jesus as a newborn is well documented in the Bible, and so are the years of his ministry. But there is a huge gap that was not documented and has led to a number of theories. Let’s take a look at some of them now.

Jesus stayed in Nazareth and worked as a carpenter

One theory keeps it simple: Jesus lived in Nazareth, where he learned carpentry from his father, Joseph. Then, as an adult, Jesus became a carpenter himself. Sons usually followed their father's profession, so it’s a plausible theory.

The Gospels also seem to back this idea up. Mark 6:3 reads: “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon?” Still, some theologists disagree, including early Christian writer Origen, who said that "Jesus himself is not described as a carpenter anywhere in the Gospels accepted by the churches."

Jesus got married and had children

In the book 'The Lost Gospel,' authors Barrie Wilson and Simcha Jacobovici claim that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and had children during the lost years.

The authors base this idea on a 1,500-year-old Aramaic book discovered in the British Library.

There are other sources hinting that Jesus might have been married, most notably a 4th-century Egyptian papyrus (pictured) containing a quote from Jesus referring to his wife. The papyrus, written in the archaic Coptic language, contains the phrase “Jesus said to them, 'My wife…'.”

Jesus spent years studying and arguing with scholars

The Bible only mentions Jesus once between his birth and his thirties, which is in the story of Jesus at the Temple. Luke 2:41-52 says that Mary and Joseph unintentionally left Jesus behind in Jerusalem when he was 12 years old. When they returned to the city, they found Jesus in the Temple, engaged in discussions with the scholars.

It's safe to say that Jesus spent a lot of time learning. Even at the age of 12, he told his parents not to be surprised that he had been arguing with scholars for days. This suggests that Jesus likely spent many years studying before he began gathering followers.

Jesus became a monk and lived by the Dead Sea

The Dead Sea scrolls were found in the dry desert southeast of Jerusalem in 1947. It’s possible that the scrolls hint about Jesus' whereabouts during his lost years.

If John the Baptist was taught by the Essene sect, it's possible that Jesus might have also been associated with them. Additionally, one of the scrolls actually describes a person who could well be Jesus. This individual is referred to as the "Son of God" and the "Son of the Most High."

Jesus traveled to India

It’s been theorized that Jesus could have traveled to India to return the visit from the Three Wise Men from the East. This could also explain why Jesus instructed Saint Thomas to go to India and spread the Gospel there.

Jesus was a shepherd

Maybe Jesus spent his lost years as a real shepherd before becoming a metaphorical one. In John 10:11, Jesus says: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Could he have had some real-world experience with this?

Hypothetically, Jesus could have quit his father's carpentry profession and spent years as a shepherd instead. The job would have given Jesus plenty of time for deep thinking, that’s for sure!

Jesus traveled to Tibet, Nepal, and India, and lived in a monastery

A mysterious manuscript from the 3rd century, called ‘Life of Saint Issa, Best of the Sons of Men,’ says that Jesus learned from yogis in India, Nepal, and Tibet.

While it has been dismissed as a hoax by many, there have been a few visitors to the Hemis monastery who claim to have encountered the same manuscript.

Jesus traveled to Britain

The theory gained popularity in the 19th century with a poem by William Blake, which went: “And did those feet in ancient time / Walk upon England's mountains green / And was the Holy Lamb of God / On England's pleasant pastures seen?”

Jesus traveled to the Americas

Legend has it that this "White Prophet" was able to speak many languages, heal the sick, and bring the dead back to life. Sounds a whole lot like Jesus, right?

Jesus lived (and died) in Japan

According to this theory, Jesus traveled to Japan when he was 21 to study theology. Jesus settled in the town of Shingo and stayed in the country for 12 years.