▁d ye ing ▁cloth ▁varied ▁colours ▁using ▁only ▁ind igo ▁d ye . ▁It ▁also ▁claims ▁earlier ▁enc oun ters ▁for ▁Jesus ▁with ▁Jud as ▁Is c ari ot , ▁and ▁with ▁the ▁th ieves ▁with ▁whom ▁he ▁is ▁later ▁cru c ified , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁being ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁earliest ▁documents . ▁ ▁D ating ▁Although ▁this ▁G ospel ▁is ▁thought ▁to ▁have ▁origin ated ▁from ▁Sy ri ac ▁sources ▁d ating ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁fifth ▁or ▁sixth ▁century , ▁it ▁has ▁become ▁known ▁to ▁European ▁readers ▁by ▁way ▁of ▁an ▁Arab ic ▁version ▁published ▁by ▁Henry ▁Si ke ▁in ▁ 1 6 9 7 ▁together ▁with ▁a ▁Latin ▁translation . ▁The ▁pre face ▁to ▁the ▁William ▁H one ▁translation ▁states ▁that ▁" It ▁was ▁received ▁by ▁the ▁G nost ics , ▁a ▁sect ▁of ▁Christians ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁century ..." ▁The ▁earliest ▁known ▁mention ▁of ▁the ▁G ospel ▁was ▁by ▁I sh o ' d ad ▁of ▁Mer v , ▁a ▁nin th - century ▁Sy rian ▁church ▁father , ▁in ▁his ▁bib lic al ▁comment ary ▁concerning ▁the ▁G ospel ▁of ▁Matthew . ▁The ▁narr ative ▁of ▁the ▁Arab ic ▁Inf ancy ▁G ospel , ▁particularly ▁the ▁second ▁part ▁concerning ▁the ▁m ira cles ▁in ▁Egypt , ▁can ▁also ▁be ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁Q ur an . ▁Some ▁critical ▁scholar ship ▁claim ▁its ▁presence ▁in ▁the ▁Qu ' ran ▁may ▁be ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁influence ▁the ▁G ospel ▁had ▁among ▁the ▁Arab s . ▁It ▁is ▁not ▁known ▁for