Questions surrounding the nature of Jesus challenged the minds of Christians from the very beginning of the faith. Did Jesus mature and grow in wisdom, as most young men should? Did he discover his path in life and his calling or was he perfect and mature from the time of his birth? The Bible reports that the child Jesus “grew strong in spirit.” Did that mean he was weaker in spirit as a child? These are the questions writers of early Christianity sought to address.The scant information found in the Gospels regarding the first thirty years of his life gave rise to stories and folklore in an attempt to fill in gaps and answer questions regarding the life and times of Jesus. Tales sprang from the imagination of believers about his deeds and misdeeds, his travels, and the process of maturing into the man who would save the lost. Youth gives rise to arrogance and rash behavior, yet, age brings wisdom and self-control. With growing wisdom and guidance from his heavenly father and loving parents, Jesus began to realize his place in the universe as the compassionate rebel and the Messiah. In the Gospel story, there is little information about the formative years of Jesus. Soon after his birth nothing more is heard of Jesus. The silence continued for almost a decade. Then, at the age of twelve the Bible tells us that Jesus had grown in strength and wisdom and was capable of discussing the Torah with adults in the temple. Again the Bible falls silent for the next eighteen years. Jesus next appeared around the age of thirty, ready to start his earthly ministry, and take on the yoke of Messiah. What happened during the periods of silence? Did Jesus simply grow up in a tiny town doing manual labor as some suggest. Did he wake up one day, lay down his hammer and become the Great Physician, or did he mature into his rightful place over time by doing what he was born to do? Did he travel, teach, and heal as a young man? Did he gain knowledge from teachers and masters of his day?This is the story of Jesus’ lost years. The story attempts to fill in the missing years in the Life of Jesus.In 1894 Nicolas Notovitch published a book called The Unknown Life of Christ. He was a Russian doctor who journeyed extensively throughout Afghanistan, India, and Tibet. During one of his jouneys he was visiting Leh, the capital of Ladak, near the buddhist convent Himis. There Notovitch was told of an ancient record of the life of Jesus known as "The Life of St. Issa."Notovitch enlisted a member of his party to translate the Tibetan volumes while he carefully noted each verse in the back pages of his journal.This is the story of Jesus and his journey through the East during the period called, "The Missing Years of Jesus."