Kindest Regards, Simple Man, welcome to CR!
It's a question that many have pondered yet not ONE religious leader (or relative) has answered...ever.
Actually, there
are a number of answers out there, and even these answers conflict.
It seems to me that being human, as Jesus was on earth, ages 13 through 32 or even JUST your teens and 20s are some pretty "testy" times in anyone's life.
Point being?
Do you think the Dead Sea Scrolls has the answers yet the Isreali hierarchy refuses to release them all?
No. The Israeli scholars who held a portion of the Scrolls in trust made them available to general scholarship almost from the beginning, going back as far as the 1950's. The Catholic scholars that held the remainder in trust were a bit more stingy, only releasing what they held in trust to general scholarship about 10 years or so ago, mid 1990's. In the English translation I have in my collection there is no direct mention of Jesus / Yashua. I have heard some suggest that He might be the Teacher of Righteousness mentioned in a few texts, but considering those scrolls predate the birth of Jesus by about a hundred years I think that is stretching the connection just a bit. BTW, there is absolutely nothing within the Scrolls concerning the "missing years" of Jesus.
This may not seem philosophical but EVERYONE who believes in any "after life" or whatever has had to ponder this question at least once in their life.
Why should "EVERYONE who believes in any 'after life'" ponder this question? Not everyone who believes in any form of afterlife believes in Jesus, nor do they all consider Him as any more than just another teacher of wisdom.
Presuming on my part that your line of questioning is sincere, there are two "myths" I have heard: one is that He traveled to India, and there are reasons given to back it up (which I am less inclined to agree with). The other is that He traveled with his maternal uncle who was a tin merchant to the South of England. This is supported by the myth called "the Traditions of Glastonbury." This can be found under that name here at CR and on the web, if you are sincere in pursuing this line of thought.
Shalom.