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Bartholomew Jones
Active Member
Pilgrimer
Active Member
Hello Rita. I read your opening post but must admit I have not read through all the responses. I can imagine they are all over the map. I am a New Testament historian and would love to see if I can help you untangle the timeline, but there is too much in your opening post to try to answer everything. So let me begin with the first, Luke 2:22 and 23.
Actual historical evidence is that Jesus was born on December 25, 5 B.C. You are correct the circumcision of a baby on the 8th day of life counting the day of birth (for Jesus would have been on January 1, 4 B.C.) is not the same event as the mother's purification and the babe's presentation on the 40th day of life (for Mary and Jesus would have been February 2, 4 B.C.). This was before the visit of the wise men and their gifts.
Circumcision (and naming the child) was originally done at home by the father but by New Testament times it was performed at the local synagogue by a priest, as evidenced by the account of Zacharias and Elizabeth at John's circumcision and also attested to by Josephus and Rabbinic writings.
The woman's purification (which required a sacrifice- two turtledoves in the case of Mary which were sacrificed and it's blood sprinkled to cleanse the woman of the uncleanness associated with giving birth) and afterward the presentation of Jesus (all firstborn males belonged to God and were "presented" at the door of the tabernacle and a "ransom" was paid after the priest inspected them for any blemish) was performed at the Temple.
There is a long history about the star and I won't go into all that now but the shepherds did not see the star, they were told about the birth by an angel. There were actually a number of astronomical anomalies that occurred in the decade surrounding Jesus' birth so there is a lot of speculation about what date he was born based on some particular heavenly event, but only one would have had messianic implications for Persian Magi familiar with the Jewish writings, the triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation of Pisces that occurred three times, a triple or "Greatest Conjunction," in the year 7 B.C., in May, October and again in December. This is a very rare conjunction that only occurs every 800 to 1000 years. It was first discovered by Johanne Kepler, the famed astronomer, who identified it is as "the Christmas star."
But you are correct that the Magi would have left Sippar for Judaea around the time that the star prophecy of Balaam had been interpreted would be the time of Jesus' birth, two years after the third conjunction in December 7 B.C. which would bring us to December 5 B.C. To travel the 547 miles if they crossed the desert rather than following the caravan route would have taken some 6 to 8 weeks to arrive in Jerusalem. They did not follow the star from the east and did not know where the babe would be born which is why they went to the capitol city of Jerusalem and began to make inquiries about the whereabouts of the child.
As we know, they were directed to Bethlehem, and when they left Jerusalem and climbed up out of the Hinnom Valley onto the road heading south, they would have seen the "new star" (recorded in the records of the Chinese on February 23, 4 B.C.) It was a few degrees west of Sirius, riding low in the southern sky, and from their vantage point, on the southern route from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, would have appeared as a beacon leading them down the road. It was this that "led" the Magi to Jesus, and we can only speculate about how precisely the star directed them to the specific house which Joseph had moved his little family into once the census was over and the village had returned to it's normal population.
Jesus was actually only 2 months old when the Magi visited him, a little over two years since the third and final conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in the constellation of Pisces that would have alerted the Magi, based on Balaam's ancient prophecy, of the impending birth. And that very might, after the visit of the Magi, Joseph had another dream and an angel told him to take Mary and Jesus and flee to Egypt, that Herod would try to kill the babe. And Joseph immediately woke Mary and they packed up and left. And sometime before dawn, Herod's guards rode into Bethlehem and slew all the male babes up to 2 years old, the time he had inquired of the wise men that they had seen "the star" referring again to the conjunction that occurred two years earlier. It would have taken Joseph and Mary about 2 weeks to reach Egypt, probably Alexandria where the largest community of Jews lived outside of Israel, and they could more easily hide among the thousands there.
And on about March 25 Herod died and again, an angel told Joseph in a dream that it was safe to return, Herod was dead and he and Mary packed up once again and returned to Judaea. However, even though this was about the time of the Passover, God warned Joseph again in a dream, he bypassed Jerusalem and returned to Nazareth. Which was very providential, because at that Passover there was a riot in the Temple and Archelaus sent in his soldiers and slew 6000 Jews, mingling their blood with that of their sacrifices.
So that's a brief sketch of the timeline based on all the historical data, and there is a mountain of data to consider but this has been of particular interest to me for over 30 years so I've studied it quite a bit. Hope it helps.
In Christ,
Pilgrimer
Robert Gwin
Well-Known Member
You might reread Rita, Jehovah announced the birth of His son through an angel, not through a star, which was observed only by the Magi, which led them to the one who wanted to kill Jesus, not to Jesus. It did however lead them to Jesus after his visit with herod.
Pilgrimer
Active Member
For some of us, when it comes to the life and times of Jesus, nothing is trivial.
In Christ,
Pilgrimer
Pilgrimer
Active Member
The prophecy of Balaam recorded in Numbers 24:17. It was commonly understood by the Rabbis at the time of Jesus as a messianic prophecy and was paraphrased in the various Targums as a sign that would herald the advent of Messiah. It is found in the writings of the the Qumran sect in the War Scroll, it is mentioned by Josephus as a well-known "oracle" that had the Jewish people living in expectation of the messianic kingdom, ergo the many and successful false messiahs that rose up during those years and garnered followings, the final such messianic fervor driving the nation to armed rebellion and ultimate defeat and destruction. Philo of Alexandria commented on it, as did Seutonius in his "Lives of the Twelve Emperors." The Aramaic version of the Book of Moses, the Onqelos Targum, translated the line in Numbers as: "... a king shall arise out of Jacob and be anointed Messiah out of Israel." Another Aramaic translation, the "Fragment Targum," renders the line in much the same way. The "star" that would herald the Messiah, or the "Messiah's Star" as it was popularly called, was the "emblem" of the Zealot movement and all the messianic claimants, including Simon ben Kosiba, who was officially recognized by the Jewish elders as Messiah in 132, was nicknamed "Simon bar Kochbah," "son of the star." Most of the coins minted in Judaea after the beginning of the war invariably included a "star" indicating their belief that they were ushering in the "messianic kingdom" of their interpretations. It was further interpreted that the star would appear two years before the coming of Messiah to herald his arrival.
In archaeological circles, it is believed by some that the ancient prophet called in Scripture "Balaam" may in fact have been the Zoroaster of the Magians, the founder of the school of celestial divination that developed in the Mesopotamian region and over which the prophet Daniel had been appointed head during his life. This would explain the similarities between Jewish messianic expectations and much of the Zoroastrian end-time beliefs, and explain as well why Persian Magi would travel from Parthia in the east to Judaea seeking a newly born "king."
It's all a rather fascinating study and ongoing archaeology will probably shed more light on these ancient people and events. But suffice it to say, that this star prophecy was well-known throughout the 1st Century Jewish world and was mentioned in numerous writings from the period, not the least of the which is the Gospel of Matthew.
In Christ,
Pilgrimer
Pilgrimer
Active Member
It is debatable whether or not the Magi understood the prophetic significance of their gifts. The spices were very costly, frankincense being worth its weight in gold, and of course gold was the gift always given to a Monarch. Frankincense was used in Temples throughout the ancient world, and in Jerusalem it was a primary ingredient in both the sacred incense that was burned as an offering at the morning and evening sacrifice (Zacharias was incensing in the Holiest when the angel appeared to him) as well as sprinkled on certain sacrifices, the Shewbread for example. And myrrh was a desiccant (drying agent) used in burial. In ancient times, bodies were packed with myrrh in the wrappings as drying agents and when all the soft tissue had decomposed and dried and only the bones, hair and teeth remained, the remains were gathered up and stored in an ossuary (bone box) and were thus preserved.
Most historians have understood the significance of the gifts given to Christ to be gold for the King, frankincense for the High Priest, and myrrh for the Sacrificial Lamb, prophetic of the roles Jesus would fulfill.
Sadly, the Boswellia trees from which the ancient Biblical resin frankincense is harvested are in serious threat of becoming extinct due to over harvesting to meet a growing worldwide demand. Frankincense is the single oldest trading commodity dating back to over 5000 years ago, and is still used today as the base of much of the incense marketed and used.
In Christ,
Pilgrimer
Pilgrimer
Active Member
During New Testament times, circumcision was done at the local synagogue by a priest on the 8th day of the child's life. There was no sacrifice or offering required.
The "purification" of the woman was done at the Temple (40 days after birth of male child, 66 days after birth of female child Leviticus 12:1-8) requiring two sacrifices, a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering and a young turtledove or pigeon for a sin offering for the wealthy. But for the poor, two turtledoves, one for a burnt offering, the other for a sin offering. She was to present her sacrifices at the "door of the Tabernacle" which later became the permanent Temple in Jerusalem at (the "Beautiful Gate," or the gate of the Levites) and there she handed her offerings to a priest who sacrificed the animals to make atonement for her and cleanse her from the flow of blood from childbirth. (Leviticus 12:6-8)
After the purification, then the mother would "present" the firstborn son to a priest and would then "redeem" the child. In ancient times, the eldest son of each family belonged to God and served as priests, but after the institution of the extensive Mosaic sacrificial system which required a company of men and full-time ministry, the primitive office of the firstborn son was superseded by the Levites (Numbers 3:45) and thereafter, all firstborn sons, who belonged to God by covenant agreement, were to be "redeemed" (purchased back from God) by their mother for a price.
In Christ,
Pilgrimer
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Pilgrimer
Active Member
The center of the Magian religion (Zoroastrianism) was the sacred city of Sippar in ancient Babylon, 547 miles from Jerusalem. The Magi most likely did not travel with a caravan as there were no women or children nor were they transporting merchandise other than the small coffers of gold and spices. It would have taken some 4 - 6 weeks to make the trip from Sippar to Jerusalem by way of the desert rather than the much longer caravan route.
Bethlehem is only five miles south of Jerusalem, about a two hour walk. It's proximity to the Holy City is why Bethlehem was chosen as the place to pasture the flocks and herds that were needed to supply the sacrificial needs of the city, many tens of thousands of animals every year. According to Josephus as many as a quarter million lambs were slain at the Passover alone, although some assume he greatly inflated the number, but he is so precise otherwise in his history that some of us question that assumption. His measurements of the city of Jerusalem have been a tremendous help and guide for archaeologists in locating walls and streets in excavations around the city. At any rate, Levitical cleanliness laws forbade the keeping of flocks of sheep or herds of cattle near a populated area, and if you have ever been anywhere near a stockyard you can understand why, so the flocks and herds were kept in the valley that lies to the north of the ridge of Bethlehem nearest Jerusalem where in ancient times Ruth, the grandmother of King David, had gleaned grain in the fields of Boaz. This broad valley has since New Testament times been called "the Shepherd's Field." There is a lot of Scripture and historical information about this valley and the royal palace that once stood there. Even by the time of Jesus it had fallen into ruin, but one of the ancient watchtowers had been preserved, and it was from this watchtower, called the Migdal Eder, that the shepherds kept watch over the flocks and herds. And Rabbinic interpretation had it that the messianic kingdom would be announced from this watchtower based on Micah 4:8. And so it was that the first to announce the birth of Jesus were the Temple Shepherds who were watching from that very tower over the flocks bound for sacrifice in Jerusalem. How appropriate then that they should announce the advent of that Lamb of God bound for sacrifice in Jerusalem who would lay down his life a ransom for our souls.
In Christ,
Pilgrimer
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Pilgrimer
Active Member
The Hebrew calendar, both the Ecclesiastical and the Civil calendars which were the two primary calendars (but they also had calendars for "Fruiting" and another for "Taxes" and still another for the royal families), but all the calendars were lunar based and had 12 months of 29 and 30 days consecutively. This left the calendar short every year of a full solar year which is a bit longer than 12 lunar months. So periodically, intercalations were made to the calendar and an extra month was added after Adar, call VeAdar. During these leap years there were 13 months. It was like what we do with our Gregorian calendar when we add a day every four years to bring our calendar into line with the solar year. The time it takes the earth to make one orbit around the sun is not exactly divisible by 24-hour days, but there are a few minutes left over each year. Over a period of years, this causes a drift in the calendar and if intercalations are not made, we would eventually be having January in the middle of summer! An adjustment of 10 days had to be made to the old Julian calendar by Gregory which gives us the Gregorian calendar, which most of the western world uses. The churches of the east however still use the old Julian calendar which has drifted to the point that December 25 on the Julian calendar occurs on January 6 on the Gregorian calendar, ergo the "12 days of Christmas" is the 12 days between December 25 on the Gregorian calendar and December 25 on the Julian calendar.
And it gets even more interesting ...
In Christ,
Pilgrimer
Ronald Nolette
Well-Known Member
Well if tradition is correct they came from Persia (Iran). and you musn't forget that Daniel was a magi long ago. His wroitings would have been preserved in the royal archives. Just because a center of a religion is located one place does not mean that is the only place. There were many magi still in Persdia and Persia was stil la major center. I see no reason why we should force them to Sippar.
also these were rich wealthy noble men. they would not have made the very hard trek through desert lands. They were not accustomed to nomadic hardhsips that come with desert travel. They brought with them valuables, so logic would say they travelled teh safer rout of the caravan trails. also they would have needed to bring provisions for their journey as well as guards (as was the custom) so it may not have been huge caravans but theyu were caravans nonetheless.
Also the owrd used for Jesus as a child in the wise men account is a young child and not an infant. So the near two year span is more logical especially given Herods order to kill male children 2 years and younger.
Pilgrimer
Active Member
I'm not forgetting about Daniel, in fact it was most likely from his writings and influence that Zoroastrianism became the only other monotheistic religion in the region, and most likely why Eastern Astronomer/Priests would interpret the rare and very significant conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in the constellation of Pisces as heralding the birth of a Jewish king.
The royal archives were located in Sippar which was the cult site of the sun god Shamash (Akkadian, Sumerian Utu) and was the home of his temple E-babbara. The city was the center of a renowned school of Babylonian Astrology. In the late 1800's archaeologist Hormuzd Rassam excavated the site (Tell Abu Habba) and discovered the "royal library," a huge cache of clay cylinders, where according to the Babylonian priest/historian Berossus, Xisuthros buried the records of the antediluvian world at Sippar and thus the city became the depository of the sacred writings and celestial observations for centuries and the central hub of study and learning. The tablets are archived at the British Museum. Then in 1925 the Stellar Calendar of Sippar was found, a tablet written in cuneiform script. The tablet contains astronomical observances and includes the dates relating to the triple conjunction of Jupiter-Saturn in 7 B.C., namely: 29 May – 1 October – 5 December. It would be expected that had the rare conjunction raised any concerns among the Parthians (and an event that only occurs once every 784 years would certainly get their attention), the Academy at Sippar would have been the central location for debate and discussion among the various scribes and priests (with access to the royal archives for research) who were official councillors to King Phraates IV. The Parthian Empire at the time was one of the world's two great superpowers next to Rome.
As for the journey of the Magi to Judaea, it is unlikely that they would have taken the long northern caravan route by way of Damascus which would have doubled the length of their journey. A small armed guard of Parthian bowmen and a few swift camels would see them safely across the desert along the southern trade route that crossed directly from the ancient city of Babylon just south of Sippar and connecting with the King’s Highway that ran north/south along the eastern ridge above the Jordan rift, and they would have crossed the Jordan River in less than 6 weeks, possibly as little as 4. They were not traveling for pleasure or for profit, they were on a mission and would have traveled light and swift. But we are all of us, of course, surmising based on available data. But below is a map of the major trade routes of this region in the 1st Century BC/AD and the southern route would have been the choice for a small but well-armed group of men. A map of the trade routes used since ancient times is below.
On the Greek word "paidion" (child) that is used in the account of the visit of the Magi, I hear that statement quite often, that this word means an “older child” and thus the Magi could not have visited Jesus as an infant, but I have never heard any explanation for it. If you do a word study in the New Testament you will see that this same identical word “paidion” was used numerous times, three different times to describe John the Baptist when he was eight days old, at his circumcision (Luke 1:59, 66, 76). And this same word is used for Jesus in the account of the shepherd's visit the night of Jesus' birth (Luke 2:17) as well as at his presentation at forty-one days old (Luke 2:27). And John also uses this same word when he writes about how a woman who gives birth to a child forgets about the pain as soon as the child is born (John 16:21).
So the same word is used in all these verses and they clearly refer to an infant, and in the case of Luke 2:17, the word is used for Jesus the very same night he was born. So the idea that Jesus had to have been older when the Magi visited based on the meaning of this word isn’t supported by Scripture since the word is clearly used for infants and even newborns.
The best calculations on the events surrounding the birth of Jesus is that the Magi visited him sometime after his presentation at the temple at 41 days of age (February 2, 4 B.C.) and before the death of Herod in late March, and allowing for the slaughter of the innocents (most likely the wee hours after the Magi's visit) and then allowing two weeks to travel to Egypt, a short time there, and two weeks to return after Herod's death, which would bring us to the time of the Passover which surely Joseph, a devout Jew, would not have passed right by the Holy City during the Passover and not obeyed the commandment to observe the Passover in the city. It may be why God had to warn him away (and even possibly from settling in Judaea if he was of a mind to settle near the Holy City) and instead he took Mary and Jesus back home to Nazareth in the Galilee.
In Christ,
Pilgrimer
Ronald Nolette
Well-Known Member
I'm not forgetting about Daniel, in fact it was most likely from his writings and influence that Zoroastrianism became the only other monotheistic religion in the region, and most likely why Eastern Astronomer/Priests would interpret the rare and very significant conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in the constellation of Pisces as heralding the birth of a Jewish king.
The royal archives were located in Sippar which was the cult site of the sun god Shamash (Akkadian, Sumerian Utu) and was the home of his temple E-babbara. The city was the center of a renowned school of Babylonian Astrology. In the late 1800's archaeologist Hormuzd Rassam excavated the site (Tell Abu Habba) and discovered the "royal library," a huge cache of clay cylinders, where according to the Babylonian priest/historian Berossus, Xisuthros buried the records of the antediluvian world at Sippar and thus the city became the depository of the sacred writings and celestial observations for centuries and the central hub of study and learning. The tablets are archived at the British Museum. Then in 1925 the Stellar Calendar of Sippar was found, a tablet written in cuneiform script. The tablet contains astronomical observances and includes the dates relating to the triple conjunction of Jupiter-Saturn in 7 B.C., namely: 29 May – 1 October – 5 December. It would be expected that had the rare conjunction raised any concerns among the Parthians (and an event that only occurs once every 784 years would certainly get their attention), the Academy at Sippar would have been the central location for debate and discussion among the various scribes and priests (with access to the royal archives for research) who were official councillors to King Phraates IV. The Parthian Empire at the time was one of the world's two great superpowers next to Rome.
As for the journey of the Magi to Judaea, it is unlikely that they would have taken the long northern caravan route by way of Damascus which would have doubled the length of their journey. A small armed guard of Parthian bowmen and a few swift camels would see them safely across the desert along the southern trade route that crossed directly from the ancient city of Babylon just south of Sippar and connecting with the King’s Highway that ran north/south along the eastern ridge above the Jordan rift, and they would have crossed the Jordan River in less than 6 weeks, possibly as little as 4. They were not traveling for pleasure or for profit, they were on a mission and would have traveled light and swift. But we are all of us, of course, surmising based on available data. But below is a map of the major trade routes of this region in the 1st Century BC/AD and the southern route would have been the choice for a small but well-armed group of men. A map of the trade routes used since ancient times is below.
On the Greek word "paidion" (child) that is used in the account of the visit of the Magi, I hear that statement quite often, that this word means an “older child” and thus the Magi could not have visited Jesus as an infant, but I have never heard any explanation for it. If you do a word study in the New Testament you will see that this same identical word “paidion” was used numerous times, three different times to describe John the Baptist when he was eight days old, at his circumcision (Luke 1:59, 66, 76). And this same word is used for Jesus in the account of the shepherd's visit the night of Jesus' birth (Luke 2:17) as well as at his presentation at forty-one days old (Luke 2:27). And John also uses this same word when he writes about how a woman who gives birth to a child forgets about the pain as soon as the child is born (John 16:21).
So the same word is used in all these verses and they clearly refer to an infant, and in the case of Luke 2:17, the word is used for Jesus the very same night he was born. So the idea that Jesus had to have been older when the Magi visited based on the meaning of this word isn’t supported by Scripture since the word is clearly used for infants and even newborns.
The best calculations on the events surrounding the birth of Jesus is that the Magi visited him sometime after his presentation at the temple at 41 days of age (February 2, 4 B.C.) and before the death of Herod in late March, and allowing for the slaughter of the innocents (most likely the wee hours after the Magi's visit) and then allowing two weeks to travel to Egypt, a short time there, and two weeks to return after Herod's death, which would bring us to the time of the Passover which surely Joseph, a devout Jew, would not have passed right by the Holy City during the Passover and not obeyed the commandment to observe the Passover in the city. It may be why God had to warn him away (and even possibly from settling in Judaea if he was of a mind to settle near the Holy City) and instead he took Mary and Jesus back home to Nazareth in the Galilee.
In Christ,
Pilgrimer
all this history i s grand and I appreciate it.
but I still go with Jesus being at least 1 1/2 to near two years old. Yes with swift camels and some guards they MAY have used a shorter route to the south.
but we do not know if all three wise men started from the same place at the same time or actually met at an oasis as tradition holds. We just know they star and followed it to find Jesus in Bethlehem.
This debate while good to reveal some history, is but a tempest on a teaspoon. we have so little about the jopurney of the wise men that any answers are but speculation. You accept teh non- tradsitional explanation, I accept the traditional. We both could be wrong! We just will never know until we see the Lord face to face.
Pilgrimer
Active Member
If you look carefully at the way Matthew’s account is worded, Herod did not ask when was the child born, but rather, the text of Matthew says, Herod asked them “ekribosen par auton ton chronon tou phainomenou asteros” (inquired exactly of them the time of the appearing star). So what Herod specifically asked was when exactly had they seen this “sign.” If the Greatest Conjunction of 7 B.C. was interpreted by the Magi as the fulfillment of Balaam’s prophecy of a star heralding the birth of the Savior, then based on Rabbinic interpretation of this prophecy that it would occur two years before the Messiah to herald his coming, and if they waited until after the child should have been born (two years from December 7, B.C. -the third and final joining, would bring us to December 5 B.C. -the date of Jesus’ birth) to travel to Judaea, then they would have left for Jerusalem sometime in January 4 B.C., and 4 to 6 weeks later arrived in Jerusalem (early or mid-February) asking “where is he that is born,” indicating that by that time they believed Jesus to have already been born. Whether they left before or after Jesus’ birth, they definitely arrived in Jerusalem after, which would mean January or February.
So the supposition that Jesus must have been two years old because Herod had all the babes killed up to two years old is not actually what the text says. Herod had all the babes killed up to two years old because that was when the “sign” appeared that brought the Magi to Judaea seeking the newly born king.
Also, Herod had a network of spies and you can be sure he sent some of his most trusted men to follow the Magi and see where they went. Since their visit had occurred at night, they must have made camp after their visit but as they slept they were warned by God to not return to Herod and they probably broke camp in the middle of the night and left for home via the road that led east from Bethlehem, through the upper hill country, and down into the Jordan Valley at the southern end of the Dead Sea.
That same night an angel appeared to Joseph and warned him to flee and he and Mary packed up and left. The spy who had been tailing the Magi already knew which house they had visited, and probably discovered they had broken camp and left in the dark of night, so he would have immediately returned to Herod (Jerusalem is only 5 miles from Bethlehem, a fast hour walk or 15 minutes by horseback). Herod may have already mustered a small contingent of his soldiers and when the spy arrived with the information that he knew which house the Magi had visited and that they had broken camp and left by another route away from Jerusalem, Herod sent the soldiers to Bethlehem. The march would have been fast and probably in the last watch of the night (3 a.m. to 6 a.m.). It can only be surmised that finding the house empty, they began a house-to-house search and slew every male child up to two years of age, based on when the Magi had reported seeing the conjunction, not based on the time of Jesus’ birth.
So you are probably right, Herod killed all the babes up to two years old to cover all his bases. But it was only five short weeks after this infamous murder of little babies, and only five days after he executed his own son and heir, that Herod himself died in a grotesquely awful and yet well-deserved manner.
In Christ,
Pilgrimer
Pilgrimer
Active Member
Understood. Not everyone is equally interested in New Testament History and Archaeology. But I'm not so sure the explanation you are holding to is so much the traditional explanation as it is the popular explanation. The historical explanation is a December 25, 5 B.C. birth and the death of Herod in late March 4 B.C., which means all of these events occurred within a three month period.
I just find that even the smallest little detail about the life and times of Jesus absolutely captivates my heart, and has for over 40 years.
In Christ,
Pilgrimer
@Pilgrimer, it seems to me that you have made a number of assumption in coming to the conclusions that you did in coming to your understanding of the story of the birth of Christ.
If one takes the Gospel story found in Matthew Luke and Mark and arranges it in chorological order of when the respective events took place, then the arranged respective Biblical passages would look something like this: -
I have found the following breakdown of the early life of Christ, helps in putting the story in an understandable order for me to read. Perhaps this is of some use to others: -
Introduction to the story of Christ: -Matthew 1:1-17, Mark 1:1, Luke 1:1-4, John 1:1-5
Gabriel’s prophetic declaration of John the Baptist’s birth to Zechariah in the temple: - Luke 1:5-25
Mary hears the news from the angel Gabriel that she is to conceive a child: - Luke 1:26-38
Mary visits Elisabeth: - Luke 1:39-56
Joseph is told of the reason for Mary’s pregnancy: - Matt 1:18-25a
Joseph takes Mary with him to Bethlehem.: - Luke 2:1-5
Jesus is born: - Luke 2:6-7
Jesus is named: - Matt 1:25b
Angles tell shepherds out in the field of the birth of Christ: - Luke 2:8-14
The shepherds go to Bethlehem to see Jesus: - Luke 2:15-20
Jesus is circumcised: - Luke 2:21*
The wise men visit Jesus: - Matt 2:1-12
Joseph is warned in a dream to go to Egypt: -Matt 2:13-15
Herod has infants under two years of age killed in Bethlehem: -Matt 2:16-18
After Herod dies, Joseph returned to Galilee and dwells in Nazareth: -Matt 2:19-23
Jesus taken to Jerusalem and presented to the Lord: - Luke 2:22-24
Simeon takes Jesus in his arms and prophecies: - Luke 2:25-34
Anna comes to the temple and speak about the redemption of Jerusalem: - Luke 2:36-38
They then return to Nazareth: - Luke 2:39
The story of Christ’s early life occurred over a period of 45 days from the time that Christ was born of Mary until they returned to Nazareth after presenting Christ to God in the Temple in accordance with the Law.
The favour of God was upon Jesus: - Luke 2:40
* Please note that we are not told when Jesus was circumcised in accordance with the law. Jesus may have been circumcised while they were still in Bethlehem, but it is more likely that Jesus was circumcised after the visit of the wise men as they were journeying down to Egypt.
My understanding is that the journey time for travelling from Jerusalem down to Egypt was around five days and that the journey time from Egypt up to Nazareth would have been around three days longer, i.e. around eight days.
I hope that this helps you in sorting out the timeline for the early life of Christ.
Shalom
If one takes the Gospel story found in Matthew Luke and Mark and arranges it in chorological order of when the respective events took place, then the arranged respective Biblical passages would look something like this: -
I have found the following breakdown of the early life of Christ, helps in putting the story in an understandable order for me to read. Perhaps this is of some use to others: -
Introduction to the story of Christ: -Matthew 1:1-17, Mark 1:1, Luke 1:1-4, John 1:1-5
Gabriel’s prophetic declaration of John the Baptist’s birth to Zechariah in the temple: - Luke 1:5-25
Mary hears the news from the angel Gabriel that she is to conceive a child: - Luke 1:26-38
Mary visits Elisabeth: - Luke 1:39-56
Joseph is told of the reason for Mary’s pregnancy: - Matt 1:18-25a
Joseph takes Mary with him to Bethlehem.: - Luke 2:1-5
Jesus is born: - Luke 2:6-7
Jesus is named: - Matt 1:25b
Angles tell shepherds out in the field of the birth of Christ: - Luke 2:8-14
The shepherds go to Bethlehem to see Jesus: - Luke 2:15-20
Jesus is circumcised: - Luke 2:21*
The wise men visit Jesus: - Matt 2:1-12
Joseph is warned in a dream to go to Egypt: -Matt 2:13-15
Herod has infants under two years of age killed in Bethlehem: -Matt 2:16-18
After Herod dies, Joseph returned to Galilee and dwells in Nazareth: -Matt 2:19-23
Jesus taken to Jerusalem and presented to the Lord: - Luke 2:22-24
Simeon takes Jesus in his arms and prophecies: - Luke 2:25-34
Anna comes to the temple and speak about the redemption of Jerusalem: - Luke 2:36-38
They then return to Nazareth: - Luke 2:39
The story of Christ’s early life occurred over a period of 45 days from the time that Christ was born of Mary until they returned to Nazareth after presenting Christ to God in the Temple in accordance with the Law.
The favour of God was upon Jesus: - Luke 2:40
* Please note that we are not told when Jesus was circumcised in accordance with the law. Jesus may have been circumcised while they were still in Bethlehem, but it is more likely that Jesus was circumcised after the visit of the wise men as they were journeying down to Egypt.
My understanding is that the journey time for travelling from Jerusalem down to Egypt was around five days and that the journey time from Egypt up to Nazareth would have been around three days longer, i.e. around eight days.
I hope that this helps you in sorting out the timeline for the early life of Christ.
Shalom
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