As we mark Epiphany tomorrow, I’ve been thinking about the Wise Men and their part in the Nativity Story. One thing I hadn’t considered before is whether Jesus and his family stayed or moved to Bethlehem after his birth.
Some theologians believe the Wise Men didn’t visit Jesus in Bethlehem till he was around two years old, so that would mean Joseph, Mary, and the young Jesus would have lived in Bethlehem for two years.
This article has some interesting insights I hadn’t considered. It’s always helpful to learn more about Jesus and his story!
But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.” Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.” (Matthew 2:19-23)
KP
P.S. I read the article you shared. There are some good points in it, but it is also rife with speculation and conjecture. Mr. Salter attempts to fill-in the historical gaps in the biblical account of the early life of Jesus with imaginative assumptions. Some of his assumptions may turn out to be factual, who-knows? Using our imaginations to fill in the unrecorded gaps is fun, entertaining, and may even be profitable, but the unrecorded events are details that lack importance in the Biblical witness, and are not to be trusted (or marketed) like that which IS recorded for our edification (as you know). Like you, I found the article a bit interesting, I did not find it compelling, or very convincing.
Thanx for sharing.
Yes, I agree. Speculations is just that and should not be taken as biblical fact. I do find it helpful, though, to put myself in the shoes of these biblical characters and ponder their lives and the world they lived in. I think it can only encourage and strengthen my faith and understanding of Christ.
This thread really got me thinking too, not just about the timeline, but about how much we don’t know. There’s something humbling in that. Scripture tells us what we need to know, and yet it leaves room for wondering, imagining, and sitting with the mystery.
Whether they stayed in Bethlehem for months or years, I’m struck by how much upheaval Mary and Joseph endured — census travel, giving birth away from home, fleeing to Egypt. It wasn’t tidy. It wasn’t easy. But God was present in all of it. That’s a comfort in its own right.