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Matthew reports that Joseph was afraid to live in Judea under the rule of Herod’s son, Archelaus—and apparently with good reason. After Herod the Great died, there was a power struggle among his sons over who would inherent his kingdom. Archelaus had first assumed kingship, over the objections of his brothers. Meanwhile, revolutionaries stirred up…

During the time of Jesus’ childhood, Nazareth was a tiny, backwater village situated in foothill on the southern edge of what was known as “Lower Galilee.” It was dwarfed by larger towns nearby. With a population estimated by some to be as low as 100 people, Nazareth was an insignificant place—thus also a great place…

At the time when the angel instructed Joseph to flee King Herod, Egypt had become a kind of safe haven for Jews forced to leave their home country. Egypt (like Herod’s Judea) was under Roman control—but was outside of King Herod’s authority. Jewish philosopher, Philo (15 B.C—50 A.D.) lived during that time and reported that…

When Mary became pregnant with Jesus, she was “betrothed” to Joseph. Betrothal (in Hebrew, kiddushin) at that time was somewhat similar to our modern-day “engagement,” with a few significant exceptions. First, girls as young as twelve and boys as young as thirteen were considered old enough for betrothal and marriage. More importantly, this kind of…
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