how old was jesus when they fled to egypt how old was jesus when they fled to egypt

from Northwestern College in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a M.A. I do not believe the comment is fair to Muslims, who, I find, have a profound respect for history and culture, even if it predates the founding of their religion. Four doctoral dissertations have analyzed his contribution to religious education and evangelism. Matthews account seems to have been structured so that the prophecy in the Book of Revelation of the Woman with 12 Stars giving birth to a child and being confronted by the dragon should be fulfilled Matthews gospel is riddled with accounts of events happening so that the prophecy should be fulfilled to the extent that his account of the Nativity is not taken seriously by scholars. Towns has given theological lectures and taught intensive seminars at over 50 theological seminaries in America and abroad. Chris it seems odd to me that the most important thing that has ever happened on earth is not better documented. Bible writers frequently moved from one subject to the next without intending to give every action that took place during a particular time or the exact order in which something was done or taught (cf. Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him." . Reconciliation, forgiveness, victory, new creation, substitution, redemption, adoptionthese are some, but not all, of the ways that the New Testament writers and later Christian theologians would explain how Jesus death saves us. Matthew. The 25 Stops of the Holy Family With Infant Jesus in Egypt. Herod died 4 BC, five days after he had put his son, Antipeter, to death and a little before the Passover. Not that there would be anything wrong with that but you wouldnt be lying on Jesus if you depicted Him as he probably waslight skinned. for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. Great analysis and historical references! Later, for example, in chapter 24, Luke omitted the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus in Galilee, which both Matthew and John mentioned. Scholars dont believe the visit happened on the night of the Lords birth because Matt. Why arent his life events such as how long he was in Egypt, just to name one, more obvious? But Matthew discreetly does not say where Jesus actually was when they arrived, just that the Magi followed the star from Jerusalem to that place. What is important is that he came to save us. What I say in that post about Joseph, Mary, and Jesus would also apply to Joseph many centuries earlier: In terms of skin color, really anyone who went to Egypt at this time would have fit in, because people had long been coming there from Sub-Saharan Africa, farther west in northern Africa, and the Middle East, and so it was a place where people of many different skin colors lived together and interacted. Everyone CAN be forgiven if they choose to follow Jesus Christ. Some children see Him dark as they, Sometimes people now use the terms BCE (before the common era) and CE (common era) to avoid precisely the confusion youre pointing out. 2:13 says that they fled to Egypt after the Magi visited. I dont know that the Revelation account in ch 12 is necessarily an account of Jesus time in Egypt-that would mean Revelation, or the Apocalypse, had already happened, but could be. Where they lived after Jesus born. Paul also says that Jesus redeemed us. According to some scholars the earlier manuscripts of Josephus writings state that Herod died in 1 BC, not 4 BC. This was before news, media, and the web. A quick intro and overview of our ministry and this website, plus some best-of articles and Q&A. Why were some books removed from the Bible and is it a sin to read them? How about Islamic occupation of Jerusalem being the reason there are less records that we would hope. It is widely understood that the likely time of Herod the Great death is sometime in 4 BC. And that reminds us in this season when we are anticipating the Feast of the Incarnation (Christmas) that he truly did come to earthas you say, to save us. When Jesus was 40 days old, Joseph . how old was jesus when they fled to egypt. It say in the bible that his hair was like wool and his feet was the color brase. If youre not yet familiar with the term and concept of recapitulation as used in Christian theology, you have some wonderful discoveries ahead of you. 2:19-23 says that Joseph Mary and Jesus returned from Egypt around that same time. Those people are brown to black skinned in those days. Return from Egypt Sometime after Herod had died, the holy family returns from Egypt . The family traveled to Nazareth which took them a journey of at least 170 kilometers. Dr. Christopher R. Smith, shares his reflections about the Scriptures and answers questions from users of the guides and from others who want to find out more about the Bible. back to Jerusalem after they worship Jesus' birth, flies into a rage. The family had long since left Bethlehem and returned home by the time the Magi arrived in the area about two years after Jesus birth. According to this text, which Notovitch had translated into French, Jesus had spent his missing years the years between his childhood and the beginning of his ministry studying Buddhism in India. But as I say in my post, I think Jesus family were in Egypt for much less than a year. Learn how your comment data is processed. 50-53), however, took place more than five weeks later (see Acts 1:1-12). The way the gospel writers see Jesus reliving the experience of Israel is another biblical example. Your Retirement News Channels. According to some, however, Lukes account of the early life of Jesus contradicts Matthews (Wells, 2011; cf. He told the Thessalonians, for example, that Jesus died and rose again for us and that he rescues us from the coming wrath. But now, to help his friends stand firm in what theyve believed, Paul begins to spell out how Jesus life, death, and resurrection bring us salvation. Some children see him dark as they, Some children see Him lily white, Thank you for your reply and clear explanation, Christopher. He was being taught while he was in Egypt. Simply because Matthew or Luke or any other Bible writer does not mention everything that every other Bible writer mentions about the same general time or event, does not mean that someone has erred. In unreserved obedience, Joseph "rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod.This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, 'Out of Egypt I called my son'" (2:14-15). There are many progressive believers. If each man is married with an average of 5 children, this brings the entire population of Israel to 6,000,000. And since, according to the gospel of Luke, Jesus was born around the time of the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria, his birth occurred some time between 6 B.C. Any likely candidates? But, according to Galatians 1:17-18, Paul actually went to Arabia, back to Damascus, and then after three years he went up to Jerusalem. when Joseph had a dream that it is safe to return to Israel. And of course, we have four gospels which all more or less agree the details of his ministry for the last 3+ years of his life. There is a wealth of knowledge available to those who hunger for its truth. All my bibles says 1,260 days so l thought that was = to 4.59 years call it 4.6 if you will. Christianity is the second largest religion in Egypt. There are several hundred posts here, on a wide range of biblical topics. I suppose in some cases there could be an agenda thats hostile to Christianity behind the use of BCE/CE. This concept is so rich in meaning that it needs to be seen from more than one perspective to be fully appreciated. 16-18. by the wise men, gives orders that all the children in Bethlehem of two years and under be slain. Then in Session 19, about Galatians, I note that in this letter Paul gives several more illustrations of how Jesus life, death, and resurrection bring us salvation. Paul says here that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. That is, Jesus substituted himself for us as the one under Gods curse for breaking the law. I hope this addresses your concern. Joseph, acting with complete docility, rose up, took the Child and his Mother by night, and fled into Egypt (Mt 2:14). One takeaway from this investigation is the realization that King Herod the Great, who had been on the throne for 33 years, died a short time after slaying the children of Bethlehem. Ehrman, Bart (2005),Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why (San Francisco, CA: Harper). The idea that the Lord might have been up to 2 years old when the Magi visited comes from the fact that Herod had all the male babies under 2 years of age in Bethlehem killed in an effort to kill Jesus. Luke indicates that after Jesus birth, and once Marys days of purification according to the law of Moses were completed (2:22), which would have been about six weeks after Jesus was born (Leviticus 12:3-4), Joseph and Mary took Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem (Luke 2:22-38). Matt. Matt. Apologetics Press is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization dedicated to the defense of New Testament Christianity. Even among them at times is found compassion. (Image credit: Werner Forman Archive/Alamy) In 609 B.C., a confrontation was brewing between Egypt (led by Pharaoh Necho II) and the Babylonians (led by King Nabopolassar) who . Beautiful, brought tears to my eyes. So what exactly was Jesus death all about? and, ah! It seems to me that the most likely scenario is that Jesus was born around 6 B.C., the wise men (by their own account) arrived in Jerusalem two years later in 4 B.C., and in that same year Joseph, Mary, and Jesus fled to Egypt, Herod died, and they returned. Remember how he healed on a Sabbath? Rather he didnt perfectly observe the law of Moses. Matt. When he is eight days old, Jesus is circumcised as is traditional for Jewish boys. Keep in mind that they are exposed to a desert climate so they will be tanned but they are definitely not black. This was when Jesus was three years old. Jesus, the Chief Shepherd of our souls, fasted 40 days and 40 nights before beginning his ministry. If it was to die so that our sins should be forgiven, why is there still going to be a Judgement Day, when those found wanting will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone?, Because salvation can only be found through following Jesus Christ. What year was Jesus Christ born? Some children see Him bronzed and brown, Upon learning that Herod Archelaus had succeeded his father in Judea, they continued on to Galilee. The longer I study the Bible the more I come to the conclusion that God is not in time,cas we think of time, and many events seem to repeat, or even be happening concurrentlysuch as John the baptist being Elijah who is to comeif you can receive it. 6 around September and the year is 2017 so he would be between 2021 and 2023 years old . But he came in a very different way for an important reasonto show us that whoever would be the greatest must be the least and the servant of all. What I understand before, a few days after Mary delivered our Lord Jesus, the wise men came and then a few days later they escaped to Egypt. I thank you for your efforts. The Koran itself preserves much pre-Islamic literary tradition. If Jesus had arrived with great fanfare as the heir to the Roman imperial throne, wed know the facts of his early life a lot better. If Jesus is a Greek translation. 1260 days is EXACTLY 3.5 years using the Jewish calendar of 360 days per year. Deuteronomy 8:3, which Jesus later quotes when tempted by Satan, mentions these provisions from God - although it . Why did God reject Saul as king for making one small mistake? An Angel warned Saint Joseph in a vision dream, that Herrod, was going after Jesus to kill him! When Christ was born, it was the time, literally, in history that Egypt had fallen fully from its glory, as God said would happen. from Dallas Theological Seminary also in Dallas, a MRE from Garrett Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois, and a D.Min. But I suppose there are many places with similar stories. But in Luke 2, Mary, Joseph and Jesus go to Jerusalem for their purification when Jesus is a baby, and verse 39 says then they returned to . the baby Jesus born this night. Will God really give us anything we ask for if we ask in Jesusname? According to local traditions, the first stop for the Holy Family was Farma, east of the Nile river. Where Christ as a child used his powers to bend the branch to give shade to his holy mother from the sun. 3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was . Jesus could just as easily, and far more logically, have arrived as a fully-grown adult on the day he presented himself to John for Baptism. Answer (1 of 20): I read the other two answers and they are fairly close in their answers. Thats the life of Jesus in Egypt which is 1260/365 = 3.45. Happy Easter. So the Lords birth, the visit by the Magi, the flight to Egypt and the return to Nazareth all had to take place between 6 and 4 BC. If Jesus stayed one year or longer in Egypt he would not have been able to observe the day of atonement and various festivals commanded in the law of Moses. They escape by night, just before Herod orders the murder of all baby boys born in and around Bethlehem during the last two years. These commands make it compulsory for all Jewish males to journey to Jerusalem. The Gospel of Matthew, chapter 2, gives a biblical summary of Christs early infancy and childhood. The Gospels were written after Jesus time and by people who never met Jesus. Copyright 2023. ii. Revelations 12:5 She gave birth to a male child [Jesus], one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child[Jesus] was caught up to God and to his throne, 6 and the woman [Mary] fled into the wilderness [Egypt], where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days. Those who choose not to believe, in this freely given eternal life, are only giving up the best thing ever!!! Honest truth-seekers (Proverbs 8:17) will come to the logical conclusion that the Bible writers supplemented (not contradicted) each others accountsof biblical events. how old was jesus when they fled to egypt. in accordance with the Law of Moses, Jesus was circumcised. Later, after Herods death, Jesus family departed Egypt for Nazareth where they made their home (Matthew 2:19-23). Jews originally were a brown people, you cant have zero melanin in a hot climate or desert climatic zones, would give you skin cancer. And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. 2:15 He stayed there . The book of Acts records that Jews from all over the Roman Empire came to Jerusalem for the festivals. they love Him, too! Matthew 2:13. One consequence of that is that his life is not as well documented as wed like it to be, but Im sure wed agree the trade-off is worth it. In the Gospel according to Luke, chapter 2, verses 39 and 40, it is recorded that Jesus grew up in the area known as Galilee, in the city of Nazareth, and that Christ had a normal childhood growth, however, he waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him (Luke 2:40). Should a man desire to learn of them, let him ask for understanding. God bless. Why was Moses not allowed to enter the Promised Land? Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain. Answer: If we assume that Herod and the magi were accurate in their calculations of the Christmas star's first appearance, that would mean Jesus was no older than two years. The Holy Family fleed to Egypt and they stayed in a cave. Jacob is 147 years old. I believe Jesus went to Egypt as a fulfillment t of prophecy. Jack Kelley published over 9,000 Bible Study resources here from 1999, until the Lord called him home in the fall of 2015. However, I think you would enhance your credibility by finding a more fitting word than recapitulate. His Understanding the Books of the Bible study guide series is keyed to this format. More intriguing is the fact that the fathers of Christianity didnt want to add a historical fallacy by guessing the date. . The gospel of Matthew also tells us that after Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the childs life are dead. Herod died in 4 B.C. The Israelites set out towards Succoth (the ancient Egyptian town of Tjeku in the Wadi Tumilat). Jesus Christ stayed in Egypt for 1266 days which is 3 years and 5 months and some days. Firstly, thank you for your work and this excellent hypothesis. Our Lady of Zeitoun was a mass Marian apparition that occurred in the Zeitoun district of Cairo, Egypt, over a period of 23 years beginning on April 2, 1968. The Nativity and the Flight into Egypt took place in the last years before the death of Herod the Great which is known to have taken place in late March or early April, 4BC. Its the same no matter what religion you believe in, or whether you believe in none. You wrote that Jesus was probably born in 6 BC and the Magi journeyed for 2 years following an anomaly of a star throughout the journey. and filled with holy light. how old was jesus when they fled to egypt. Ascribing Biblical text as mans opinions or the result of events generally can be misleading. Q: In Matthew 2, it says Mary, Joseph and Jesus were in Bethlehem, and (verse 13) after the wise men left, the angel told them to flee to Egypt. The broad consensus of the community of Jesus followers was that this view did not faithfully represent Jesus, as his life and teachings were passed down from those who knew him. how old was jesus when they fled to egypt jeffrey dahmer museum milwaukee Unless the family went to Jerusalem for the festivals from Egypt during their sojourn there. The flight into Egypt is a story recounted in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 2:1323) and in New Testament apocrypha. An interesting question that also arises is, since Jesus did find shelter as a refugee in Egypt for some length of time, whether He still feels a debt of gratitude to his briefly adopted homeland, and whether this provides an even further incentive for God to want to see justice done for all sides in current Middle Eastern disputes. In chapter 9, Luke mentions that Paul went to Jerusalem after becoming a Christian (Acts 9:26). He was a consulting editor to the International Bible Society (now Biblica) for The Books of the Bible, an edition of the New International Version (NIV) that presents the biblical books according to their natural literary outlines, without chapters and verses. The Israelites flee from Egypt. See Revelations 12:6. According to Luke 2:2 Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem to register for the census when Quirinius was the governor. In other words, only those who believe they are forgiven and ask God for forgiveness, can be forgiven. At least in the case of Jesus, we know that he did exist and can still believe in Him, His Message and His Promise, even if the nativity stories are myth. Drawing on the recapitulation. REPRODUCTION & DISCLAIMERS: We are happy to grant permission for this article to be reproduced in part or in its entirety, as long as our stipulations are observed. He didn't want another "King" to interfere with his kingdom. So we dont know which angel this was. May our lord Jesus Christ and the holy mother Virgin Mary be with you and family at all times. But the gospel of Matthew primarily wants us to take away from this episode an appreciation for how Jesus recapitulated the history of Israel in his own life. The fact is, however, such a conjecture cannot logically be upheld unless both of the inspired writers claimed to write exhaustive, chronological accounts of everything Jesus did. For example, its specified that Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness, recapitulating Israels 40 years there, and that he chose 12 apostles, mirroring the 12 tribes of Israel. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. If you were to go to MANY old European towns and visit their churches you would see statues and pictures if a Black Madona and child. Here we are discussing the origin of Christ while trying to change the colors of a rainbow. After the Magi had left, an angel appeared to Joseph and said to him, "Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. [1260]. Beyond this, no one knew while Jesus was growing up that his life would turn out to be the most important thing that ever happened on earth. Must women have children in order to be redeemed or absolved from reproach? May you be richly rewarded. The best chronologers have supposed that Herod died somewhere between two and four years after the birth of Christ, but the particular time cannot now be determined; nor can it be ascertained at what age Jesus was taken into Egypt. Later, after Herod's death, Jesus' family departed Egypt for Nazareth where they made their home (Matthew 2:19-23). Listen to our Bible studies now from your browser. Interesting. Joseph and Mary did not actually flee to Egypt until two years after Jesus was born. There are many monestarys and very old churches,were monks,priests and even nuns live a very dedicated lives to serve our lord. If it was to die so that our sins should be forgiven, why is there still going to be a Judgement Day, when those found wanting will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone? Tis love thats born tonight! The biblical text does not tell us. When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. It is only extremist groups such as the Taliban or ISIS, which hardly deserve the name Muslim or Islamic, that wantonly destroy historical records and artifacts. Our traditional crche or manger scenes are wrong about this; the shepherds came there, but the Magi didnt. 13-15. As we saw in Session 14, this concept is so rich in meaning that it needs to be seen from more than one perspective to be fully appreciated. This is not including the mixed multitude that came out with them (Exodus 12:38) or the flocks and herds that they also brought out. Joseph immediately gathered his family together and left Bethlehem under cover of the darkness and stayed in Egypt until they . If Jesus family were in Egypt for much less than a year, why then does it say in the Revelation Prophecy of the Woman with 12 stars round her head, generally interpreted (incorrectly I believe) as Mary giving birth to Jesus, that she was transported to a place prepared for her for 1260 days, which equates to nearly 3 and a half years? warned in a dream, Joseph, Mary and Jesus flee to safety in Egypt. I think it was closer to seven years. The flight to Egypt by Jesus family is related by Matthew to the statement in Hosea 11:1 which refers historically to the deliverance of the Hebrews from Egypt. How old was Jesus when his dad died? The last mention of him in the Bible is when the family went to the temple in Jerusalem for the Passover when Jesus was 12 years old (Luke 2:41-51). That is, he gave it a fuller and deeper meaning in light of the significance of his own life. Jesus did not die at 33 because he never lived. . When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. This same gospel shows how Jesus recapitulated the history of Israel in several other ways as well, for example, by spending 40 days in the wilderness, where Israel spent 40 years. . Did they stay in Bethlehem long or return back? . Grace thru Faith is a 501(c)3 non-profit. I think Joseph and Mary may have sought out friends-of-friends or extended relatives there. We dont always see immediately what feels like fitting retribution for atrocities like this one that he committed, but in this case it seems that the perpetrator very quickly joined his victims in death and had to answer for his crimes. It was between the age of eleven and twelve that he was summoned to return to Jerusalem. with tresses soft and fair. Historians believe this was in 4 BC. They lived in Egypt about 3 1/2 years. How was Jesus from the line of King David if his real father was not Joseph? There were a few TV programmes about it. B.C. ended as soon He was born, A.D. began after He was born. Why didn't God give Esau back the blessing that Jacob stole? And if this was an important feature of his visit, why do we not have a complete record in the Bible of His birth and the rest of his life up to the time he presented himself to John for baptism, to support this allegation. He is predicted to return in the End Times and there is no suggestion in the scriptures that he is going to do so by being born of a woman then, so why should it have been any different when he came originally? Remember, Herod had all babies killed up through the age of two, therefore, Jesus and family would not have come back. How long did Jesus family stay in Egypt? This view strikes me as being very close to the so-called Docetic idea, held by some in the early centuries of the Christian era, that Jesus was not really human (as he would have to have been born of a woman to be), but only appeared human. Dr. Christopher R. Smith is an an ordained minister, a writer, and a biblical scholar. Everything is not readily seen therefore we have what is considered the mysteries of the Bible. Id read Heliopolis and surrounding towns as candidates, but Alexandria makes sense w/ the Jewish community there. added). Speculative, but intriguing. Thank you for your explanations, which are helpful. Why did Jesus tell the women of Jerusalem, "Weep for yourselves, not for me," when he was going to the cross? It is that he most likely WAS white based on the fact that he was an Israeli and most Israelis are white. So depending on when Jesus was born, the journey to Egypt lasted no more than two years, and perhaps as little as a few weeks or months. How can believers in Jesus do even greater things than hedid? The only possible reason for requiring the birth to be of a virgin, it said so in the Old Testament but the prophecies of the Messiah in the OT got so many details of his coming wrong, that a large proportion of Jews to this day, do not accept him as The Messiah God has a reason for everything that He does, even when it is not readily apparent. Matt. Mostly their time was in the Sinas. Its thought by Christian denominations and Muslims that Our Lady was trying to help peace outlook by appearing in the traditional town thought to have been the Familys refuge. If so, wont white supremacists who claim to be Christian be surprised! Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him., We dont know exactly when to date this historically. Download our eBooks to read on your computers, phone, tablet, or eReader. (LogOut/ He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and . It would be a shame for children to lose the magic of Christmas Nativity but sooner or later they have to learn the reality of Santa Claus. One of my favorites was about the Moses fish, where fish have only half their bodies, and the stories of those people say it happened when Moses parted the water. He is predicted to return in the End Times and there is no suggestion in the scriptures that he is going to do so by being born of a woman then, so why should it have been any different when he came originally? The nativity stories are generally accepted as myths and the arguments for this assertion are excellently presented in this article: http://www.religioustolerance.org/myths-about-jesus-birth.htm. To be exact, he said I am the son of man, rather indicating that His Father was also a man! Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. My brother-in-law recently had his DNA profiled. Yet Luke simply recorded the various events in chapter 24 (vss. Did they return back to Nazareth after the dedication? In Lesson 14, which deals with 2 Corinthians, I note, In his earlier letters, Paul mentioned in passing what Jesus does for us. 2:13-18 Joseph is warned by an angel in a dream to take Jesus and Mary to Egypt to escape King Herod's wrath (see 3 on Map 4). with skin of yellow hue. That is, he paid a price to buy us out of slavery, because we were enslaved to things that by nature are not gods.