Page 361 - Bible History

The Flight into E t
334 CHRIST PREPARES TO DEEM THE WO D
My people Israel.' '' When he learned from them that the King of the Jews should be born at Bethl em, he called the wise-men privately to learn from them when the star of the new King had appeared to them. Herod sent them into Bethlehem and asked them to return to Jerusalem when they found the Child, that he, too, might go to adore Him.
When the wise-men had learnt from Herod where to look for the Child, they set out for Bethlehem. As they left Jerusalem, the star which had guided them in the East went before them again, until it stood over the place w re the Child was.
The wise-men entered the house and found the Child and His Mother and, falling down, they adored Him. They opened their treasures and o ered Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
They were afterwards warned in their sleep not to go back to Herod, so they returned home by another way.
When the wise-men had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in his sleep, and told him to arise, take the Child and His Mother, and ee into Egypt. ''For it will come to pass,'' he said,.''that Herod will seek the Child to destroy Him.''
Joseph·arose, took the Child and His Mother, and in the middle of the night started out on the journey into Egypt. Herod waited in vain for the wise-men to return to him. When at last he realized that they were not coming, he became very angry. He sent sol­ diers into Bethlehem and to all the country around it, with orders to kill every little boy who was two years