Page 363 - Bible History

The.
Every year in the springtime, Mary and Joseph
Findmg
336 CHRIST PREPARES TO REDEEM THE WO D
land of Israel. Thus were ful lled the words which were spoken by the prophet Osee, "Out of Egypt have I called My Son.'' Hearing that Archelaus, Herod's son, was reigning in Judea in the place of his father, Joseph was afraid to return to Bethlehem, for Ar­ chelaus was following in his father's footsteps and treating the Jews with great cruelty. In obedience to a warning that came to him in his sleep, Joseph took Jesus and Mary a went back to their home at Nazareth, in Galilee. Thus again was fulfilled the word of the prophet, ''that He shall be ca ed a Nazarene.''
of Jesus went up to Jerusalem to celebrate the great Feast of
went along with them. The celebration of this feast lasted seven days. When it was over, Mary and Jo­ seph began their homeward journey, but the Child Jesus remained in Jerusalem, though His parents did not know it. They thought He was with some friend or with one of their relatives.
Great crowds of pilgrims were in the city of Jeru­ salem for the celebration of the Pasch, and it is easy to understand why there would be much confusion when they were setting out on their homeward journey. Usu­ ally the men traveled in one company, and the women in another. Children might be with their fathers or with their mothers. It was only after they had gone quite a distance from the city that the families would be united.
At the end of the rst day's journey, Mary and
in the
Temple the Pasch. When Jesus was twelve years old, He