J. P. 4709. the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise B. V. Æ. 5. Bethlehem. men 38 the silence of Josephus would be a very important objection to the veracity of St. Matthew's narrative; and with this view the assertion is made by Voltaire, who every where shews himself an inveterate enemy of revealed, and not unfrequently of natural, religion. But as the children whom Herod caused to be put to death (probably by assassins whom he kept in his pay) were only males, of two years old and under, it is obvious, according to Voltaire's statement, that more children must have been born annually in the village of Bethlehem, than there are either in Paris or London. Further, as Bethlehem was a very small place, scarcely two thousand persons existed in it, and in its dependent district; consequently, in the massacre, not more than fifty at most could be slain. In the life of such a tyrant as Herod, this was, comparatively, so trifling an act of cruelty, that it was but of small consequence in the history of his sanguinary government. Lastly, As the male infants that were to be slain could easily be ascertained from the public tables of birth, or genealogies, that circumstance will account for the reputed parents of our Saviour fleeing into Egypt, rather than into any city of Judea (c). Any of these arguments would be sufficient to vindicate the Evangelist's nar (c) Lardner's Credibility, parti. book ii. ch. ii. sect. 1. p. 180-185. 4to. Volboth causæ cur Josephus cædem puerorum Bethlemiticorum, Matt. ii. 16. narratam silentio præterierit, 4to. Gottingen, 1788, as analyzed in the Monthly Review (O. S.) vol. lxx. p. 617. Schutzii Archæologia Hebraica, p. 52, 53. Vide Horne's Critical Introduction, 2d edit. vol. i. p. 653-4. Among the Barrington papers, I find an unpublished letter of Dr. Lardner to Lord Barrington, in which the learned writer argues at length, with his usual judgment and accuracy, against depending on the authority of Macrobius, in the following passage:" I the less regarded it (the passage in Macrobius,) because the objection relating to the slaughter of the infants, taken from the silence of Josephus, appeared to me of no moment. When we have but one history of the affairs of a country, and that history a brief one, the omission of some particular event is no difficulty. Josephus was a firm Jew, and there was therefore a particular reason for his passing over this event; because he could not mention it without giving the Christian cause a very great advantage. To write that Herod, at the latter end of his reign, had put to death all the infants at Bethlehem, under two years of age, on occasion of a report spread that the king of the Jews had been lately born there, would have greatly gratified the Christians, whom Josephus hated; since it was well known that about thirty years after the slaughter, and the latter end of Herod's reign, Jesus, who was said to be born at Bethlehem,) being then about thirty years of age, styled himself king of the Jews, and did many things, to say no more in proof of it." Dr. Lardner then proceeds to discuss at some length the time and occasion of Augustus's jest. That no argument against this part of the Gospel narrative can be derived from the silence of Josephus, is ably shewn also by Bishop Warburton, who mentions several very important omissions of this writer. See his divine Legation of Moses, vol. iv. p. 281, 282. A German writer has written a whole treatise on the wilful omissions of Josephus. He makes them, if I remember rightly, sixtytwo in number. The remark of Michaelis, that historians generally know little of the events of the thirty years immediately preceding them, and that on this account it was probable that Joseph had not heard of the slaughter of the Innocents, does not appear sufficient to account for his silence. It seems utterly impossible that Josephus could have been ignorant of this event. His silence was more likely to have been in this instance, as in others, wilful and interested. 38 See next page. B. V. Æ. 5. 17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by m Jere- J, P. 4709. my the prophet, saying, 18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and Bethlehem. weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are m Jer. xxxi. 15. not. SECTION XVI. Joseph returns from Egypt. MATT. ii. 19, to the end. LUKE ii. 40. J. P. 4711. 19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the B. V. E. 3. Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his Egypt. mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life 39. 21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judæa in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither 40: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee : rative; but, altogether they form a cloud of witnesses, abundantly sufficient to overbalance the negative evidence attempted to be drawn from the silence of Josephus. 38 'Añò dietoïç kai karwrépw. Sir Norton Knatchbull, in his Annotations on difficult Texts, has endeavoured to prove that it is not necessary to suppose, from these words, that Herod killed all the children in Bethlehem who had completed, but those only who had just begun their second year, or who had just ended their first year. ,בן שנתים The Hebrew expression would have been filius duorum annorum. P. 6. Cambridge, 8vo. edit. 1693. 39 Mr. Mann conjectures that Antipater, who was the heir apparent to the crown of Herod, when Christ was born, was one of the principal advisers of the massacre at Bethlehem. He had already procured the death of his two elder brothers, to prepare his way to the succession. His alarm would be as great as that of his father, when he heard that a king of the Jews was born. As this Antipater was executed only five days before Herod died, both might be referred to in the words of the angel-" They are dead which sought the young child's life." The very same words are applied to Moses, under similar circumstances, Exod. iv. 19. Vide Doddridge's Family Expositor, 8vo. edit. vol. i. p. 86. 4o The reign of Archelaus commenced inauspiciouly; for, after the death of Herod, before he could leave the kingdom to obtain the confirmation of his father's will from the emperor at Rome, the Jews behaved themselves so tumultuously in the temple, in consequence of his having refused them some demands, that this king ordered his soldiers to attack them, on which occasion upwards of J. P. 4711. 23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth : B. V. Æ. 3. that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, Nazareth. He shall be called a Nazarene 41. LUKE ii. 40. 40 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him. J. P. 1720. SECTION XVII. History of Christ at the age of twelve years 42. LUKE ii. 41, to the end. 41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem "every year at the B. V. Æ. 7. feast of the Passover. Jerusalem. n Deut. xvi. 1. 3000 were slain. It was, probably, from his knowledge of this circumstance, and a general apprehension of the cruelty of the character of Archelaus, that Joseph was afraid to return to his own country. 41 St. Matthew seems in this passage to apply as it were in a collective sense all the prophecies in the Old Testament that refer to the abject and low condition in which the Messiah should appear. Nazareth, whither Christ was now conducted, was the most contemned part of the Holy Land, agreeing well with that prediction—" He was despised and rejected of men.”—“ The Evangelist," says Lightfoot, "does not quote one prophet, (rò pηlèv dià τwv Пpopηтwv) but all. All the prophets do teach the vile and abject condition of Christ; but none that his condition should be out of Nazareth. Christ seems destined to that abject place, to fulfil in a general sense these prophecies." This seems to be the best interpretation of the passage; preferable to those which represent St. Matthew as playing upon the words 7, and 13. Vide Lightfoot. Heb. et Talm. Exerc. vol. ii. p. 112. 42 The canons of the Jewish law required parents to instruct their children in their intended trade at twelve years of age. It is probable, therefore, that this also was the period when they began to comply with the law, Exod. xxxiv. 23. which required all the male children to present themselves at Jerusalem three times every year. As the Jews were accustomed to go up in (ovvodaïs, Heb. ,)" caravans," in parties composed of great numbers, it cannot excite surprise that the Holy Child Jesus was not at first missed by Joseph and Mary. They found him, Lightfoot attempts to prove, in the hall, or room adjacent to that of the Sanhedrim, proposing and answering questions, as the Jewish youths were permitted to do, to the doctors of the law. There were in the temple, 1. The great Sanhedrim in the room Gazith, consisting of seventy-one members, with the "nasi," or prince, or president, at their head; and the father of the court, the "Ab beth den" on his right hand.-II. Twenty-three judges in the gate of the court of Israel.-III. Twenty-three judges in the gate of the court of the Gentiles. Sanhedr. cap. xi. hal. 2. In each of these it was permitted to ask questions concerning the law. Instances are given in Lightfoot, from Hieros. Taa 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. nith, fol. 67-4. R. Gamaliel said to a disciple, "To-morrow, in the consistory, do thou come forth and question me on this matter." a full audience of many people (a). There was often The brief narrative of the Evangelist, which confines itself to the simple statement of facts, without either detail or embellishment, ought not to prevent us from considering the very peculiar circumstances in which the "Glory of the second temple" appeared in the house of his heavenly Father. He had now arrived at that age when the Jews were accustomed to instruct their children more fully in the arts of life, and the knowledge of their religion. At this period Christ shewed himself to be perfectly versed in the Mosaic law. Two remarkable circumstances now occurred: the death of Hillel, the most eminent of the Jewish expounders of the law, and the banishment of Archelaus. By the first event the Sanhedrim was deprived of its greatest ornament; by the second the power was more evidently shewn to be in the hands of the Romans; and another more decisive proof was afforded to the people that the sceptre was departing. Is it not probable that the appearance of our Lord in the temple, and his conversation there, might have been designed to prove to the doctors that there was one among them more learned than Hillel; and that one also, by his well known pedigree from the direct line of David, was the heir to the long lost, and now vacant throne of Israel? At his first appearance as an infant in the temple, the spirit of prophecy revived; -at his present appearance he shewed himself to be worthy of the homage of his people, as the learned successor of their most learned instructor, and as their lawful sovereign, the heir to the crown of David. The conversation of Jesus must have made a deep impression upon the minds of all that heard it; and must not only have excited the attention, but the curiosity, and admiration of the Sanhedrim. That the object of our Lord's sitting among the doctors was something more than hearing or asking questions concerning the difficulties of the Jewish law, is evidently implied in his answer to the expostulation of his mother, "Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" or, as it may be translated, "Wist ye not that I must be in the house of God my Father?" The Messiah did not come merely to excite the amazement, or to gratify the curiosity of the Jews. He came to impress some lesson upon them, suitable to the peculiar circumstances of the moment, and in accordance with, or to the furtherance of, his divine mission. Lightfoot has shewn the probability that Hillel had died some short time before our Lord visited the temple at this period. Should his opinion be erroneous, there might have been assembled round our Lord, when he conversed with the Jewish doctors, Hillel and Shammai, the two most celebrated Rabbis of the Jews; R. Judah and R. Joshua, the two sons of Bethira; Jonathan Ben Uzziel, the author of the Chaldee paraphrase; and R. Jochanan ben Zacchai. (a) See Lightfoot, Heb. and Talm. Exerc. in Luke, vol. ii. p. 396-7. Lightfoot thinks it is not impossible that our Lord had found admission into the very Sanhedrim, a circumstance of rare occurrence, permitted only in extraordinary J. P. 4720. V. Æ. 7. Jerusalem. * Or, age. 43 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. 44 But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. 45 And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. 46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. 47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. : 48 And when they saw him, they were amazed and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. 49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? ye not that I must be about my Father's business? 50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. wist 51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. J. P. 4739. The wilderness of Judæa. SECTION XVIII. Commencement of the Ministry of John the Baptist. MATT. iii. 1-13. MARK i. 2-9. LUKE iii. 1-19. Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tibe- Luke iii. 1. rius Cæsar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judæa, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituræa and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the Luke iii. 2. Before these distinguished men our Lord displayed that knowledge of the law which overwhelmed them with astonishment and admiration (6). (b) Doddridge, Fam. Expositor, translates the word lisavro, "they were in a transport of admiration." "Ežioravтo, obstupescebant, mirabantur. Verbum iornui de quacunque animi commotione vehementiori, imprimis etiam de admiratione summâ usurpatur. Rosenmuller in loc. |