THE JOURNEYS OF JESUS.

CHAPTER I.

BETHLEHEM-OUR DEPARTURE.

TIME-A. U. C. 749, month of December.

PLACE Bethlehem-Judah, in Paie-time.

RULERS-Augustus Cæsar, emperor of the Roman empire; Herod the Great, king of Judea.

[A. U. C., Anno Urbis Conditæ, means "In the year from the building of the city;" that is, Rome. Time was so reckoned until Christ's time.]

References. Matt. 2: I-12. Luke 2: 1-20. John 1: 14. Micah 5: 2.

Gen. 35: 19.

lehem, above all others, a place of universal interest, is the undeniable fact that Jesus, who is called the Christ, was born within her borders; and if, in the great difficulties involved in the task which the writer of these pages has taken upon himself, he is found immersed in depths unfathomed by mortal man, it may

be said of him in apology:

"His start was sure and well founded."

Therefore, "Let us go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing that is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us." The words of the shepherds on the plains below Bethlehem.-Luke 2: 15.

Bethlehem is one of the oldest cities of Palestine, and was first known, in Jacob's time, as Ephrath, meaning "fruitful." Her later name, Bethlehem, meaning "House of bread," indicates her as no mean place for the production of the staff of life.

Bethlehem lies six miles southward from Jerusalem, on the east side of the highway leading to Hebron. It is "a city set upon a hill," being situated at an elevation of 2,750 feet above the Mediterranean Sea. It is about a mile in length from east to west, covering the top and a part of the eastern slope of the elevation, and contains at the present period about 3,000 inhabitants, nearly all of whom are confessed Christians. The view from the house-tops is exceedingly fine on a clear, sunshiny day. On the north is seen Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives. On the east, across the wilderness and the Dead Sea, the mountains of Moab rise up and trace their blue lines across the horizon like a wall of defence to the "Holy Land." the south and southeast lie the rich fields where Boaz reaped and Ruth garnered, and where the favored shepherds listened to the midnight song of angels. On the west the far-off waters of the "Great sea" sparkle in the sunshine.

A LITTLE RILL.

On

Drawing nearer, we may look down on the "Tomb of Rachel," the Church of the Shepherds, well cultivated vineyards and rich barley fields, watered by a little rill, and see the sheep still grazing in the valley, vividly recalling the scenes of David's early life, and of the shepherds watching over their flocks by night.

The valley on the northern side is also cultivated, from whence rise "bold, sweeping lines of terraces," ascending to the very summit of the hill, like the stairway of some mighty giant, and each cultivated, bearing abundance of almonds, figs, grapes, pomegranates and olives. On the west the hill is rough and rocky, descending to the highway-it cannot be called a road, nor need the reader expect to find any roads in Palestine and beyond, an open, rough country.

There was nothing in the Jewish record better understood

HISTORY AND PROPHECY.

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than that the Messiah should be born in Bethlehem. The Jews looked for its literal fulfilment. When Herod convened the Sanhedrin* a few weeks later, on the arrival of the "Wise men," and demanded where the Messiah "should be born," they promptly replied,

"In Bethlehem, for it is so written."-Micah 5: 2.

How was this to be brought about, since His parents resided in an unknown town nearly one hundred miles away to the northward? Let us examine.

It is a matter of history.

St. Luke briefly explains the fact as follows:

"It came to pass in those days, there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus (at Rome) that all the world (under Roman power) should be enrolled," preparatory to taxation, which soon followed. "Augustus was too wise a ruler to hasten taxation."-See Andrews' Life. 70.

"And all went to enrol themselves, every one to his own city.

“And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of Davidto enrol himself-with Mary his (espoused) wife being great with child." Luke 2: 1-5.) The New Version reads, "enrol," instead of "taxed." Matthew speaks of Joseph and his "WIFE, Mary," and that she was his WIFE, there need be no doubt. The law was very strict in regard to such matters.— Deut. 22: 23-25; 23: 2.

Rome ruled the civilized world, which included Palestine, and the Jews. Their very time was computed from "the city," i. e., Rome. She willed that all her Provinces should be taxed, therefore they must first be enrolled. To this end, Augustus Cæsar, at Rome, sent word to Cyrenius, governor of Syria, to enrol the people.

A messenger, with trumpet and proclamation, had gone over Palestine, proclaiming from hill-top and "house-top' these words

*See "Sanhedrin" in Part Second.

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THE HERALDS OF AUGUSTUS.

"Go ye up every man unto his own natal city, there to be enrolled. It is the command of CÆSAR."

Toiling up the hill, over the rough limestone path, in the fading twilight of a brief winter's afternoon-the husband on foot, the wife riding upon an ass, the usual domestic beast— came Joseph and Mary to the little city of Bethlehem.

They have arrived at the end of a long and wearisome journey of above eighty miles; he footsore and tired, from walking so far over the rough highway; she suffering “from heavy languor, or even the commencing pangs of travail" (Farrar), only to find the city over-crowded, and the one "Inn so full that there is no room" for the blessed Mary even, who is speedily to be advanced to a mother. Has she come all this distance that her babe may be born in the one dusty, crazy street of Bethlehem? For in Bethlehem He must be born, even though

"Low lies His head with the beasts of the stall."

The "inn," or rather, khan, was situated at the extremity of the town. It was one story high, built of limestone, and was probably erected by Chimham, on the site of the house of Jesse and David.-See Dixon's Holy Land, p. 98.

When David fled from Absalom, the former took refuge in Gilead with a wealthy but half barbaric chief, Barzillia by name, who shew the unfortunate king great kindness and hospitality. On the death of the rebellious son, and the return of David to his capital, Barzillia declined the generous offer of the king, to become his guest, but accepted it for his son Chimham.

Upon him David bestowed the house of his father Jesse in Bethlehem, and on his death-bed charged Solomon to perpetuate the property to Chimham. This was converted into an inn, or khan, and was known in the days of Jeremiah as a stopping-place on the way to Egypt (Jer. 41: 17). When Jerusalem lay in ashes and ruins, and many of the cities of Palestine were demolished, this khan stood as of old, and within its walls the prophet Jeremiah found refuge (Jer. 41:

JOURNEY OF THE PARENTS.

Was it not here he commenced his LAMENTATIONS ?

"How doth the city sit solitary,

She that was full of people!

How is she become as a widow,

She that was great among the nations!"

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"There was no room for them in the inn," is Luke's simple statement, therefore, "When the babe-Jesus-was born, Mary laid him in a manger."

Very plain, and easily understood.

In fact, Joseph and Mary took up their temporary abode in the stable connected with the khan, with the cattle and their keepers, and here Jesus was born.

Thus began that life of humility which only ended with His expiation on the ignominious cross!

In this strange land it is not unusual, at this day, to find man and beast lodging under the same roof. The donkey feels safer in the presence of his master, and, usually, the master feels that his beast is safer when under his watchful eye. "It is common to find two sides of the same room, where the native farmer resides with his cattle, fitted up with mangers, and the remainder, elevated two feet higher, for the accommodation of the family.

"The mangers are built of small stones and mortar, in the shape of a kneading-trough, and when cleansed and whitewashed, as they often are during summer, they do very well to lay little babies in. Our own children have slept there in our rude summer retreat in the mountains."-Dr. W. M. Thomson, Missionary to Palestine.

But it is of mid-winter that we are writing, and the stalls were occupied by cattle, which may have been turned out, in this emergency, to give place to the sorely pressed strangers, Joseph and Mary.

"CAVE OF THE NATIVITY."

The place to which tradition has removed and located the spot of the Saviour's birth, is a cave at the southeast of the village, and now covered by an imposing pile of buildings,