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New Testament History |
The
return to
At their arrival in Egypt, the Holy Family stayed in Heliopolis for 1½ year,[1] from March 1 AD until September 2 AD. They then moved to Matarea, where they lived for several years.[2] Two angels announced the death of Herod the Great when Christ was in Matarea in His 5th or 7th year.[3] The return occurred in His 7th year.[4] When Christ was “eight years less three weeks old,”[5] an angel told Joseph to return (Matt 2:19-20).[6] They left in September.[7] A.C.E. probably saw VIII less III, to denote 5 years (V)[8] less 3 months (III, instead of 3 weeks): the birthday of Christ (factual Julian 26/27 November) falls 3 (inclusive) months after September. The Holy Family returned in September 5 AD, after having spent 3 years in Matarea (September 2 AD-September 5 AD). The misinterpretation is due to the facts that the return occurred after Herod’s death and that A.C.E. put his death in the 6th year of Christ. It is further caused by the fact that Christ attended Passover in Jerusalem for the first time when He was 8 years old (in Nisan 8 AD). The departure occurred quite some time after Herod’s death (on 9 March 1 AD) because the Holy Family could not return earlier because of danger:[9] not only Herod (the singular Greek aorist teleusantos in Matt 2:19) but also others (the plural perfect tethnêkasin and the plural present zêtountes in Matt 2:20) were a threat.[10] When Joseph arrived in Palestine, he heard that Judea was governed by Archelaus (Matt 2:22a).[11] The Holy Family stayed for 3 months in Gaza,[12] from September 5 AD until November 5 AD. Similarly, before entering Jerusalem in the time of King David, the Ark stayed for 3 months in Gath (2 Sam 6:11). An angel commanded Joseph in a dream in Gaza to go to Nazareth (Matt 2:22b).[13]
[1] A.C.E., Mary, 323. [2] A.C.E., Mary, 326. [3] A.C.E., Mary, 333. [4] A.C.E., Visionen Juli 1821, 124. Cf. Maria de Agreda, Cité, 3:571: “L’Enfant Jésus atteignit sa septième année pendant qu’il était en Égypte.” [5] A.C.E., Vierge, 331: “Jésus était âgé de huit ans moins trois semaines”; A.C.E., Mary, 345: “Jesus was nearly eight years old.” [6] A.C.E., Mary, 342. [7] A.C.E., Mary, 345. [8] Cf. A.C.E., Vie, 6:395: “Il [i.e. Parmenas] avait environ cinq ans moins que l’enfant Jésus et naquit vers le temps où la Vierge revint de l’Egypte.” [9] A.C.E., Mary, 342. [10] A.C.E., Mary, 342: “An angel came to him in a dream, saying that those who had sought the life of the child were dead.” Cf. Exod 4:19-20a (trans. NJB): “Yahweh said to Moses in Midian, ‘Go, return to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill you are dead.’ So Moses took his wife and his son and, putting them on a donkey, started back for Egypt.” [11] A.C.E., Mary, 344. [12] A.C.E., Mary, 344. [13] A.C.E., Mary, 344-345. |