BETHLEHEM - where Jesus was born

Bethlehem, the city where Jesus was born.  Shepherds’ Field and Grotto. Church of the Nativity. Cave of the Nativity

Christmas mystery: where the wise men came?

We all remember the gospel story of the birth of Jesus Christ.
We know that this happened in the city of Bethlehem, in the cave where they kept cattle.
Also read in the Gospel of the three wise men:

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, the wise men came to Jerusalem from the east and say where that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east and have come to worship him. Upon hearing this, King Herod was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born? And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet: 
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are not least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who upaset my people Israel. 
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them what time the star appeared, and he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the child, and when you find it, let me know, so that I may come and worship him. They had heard the king, they departed. And lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy, and went into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him; and opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed into another by their country. Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 2

Based on this text, we can assume that the wise men came to the King who was born in Bethlehem. Traditionally, and depict this event:

We see that those who drew these pictures, no doubt: the wise men came to Bethlehem, and even on the same night when Christ was born. Shows a cave, animals, baby in a manger ... Although it is written that the wise men came to the house.
But read on:

When they were gone, - an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. He got up, took the child and his mother by night and departed into Egypt: And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent and slew all the male children in Bethlehem and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men.   Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 2
Question: why Herod ordered the destruction of babies in Bethlehem from two years old? The answer here: time which he had ascertained from the wise men.  

Hence, Herod did not know exactly when he was born his rival, the new King of the Jews. He only knew that the birth was going to happen in Bethlehem, and the time when the star appeared in the sky, behind which were the wise men. Therefore, he admitted that the star, the news of the birth of the new King, maybe even two years ago. What did the the wise men two years - it is clear - they were in the way, followed the star from afar, from the East (as the researchers believe - from Persia). But it is clear that the Holy Family might not be as much time in the cave with the animals. Yes, and a child aged two years, does not require a finding in a manger :)
Here we have to remember why and how Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem? They came from Nazareth in the census because of their race comes out of this town. Of course, after the census and the birth of a child, they had to go back to Nazareth. Not immediately - because according to the law of Moses on the eighth day of a newborn baby boy should be cut off, and after days of purification to come to the temple:

And when eight days were fulfilled to circumcise the child, gave him the name Jesus, named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. 
And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 
as prescribed in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb, to the Lord; 
And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons. The Gospel of Luke, chapter 2

After Jerusalem Joseph and Mary was no more need to go back to Bethlehem, so they are back to where they came from:

And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. The Gospel of Luke, chapter 2

So Herod was wrong in thinking that the new King of the Jews still is still in Bethlehem, but the wise men and more followed the star that led them exactly to the child, that is - in the home of Joseph and Mary in Nazareth!

ISRAEL. Milk Grotto: Escape to Egypt

Milk Grotto


- holy family stayed here on the way to Egypt.
Ancient legends preserved history to stop the Holy Family in the cave on the way to Egypt. And when Mary nursed Jesus, a drop of milk fell on the stone, which was as white as chalk. Through this belief in the Milk Grotto started coming infertile women, loss of Mary about the baby.
But how is it that the Holy Family went to Egypt? In our time, this trip would not have surprised anyone: from Israel to Egypt to go to relax easier than of Kyiv in the Crimea. But two thousand years ago, Egypt was not the world resort. Powerful country of the pharaohs and slaves was not very welcoming to outsiders. The people of Israel knew about it from our own history - 430 years, they were slaves in Egypt. And to the Jewish family to decide on such a journey, they had a very good reason. What caused them to leave their home and go through the desert, in which once the Israelis went 40 years before they arrived in the Promised land of God? Learned about this from the Gospel of Matthew:
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, Magi came to Jerusalem from the east and say where that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east and have come to worship him. Upon hearing this, King Herod was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 
And he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born? And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet: 
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are not least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who upaset my people Israel. 
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them what time the star appeared, and he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the child, and when you find it, let me know, so that I may come and worship him. They had heard the king, they departed. And lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy, and went into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him; and opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed another way into their own country. 
When they were gone, - an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. He got up, took the child and his mother by night and departed into Egypt: And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent and slew all the male children in Bethlehem and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, The voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation, and weeping, and great; Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are not. Upon the death of Herod, - behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother and go to the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child. 
He got up, took the child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: but in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

So, escape to Egypt was forced, in order to preserve the life of Jesus. But if you compare the texts of Matthew and Luke, the question arises of what the city hit the road, Joseph and Mary? Of Bethlehem or Nazareth? In fact, according to the Gospel of Luke, shortly after the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, the Holy Family returned to Nazareth - a city where they came to Bethlehem only census:
And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.
And if a trip to Egypt began in Nazareth, then stop in Bethlehem, where Herod ordered the destruction of infants under two years old, looks out of place. More on this - in future articles.

ISRAEL. Bethlehem: the city of David

Bethlehem

city ​​in kortorye Jesus was born. Grotto in the field of the shepherds, the Church of the Nativity...

Bethlehem - an ancient city on the west bank of the Jordan, near Jerusalem. In the days of the patriarch Jacob was called Efrafa - there buried his wife Rachel, the mother of Joseph and Benjamin. It was about 2000 years before the birth of Christ.
Later, the city that has survived to this day - Beit Lehem - means House of Bread.
There was also born shepherdesses David, whom God chose as king of Israel, and from whom it was promised by the prophets, must be born Christ, the Savior of the world:

But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet? out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from everlasting. Therefore will he give them until the time will not give birth has given birth; then return to the children of Israel and the rest of his brothers. And He shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God, and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth. Micah, chapter 5

This prophecy was fulfilled in Bethlehem about 2000 years ago:

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census in all the earth. This was the first census Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, enrolled with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. While they were there, the time she should be delivered; 
and gave birth to her firstborn son, and swaddled him, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the inn. 
In the country were on the field shepherds who kept watch by night over their flock. 
Lo, the angel of the Lord, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid. 
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people: 
For unto you is born in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord; 
and this is the sign: you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men! 
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another: Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that happened, which the Lord has told us. And came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. When he saw and told that it was told them concerning this child. And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 
But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it was told. And when eight days were fulfilled to circumcise the child, gave him the name Jesus, named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. The Gospel of Luke, chapter 2

In 336, at the direction of the Roman Emperor Constantine on the site of the birth of Jesus built Church of the Nativity. In 529, the temple was burned during posstaniya Samaritans, over time it was restored by the Emperor Justinian, and later more than once suffered from earthquakes and fires.