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.

ISRAEL. Ein Karem: Mary and Elizabeth

 Ein Karem

Hometown of John the Baptist. Here met Mary Elizabeth.

Ein Karem is translated as "source in the vineyard." This village is located not far from Jerusalem. Family lived there the priest Zacharias, was the birthplace of John the Baptist:

In the days of Herod, king of Judea, a priest from Avievoy chreda named Zacharias, and his wife of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. They had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. Once when he was in the order of their Zacharias stood before God, by lot, as the custom of the priesthood, he went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense, and the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense, - there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. And the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard, and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and shalt call his name John; And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord; will not drink wine or strong drink, and the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb; and many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God; And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, so that the Lord a people prepared. And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? For I am an old man and my wife well stricken in years. The angel said to him: I am Gabriel, who stand before God, and am sent to speak unto thee, and thee these glad tidings; and, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be, for the fact that you did not believe my words, which shall be fulfilled in their time. And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he tarried so long in the temple. He came out, he could not speak to them; and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he signs to them and remained speechless. And when the day ended his service, he returned to his house. After these days Elizabeth conceived, his wife, and hid herself five months, saying, Thus hath the LORD unto me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men. 
The Gospel of Luke, chapter 1, 5-25

This amazing story reminded me of another - when God promised Abram a son childless. The promise was fulfilled when Abram was already 100 years old!

So, Elizabeth was pregnant when she came to Mary, who is also expecting a child.
   And Mary arose in those days, and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she who believed, because accomplished told her from the Lord. And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, he hath regarded the humility of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth will call me all kinds; that made ​​me great, and holy is his name; And his mercy is from generation to generation to those who fear him; He hath shewed strength with his arm; scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts; He hath put down the mighty from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; filled the hungry with good things, and let bogatyaschihsya with nothing; Israel took his servant, in remembrance of his mercy, as he said to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever. And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to his house.
The Gospel of Luke, chapter 1, 39-56

John the Baptist had received from God a very important service: prepare the way of the Lord, because at the time of the Savior's birth Jews lost faith, and were burdened with enslavement. They were looking for liberation from earthly bondage, but God wanted to prepare their hearts for deliverance from sin.

ISRAEL. Nazareth: the beginning of history

Nazareth

The city in which the angel appeared to the Virgin Mary, and in which Jesus grew up

The name "Nazareth" I first heard in the school years, when, and to the Soviet audience has come a wave of Fame rock band of the same name. A little later, I learned that it turns out the band's name comes from a town in Israel. In those days (late 70's - early 80's) in Ukraine, as well as throughout the Soviet Union dominated atheism, so few people knew the content of the gospel.
However, in the Bible we do not find too many news of Nazareth - the first time it is mentioned only in the New Testament, in the Gospels of Matthew, Luke and John:

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, favored one! The Lord is with thee; Blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, was troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God; and, behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom will have no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? The angel answered her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God. So Elizabeth, thy cousin who was called barren, and she conceived a son in her old age, and it is the sixth month, for with God nothing will be impossible word. And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And departed from her Angel. Evangelie Luke 1: 26-38

So nachinaetsya embodiment of the history of salvation of the world, which God had promised our first parents, Adam and Eve (but that is another story).



Today Nazareth - a city where he lives with respect to many Christians (30%), ethnic Arabs. Located in the north of Israel. Only in this city Sunday - the official day off, in contrast to the whole country, which rests only on Saturdays. In 1969 there was built a magnificent Church of the Annunciation. Next to it - the house of Joseph and Mary, as well as a synagogue in which Jesus read Isaiah present Jews.

Ephesus

This ancient city was founded over fifteen hundred years before Christ, has experienced a variety of military and natural disasters, but its ruins are preserved to this day.
Here was one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world, where the apostle Paul preached here he fought with beasts (1 Cor. 15:32), here lived the last years of his life the apostle John and Mary the mother of Jesus Christ.
And the angel of the church of Ephesus write ...

"At one time, Ephesus was the center of Christian life in Asia Minor. After the destruction of the city by the Goths in 262, the words of warning in Revelation. February 5 fulfilled literally, in all the suburbs near the extensive ruins have not met one Christian." 
(Bible Dictionary by E.Nyustrem)