Smoodock's Blog

According to Matthew’s Gospel, Mary and Joseph leave Egypt for Israel after Herod’s death (Matthew 2:19-21). Upon their arrival, Joseph learned that Herod Archelaus reigned in Jerusalem after his father’s death. The news put him in fear for Jesus’ life, so he turned aside after a warning given in a dream, and he settled in Nazareth of Galilee (Matthew 2:22-23). Thus, critical scholarship says: See, Joseph and Mary’s hometown was Bethlehem, and that’s where they were going after being in Egypt. However, they were warned in a dream, so they turned aside to go to Nazareth instead! Is this actually what the text says? Keep in mind that my previous study[1] shows that Bethlehem, as Mary and Joseph’s hometown may be a logical possibility, but such a conclusion isn’t plausible,[2] it’s laughable to say it was probable, and to call it certain would be ridiculous.

According to another study of mine,[3] Herod died in January, near the beginning of AD 1. Although, an angel appeared in a dream to Joseph and told him that “they are dead who sought the child’s life,” Joseph may have already known Herod died, learning about it from pilgrims returning from Jerusalem, after celebrating the Feast of Purim. Nevertheless, he would have waited for an expected confirmation to return to Israel. Therefore, after the dream, Joseph would have returned to the land of Israel with pilgrims traveling from Egypt to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. Doing so, would offer additional safety for the vulnerable family against robbers along the way.

Josephus tells us, after Herod was buried at the Herodium, his son, Herod Archelaus, continued his mourning for another seven days, as was the tradition. After this he offered the appropriate sacrifices and left off mourning to feast with his friends.[4] As the days of the Passover season approached, there arose a sedition in the Temple over what Herod the Great had done just before he died, vis-à-vis the slaying of the rabbis, Matthias and Judas. However, Archelaus’ efforts to put down the uproar, only caused a lot of bloodshed. In fact, Archelaus feared that his government would fall in the rebellion. Therefore, he cancelled the Passover festivities at Jerusalem and sent the people home.[5]

Keeping this in mind, Joseph and his family had been returning to Israel from their stay of approximately two years in Egypt, no doubt, intending to celebrate the Passover at Jerusalem, Joseph was forced to turn aside, because Archelaus had cancelled Passover festivities there, due to the rebellion over what Archelaus’ father, Herod the Great, had done only weeks prior to his death.[6] Therefore, after another warning in a dream, Joseph took his family to Galilee, where he, no doubt, celebrated the Passover, and eventually resettled in Nazareth (Matthew 2:22-23).

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[1] See my study: What Was Mary and Joseph’s Hometown?

[2] I’m using this argument against Dan McClellan’s point of view, which he uses in his YouTube video: Jesus’s Followers Invented his Birth in Bethlehem, against the Biblical Apologist’s point of view. See also:”On Contradictions Between Matthew’s and Luke’s Nativities.”

[3] See my study: Jesus’ Birth and Herod’s Death.

[4] See JOSEPHUS: Antiquities of the Jews; 17.7.3-4.

[5] See JOSEPHUS: Antiquities of the Jews; 17.9.3

[6] Matthew 2:22 says when (Joseph) “heard that Archelaus reigned in Judea in the room of his father, Herod, he was afraid to go there…” Some scholars interpret this to mean, Joseph was returning to his home in Bethlehem, but this isn’t the case. First of all, Joseph probably already knew Archelaus was reigning in Jerusalem. The phrase “in the room” (G473) probably should be translated “because” as it is in Luke 1:20, and “reigned” should be “ruled” in the sense that Archelaus was putting down a rebellion because of the deeds of his father, Herod. This was the seditious uprising at the Temple, when Archelaus slew 3000 men and cancelled the Passover celebration at Jerusalem. See JOSEPHUS; Antiquities of the Jews; 17.9.3.