Laudatur Iesus Christus.
I did some reflection on this issue when I heard that the Vatican’s Nativity Scene this year was going to be set in Joseph’s workshop. I looked at the accounts of the Nativity in both St. Matthew’s and St. Luke’s accounts and I broke them down and tried to weave them together in chronological sequence. I also used GoogleEarth to look at some of the distances involved. Here are some of my thoughts on the matter:
When one considers the distances involved, the sequence of events makes some sense. The Temple in Jerusalem was approximately 70 miles from Nazareth. However, the Temple was less than 5 miles from Bethlehem. Joseph does not appear to have been wealthy, but carpentry was a good trade at the time, with plenty of wood available in the area of both Nazareth and Bethlehem. (See, Denis O’Shea, Mary and Joseph: Their Lives and Times, (1949), Bruce Publishing Company, Milwaukee, USA.) However, it might be that business would have been better in Bethlehem, near the city of Jerusalem rather than in the relatively remote town of Nazareth.
It appears that Joseph and Mary were living in Nazareth and were betrothed there. However, the enrollment caused them to travel the 70 or so miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem late in Mary’s pregnancy. When they were newly arrived in Bethlehem, and while they were still in inadequate accommodations, Jesus was born, perhaps on the very night of their arrival. With a newborn, it would not make sense to transport the baby to Nazareth, only to have to make the return trip in less than two months to present Him at the temple.
It is possible, even likely, that Joseph set up shop in Bethlehem and supported the Holy Family during their stay there. This relocation and effort to break into business in a new town may explain the offering of the “poor man’s” sacrifice at the time of Jesus’ presentation. It seems unlikely that the gifts of the magi had been received at the time of the presentation, some 40 days after the Lord’s birth, or else the poor man’s offering would not have been made.
This all suggests that the Holy Family returned to Bethlehem after the presentation and lived there with Joseph plying his trade until the Magi appeared and Joseph was warned to flee into Egypt. This period in Bethlehem could have been as long as 18 months or even two years, given the dates supplied by the Magi to Herod.
The distance from Bethlehem to Alexandria in Egypt is about 310 miles, by direct measurement and likely longer by road.
After the time in Egypt was complete, Joseph apparently considered returning to Bethlehem, where he had established himself before the flight, however, he decided against it on Angelic advice. Given the difficulty of having the Roman-supported, Jewish King hostile to Jesus’ survival (and to His claim to the Davidic throne) the Holy Family removed themselves entirely from the kingdom of Judea, and returned to their home town of Nazareth, put a 70 mile buffer between Jesus and the authorities in Jerusalem, and returning to a place where they doubtless had old friends and strong ties, given the potential danger to the Child.
Hence, when Luke says, “And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth,” (Luke 2:39) he may have been referring not only to the presentation in the temple, but also to the calling from Egypt to fulfill the prophecy.
Thus, a weaving of the accounts given by St. Matthew and St. Luke together, with a consideration of the distances involved, one may conclude that the Holy Family began in Nazareth, lived for as much as two years in Bethlehem, fled to Egypt and lived there for a period of time, perhaps two or more years as well, and then returned to Nazareth where they settled again.
This makes more sense of the Vatican’s current Nativity Scene than other theories that I have seen so far. If the Magi are pictured in Joseph’s shop, it is more likely in my mind to have been in Bethlehem than in Nazareth.
I hope this is helpful. If there are any difficulties with this understanding of the matter, I would appreciate having them drawn to my attention. These reflections have added a lot of texture to my understanding of the Nativity story; if they are mistaken I would appreciate help in setting them right.
Merry Christmas.
Pax Christi nobiscum.
John Hiner
