Scripture as historical

[Presence]

I fully understand how the events during and after Jesus’ ministry and then death and resurrection can be considered historically accurate but what about the events like that in the beginning of Matthew where it records conversations between Herod and the Wise men? Where did this information come from?

What about any information that seems more like a it was a script written for a movie, allowing you to witness scenes which you wouldn’t have otherwise known about.

 

[Huiou_Theou]

I fully understand how the events during and after Jesus’ ministry and then death and resurrection can be considered historically accurate but what about the events like that in the beginning of Matthew where it records conversations between Herod and the Wise men? Where did this information come from?

What about any information that seems more like a it was a script written for a movie, allowing you to witness scenes which you wouldn’t have otherwise known about.

The wise men couldn’t have come without a large number of people knowing about it. Recall, Herod used scribes to find out from the scriptures exactly where and when things were to happen according to prophecy. And also, recall, that the wise men – who were eye witnesses to their own interaction with Herod – visited the Holy family. There is a good chance they discussed it – and notice, the holy family knew enough to flee; the wise men went back by a different route.

 

[animalis]

“Jerome…shows that the immunity of Scripture from error or deception is necessarily bound up with its Divine inspiration and supreme authority.” (Pope Benedict XV, Spiritus Paraclitus, 13) We need to be humble and see that the book has authority to point us on to live a certain way, not like the foolish movies.

The pope goes on to say, “Again, ‘Scripture cannot lie’; it is wrong to say Scripture lies, nay, it is impious **even to admit the very notion of error **where the Bible is concerned.” (SP, 14) “…Here he is in full agreement with Augustine, who wrote to Jerome that to the Sacred Books alone had he been wont to accord such honor and reverence as firmly to believe that none of their writers had ever fallen into any error…” (SP, 15) “…from the merely external appearance of things - of which, of course, we have always to take account as Leo XIII, following in the footsteps of St. Augustine and St. Thomas, most wisely remarks - we can never conclude that there is any error in Sacred Scripture.” (SP, 20)

This matter that you ask about is a dangerous one. This is a sacred book. I do not know what you conclusions are, but the very notions you bring out can inspire an injustice due to impiety, which we all can express.

 

[Gorgias]

There is a good chance they discussed it – and notice, the holy family knew enough to flee; the wise men went back by a different route.

Except that the account mentions that Joseph received the instruction to get out of town from an angel. Nevertheless, your point isn’t unreasonable: we know that the wise men knew that Herod had asked them to return. We know that they were warned in a dream not to return. It’s not implausible that this dream happened before they found Jesus, and that they told their story to the Holy Family.