mary and joseph travel to jerusalem

Journeys of Mary and Joseph Map

Nazareth is the hometown of Mary and Joseph. In 5 B.C., just before the birth of Christ, the Romans require them to travel to their ancestral home (they were both of the lineage of King David) of Bethlehem. The couple travels the roughly 80 miles (about 129 kilometers) to the city, where Christ will be ultimately born in a stable and laid in a manger (Luke 2:1 - 20).

Jesus Is Circumcised

Jesus' birth, which occurs on or around the Feast of Trumpets (September 2 in 5 B.C.) fulfills the prophecy found in Micah 5:2. Joseph, on the eighth day after Mary gives birth, takes the family to Jerusalem so that the Lord can be circumcised according to the law of God (Luke 2:21).

Presented to God

Forty days after Jesus is born, fulfilling the purification requirement of Leviticus 12, Mary and Joseph travel to Jerusalem's temple to present him before God. The trip is only 6 miles (9.6 kilometers) long. His parents make an offering to the temple of two young birds. It is during their visit that a priest named Simeon prophesied about Jesus' mission in life and blessed his parents.

Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary, His mother, "Behold, this Child is set for the fall and rising up of many in Israel, and for a sign that shall be spoken against, "(And you also, a sword shall go through your own soul) in order that the imaginations of many hearts may be revealed." (Luke 2:34 - 35, HBFV).

Before Mary and Joseph leave the temple to return home a woman named Anna, a widowed prophetess who lived in Jerusalem, praises the Lord when she learns of Jesus' birth.

Now there was Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about eighty-four years . . . And at the same time she came up, giving praise to the Lord; and she spoke concerning Him to all those in Jerusalem who were waiting for redemption (Luke 2:36 - 38, HBFV).

The family then makes the short trip back to Bethlehem.

Back to Bethlehem

In Bethlehem, Jesus' family is living in a home and not a stable (Matthew 2:11). The wise men (Magi) from the East, guided by a star (an angel), arrive to worship the King of Kings with Mary in attendance.

And when they had come into the house, they found the little Child with Mary His mother, and they bowed down and worshiped Him; then they opened their treasures and presented their gifts to Him - gold and frankincense and myrrh (Matthew 2:22, HBFV).

After the wise men leave, Joseph is told (in a dream) to flee to Egypt (verse 13). He is informed of this because Herod the Great will soon issue a command that all male children two years old and younger, in and around Bethlehem, are to be put to death (Matthew 2:16).

Now after they (the Magi) had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise and take the little Child and His mother, and escape into Egypt, and remain there until I shall tell you; for Herod is about to seek the little Child to destroy Him." (Matthew 2:13, HBFV).

Mass Murder

Herod's cruel actions fulfill a prophecy regarding the slaughter of innocent children (Jeremiah 31:15). Their journey from Bethlehem to what is Egyptian-controlled territory (which was outside the jurisdiction of Herod) was at least 65 kilometers (40 miles).

After Herod dies in early 4 B.C., Joseph has a dream where an angel tells him it is safe to return to Israel. Mary and the family's trip to and from Egypt is a fulfillment of Bible prophecy (Hosea 11:1). They soon begin their travel back to Judea and Bethlehem.

Return to Bethlehem?

However, as Mary and Joseph approach Judea, it is discovered that Herod Archelaus, the eldest surviving son of Herod the Great, is the new ruler of the area. Like his father, Archelaus rules with tyranny and cruelty. John Gills' Exposition of the Bible states that one time he sent his entire army into Jerusalem's temple, at Passover, in order to kill 3,000 men suspected of sedition.

Joseph's fears about living within Judea are confirmed when God sends him a warning in a dream.

. . . an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in Egypt in a dream, saying, "Arise and take the little Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who were seeking the life of the little Child have died." And he arose and took the little Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of Herod his father, he was afraid to go there; and after being divinely instructed in a dream, he went into the parts of Galilee (Matthew 2:19 - 22, HBFV).

The family, instead of going back to Bethlehem, continue their journey and go northward to their hometown of Nazareth (Matthew 2:22 - 23). The city is part of Galilee, which is ruled by a another son of Herod the Great named Herod Antipas. This son had a slightly less violent disposition than Archelaus.

A Long Journey

The travels of Mary and Joseph from Egyptian territory all the way north to Nazareth is a journey of more than 140 miles (225 kilometers, see Luke 2:39 - 40)! Jesus spends his childhood and young adult years living in Nazareth (which fulfills the prophecy stated in Matthew 2:23).

After the death of his step-father sometime between his 12th and 30th birthday, Jesus continues to live in Nazareth until he journeys to Capernaum to begin his public ministry.

Map References Holy Bible, a Faithful Version John Gills' Exposition of the Bible

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• 2 June. Acts 13:14-52
• 3 June. Acts 14:1-7
• 4 June. Acts 14:8-20
• 5 June. Acts 14:21-28
• 6 June. Acts 15:1-20
• 7 June. Acts 15:22-35
• 8 June. Acts 15:36-16:5
• 9 June. Acts 16:6-8
• 10 June. Acts 16:9-10
• 11 June. Acts 16:13-15
• 12 June. Acts 16:16-24
• 13 June. Acts 16:25-34
• 14 June. Acts 16:35-40
• 15 June. Acts 17:1
• 16 June. Acts 17:1-9
• 17 June. Acts 17:10-15
• 18 June. Acts 17:16-33
• 19 June. Acts 18:1-11
• 20 June. Acts 18:12-17
• 21 June. Acts 18:18-23
• 22 June. Acts 18:24-28
• 23 June. Acts 19:1-7
• 24 June. Acts 19:8-10
• 25 June. Acts 19:11-20
• 26 June. Acts 19:23-20:1
• 27 June. Acts 20:1-3
• 28 June. Acts 20:3-6
• 29 June. Acts 20:7-12
• 30 June. Acts 20:13-38
• 1 July Acts 21:1-7
• 2 July Acts 21:7-15
• 3 July Acts 21:17-26
• 4 July Acts 21:27-40
• 5 July Acts 22:1-29
• 6 July Acts 22:30-23:11
• 7 July Acts 23:12-32
• 8 July Acts 24:1-26
• 9 July Acts 24:27-25:12
• 10 July Acts 25:13-27
• 11 July Acts 26:1-32
• 12 July Acts 27:1-6
• 13 July Acts 27:7-20
• 14 July Acts 27:21-44
• 15 July Acts 28:1-10
• 16 July Acts 28:11-31
• 17 July Colossians 4:2-17
• 18 July 2 Peter 1:1-2,3:1-16
• 19 July Galatians 1:1-24
• 20 July Galatians 2:1-10
• 21 July Galatians 3:1-14
• 22 July Galatians 3:19-29
• 23 July Galatians 4:1-31
• 24 July Galatians 5:16-25,6:1-18
• 25 July 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
• 26 July 1 Thessalonians 2:1-16
• 27 July 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13
• 28 July 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
• 29 July 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11
• 30 July 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28
• 31 July 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
• 1 Aug. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-15
• 2 Aug. 2 Thessalonians 3:1-18
• 3 Aug. 1 Corinthians 1:1-9
• 4 Aug. 1 Corinthians 1:10-17
• 5 Aug. 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
• 6 Aug. 1 Corinthians 2:1-16
• 7 Aug. 1 Corinthians 3:1-23
• 8 Aug. 1 Corinthians 4:1-17
• 9 Aug. 1 Corinthians 6:1-11
• 10 Aug. 1 Corinthians 7:1-16
• 11 Aug. 1 Corinthians 9:1-27
• 12 Aug. 1 Corinthians 10:16-17,11:20-34
• 13 Aug. 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
• 14 Aug. 1 Corinthians 12:12-31
• 15 Aug. 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
• 16 Aug. 1 Corinthians 14:1-25
• 17 Aug. 1 Corinthians 14:26-40
• 18 Aug. 1 Corinthians 15:1-26
• 19 Aug. 1 Corinthians 15:35-55
• 20 Aug. 1 Corinthians 16:1-24
• 21 Aug. 2 Corinthians 1:1-11
• 22 Aug. 2 Corinthians 2:12-17
• 23 Aug. 2 Corinthians 3:5-18
• 24 Aug. 2 Corinthians 4:1-6
• 25 Aug. 2 Corinthians 4:7-18
• 26 Aug. 2 Corinthians 5:1-10
• 27 Aug. 2 Corinthians 5:14-21
• 28 Aug. 2 Corinthians 6:1-18,7:1
• 29 Aug. 2 Corinthians 8:1-12
• 30 Aug. 2 Corinthians 11:16-33
• 31 Aug. 2 Corinthians 12:1-10
• 1 Sept. 2 Corinthians 13:5-14
• 2 Sept. Romans 1:1-7
• 3 Sept. Romans 1:18-32
• 4 Sept. Romans 2:1-11
• 5 Sept. Romans 3:19-31
• 6 Sept. Romans 4:1-16
• 7 Sept. Romans 5:1-11
• 8 Sept. Romans 6:1-14
• 9 Sept. Romans 7:1-6
• 10 Sept. Romans 8:5-17
• 11 Sept. Romans 8:18-30
• 12 Sept. Romans 8:31-39
• 13 Sept. Romans 10:1-13
• 14 Sept. Romans 12:1-21
• 15 Sept. Romans 13:1-10
• 16 Sept. Romans 14:1-12
• 17 Sept. Romans 15:1-33
• 18 Sept. Romans 16:1-27
• 19 Sept. Ephesians 1:1-10
• 20 Sept. Ephesians 1:11-22
• 21 Sept. Ephesians 2:1-10
• 22 Sept. Ephesians 2:11-22
• 23 Sept. Ephesians 3:1-13
• 24 Sept. Ephesians 3:14-21
• 25 Sept. Ephesians 4:1-16
• 26 Sept. Ephesians 4:17-32
• 27 Sept. Ephesians 5:1-20
• 28 Sept. Ephesians 5:21-33
• 29 Sept. Ephesians 6:1-9
• 30 Sept. Ephesians 6:10-18
• 1 Oct. Ephesians 6:18-24
• 2 Oct. Colossians 1:1-14
• 3 Oct. Colossians 1:15-23
• 4 Oct. Colossians 2:1-15
• 5 Oct. Colossians 2:16-23
• 6 Oct. Colossians 3:1-17
• 7 Oct. Colossians 3:18-4:6
• 8 Oct. Colossians 4:7-18
• 9 Oct. Philemon 1:1-7
• 10 Oct. Philemon 1:7-25
• 11 Oct. Philippians 1:1-11
• 12 Oct. Philippians 1:12-26
• 13 Oct. Philippians 2:1-18
• 14 Oct. Philippians 3:1-21
• 15 Oct. Philippians 4:1-23
• 16 Oct. 1 Timothy 1:1-7
• 17 Oct. 1 Timothy 1:12-20
• 18 Oct. 1 Timothy 2:1-15
• 19 Oct. 1 Timothy 3:1-13
• 20 Oct. 1 Timothy 4:1-16
• 21 Oct. 1 Timothy 5:1-22
• 22 Oct. 1 Timothy 6:3-21
• 23 Oct. Titus 1:1-14
• 24 Oct. Titus 2:1-15
• 25 Oct. Titus 3:1-15
• 26 Oct. 2 Timothy 1:1-18
• 27 Oct. 2 Timothy 2:1-26
• 28 Oct. 2 Timothy 3:1-17
• 29 Oct. 2 Timothy 4:6-22
• 30 Oct. James 1:1-21
• 31 Oct. James 2:14-19,4:11-12
• 1 Nov. Jude 1:1-24
• 2 Nov. 1 Peter 1:1-11
• 3 Nov. 1 Peter 2:1-10
• 4 Nov. 2 Peter 1:1-19
• 5 Nov. 2 Peter 3:1-16
• 6 Nov. 1 John 1:5-9
• 7 Nov. 1 John 1:1-4
• 8 Nov. 1 John 2:7-17
• 9 Nov. 1 John 2:18-19
• 10 Nov. 1 John 2:20-29
• 11 Nov. 1 John 3:11-24
• 12 Nov. 1 John 4:7-20
• 13 Nov. 2 John 1:1-13
• 14 Nov. 3 John 1:1-15
• 15 Nov. Revelation 1:1-11
• 16 Nov. Revelation 2:1-7
• 17 Nov. Revelation 2:8-11
• 18 Nov. Revelation 2:12-17
• 19 Nov. Revelation 2:18-27
• 20 Nov. Revelation 3:1-6
• 21 Nov. Revelation 3:7-13
• 22 Nov. Revelation 3:14-22
• 23 Nov. Revelation 4:1-11
• 24 Nov. Revelation 5:1-14
• 25 Nov. Revelation 6:1-17
• 26 Nov. Revelation 7:1-17
• 27 Nov. Revelation 12:1-9
• 28 Nov. Revelation 17:1-18:19
• 29 Nov. Revelation 20:1-15
• 30 Nov. Revelation 21:1-27
• 1 Dec. Luke 1:5-20
• 2 Dec. Luke 1:26,39-56
• 3 Dec. Luke 1:57-80
• 4 Dec. Luke 3:1-16
• 5 Dec. Luke 3:15-20
• 6 Dec. Mark 1:1-8
• 7 Dec. Matt 3:13-17, John 1:28-34
• 8 Dec. Mark 6:14-29
• 9 Dec. Matthew 11:2-15
• 10 Dec. Luke 1:26-38
• 11 Dec. Luke 2:1-5
• 12 Dec. Luke 2:6-7
• 13 Dec. Matthew 1:1-17,22-23
• 14 Dec. Luke 2:8-14
• 15 Dec. Luke 2:15-20
• 16 Dec. Luke 2:21-24
• 17 Dec. Luke 2:25-35
• 18 Dec. Matthew 2:1-6
• 19 Dec. Matthew 2:7-9
• 20 Dec. Matthew 2:10-12
• 21 Dec. Matthew 2:13-14
• 22 Dec. Matthew 2:14-15
• 23 Dec. Matthew 2:16-18
• 24 Dec. Matthew 2:19-23
• 25 Dec. John 1:1-14
• 26 Dec. Luke 2:40-43
• 27 Dec. Luke 2:43-52
• 28 Dec. Hebrews 1:1-4
• 29 Dec. Hebrews 3:1-4:1
• 30 Dec. Hebrews 4:14-5:6
• 31 Dec. Hebrews 9:1-5,11-15
• 1 Jan. Genesis 1:1 - 2:3
• 2 Jan. Genesis 2:4-24
• 3 Jan. Genesis 2:8-17
• 4 Jan. Genesis 3:1-23
• 5 Jan. Genesis 4:1-16
• 6 Jan. Genesis 4:17-26
• 7 Jan. Genesis 6:5-22
• 8 Jan. Genesis 7:11-24
• 9 Jan. Genesis 8:1-17
• 10 Jan. Genesis 9:1-16
• 11 Jan. Genesis 10:11-12,32
• 12 Jan. Genesis 11:1-9
• 13 Jan. Genesis 11:27&37,12:1-7
• 14 Jan. Genesis 12:6,8-20
• 15 Jan. Genesis 13:1-18
• 16 Jan. Genesis 14:8-20
• 17 Jan. Genesis 15:1-11,17-21
• 18 Jan. Genesis 16:1-16
• 19 Jan. Genesis 17:1-16
• 20 Jan. Genesis 18:1-16
• 21 Jan. Genesis 19:1-26
• 22 Jan. Genesis 21:1-21
• 23 Jan. Genesis 22:1-18
• 24 Jan. Genesis 23:1-19
• 25 Jan. Genesis 24:1-61
• 26 Jan. Genesis 24:61-67
• 27 Jan. Genesis 25:1-11
• 28 Jan. Genesis 25:19-21,24-34
• 29 Jan. Genesis 26:1-9,12-15,23-25
• 30 Jan. Genesis 27:1-23,30-33,42-45
• 31 Jan. Genesis 28:10-22
• 1 Feb. Genesis 29:1-30
• 2 Feb. Genesis 29:31-35,30:1-12,17-24
• 3 Feb. Genesis 30:25-43
• 4 Feb. Genesis 31:1-21
• 5 Feb. Genesis 31:25-55
• 6 Feb. Genesis 32:1-8,13,22-30
• 7 Feb. Genesis 33:1-11
• 8 Feb. Genesis 33:12-20
• 9 Feb. Genesis 35:1-7
• 10 Feb. Genesis 35:9-15
• 11 Feb. Genesis 35:16-21,27-29
• 12 Feb. Genesis 37:1-11
• 13 Feb. Genesis 37:12-24
• 14 Feb. Genesis 37:25-34
• 15 Feb. Genesis 39:1-6
• 16 Feb. Genesis 39:6-22
• 17 Feb. Genesis 40:1-23
• 18 Feb. Genesis 41:1-14
• 19 Feb. Genesis 41:15-37
• 20 Feb. Genesis 41:39-57
• 21 Feb. Genesis 42:1-38
• 22 Feb. Genesis 43:1-33
• 23 Feb. Genesis 45:1-28
• 24 Feb. Genesis 46:1-7,28-30
• 25 Feb. Genesis 47:1-7,11-12,27-31
• 26 Feb. Genesis 50:1-26
• 27 Feb. Exodus 1:1-14
• 28 Feb. Exodus 1:15-22
• 1 Mar. Exodus 2:1-10
• 2 Mar. Exodus 2:11-15
• 3 Mar. Exodus 2:16-22
• 4 Mar. Exodus 3:1-10
• 5 Mar. Exodus 3:11-20
• 6 Mar. Exodus 4:1-17
• 7 Mar. Exodus 4:18-31
• 8 Mar. Exodus 5:1-21
• 9 Mar. Exodus 5:22-6:9
• 10 Mar. Exodus 7:14-21
• 11 Mar. Exodus 11:1-10
• 12 Mar. Exodus 12:1-17
• 13 Mar. Exodus 12:21-30
• 14 Mar. Exodus 12:29-40
• 15 Mar. Exodus 13:17-14:4
• 16 Mar. Exodus 14:5-31
• 17 Mar. Exodus 15:1-27
• 18 Mar. Exodus 16:1-18,31
• 19 Mar. Exodus 17:1-7
• 20 Mar. Exodus 17:8-16
• 21 Mar. Exodus 18:1-27
• 22 Mar. Exodus 19:1-11,14-19
• 23 Mar. Exodus 20:1-20
• 24 Mar. Exodus 21:1-23:17
• 25 Mar. Exodus 24:12-18
• 26 Mar. Exodus 25:1-26,33
• 27 Mar. Exodus 32:1-20
• 28 Mar. Exodus 32:21-35
• 29 Mar. Exodus 34:1-22,27-29
• 30 Mar. Exodus 40:1-21,33-36
• 31 Mar. Leviticus 1;1-14:4
• 1 Apr. Numbers 1:1-2:34
• 2 Apr. Numbers 10:11-11:35
• 3 Apr. Numbers 12:1-16
• 4 Apr. Numbers 13:1-33
• 5 Apr. Numbers 14:1-38
• 6 Apr. Numbers 14:41-45
• 7 Apr. Numbers 16:1-40
• 8 Apr. Numbers 16:41-17:11
• 9 Apr. Numbers 20:1-13
• 10 Apr. Numbers 20:14-21:4
• 11 Apr. Numbers 21:4-9
• 12 Apr. Numbers 21:10-20
• 13 Apr. Numbers 21:21-35
• 14 Apr. Numbers 22:1-24:25
• 15 Apr. Numbers 25:1-18
• 16 Apr. Numbers 26:1-65
• 17 Apr. Numbers 27:12-23
• 18 Apr. Numbers 31:1-16,25-31
• 19 Apr. Numbers 32:1-38
• 20 Apr. Numbers 34:1-18,35:1-12
• 21 Apr. Deuteronomy 8:1-11
• 22 Apr. Deuteronomy 34:1-12
• 23 Apr. Joshua 1:1-18
• 24 Apr. Joshua 2:1-24
• 25 Apr. Joshua 3:1-17
• 26 Apr. Joshua 4:1-24,5:1
• 27 Apr. Joshua 6:1-27
• 28 Apr. Joshua 7:1-26
• 29 Apr. Joshua 8:1-29
• 30 Apr. Joshua 8:30-35
• 1 May. Joshua 9:1-27
• 2 May. Joshua 10:1-28
• 3 May. Joshua 10:29-43
• 4 May. Joshua 11:1-14
• 5 May. Joshua 13:1-8,14:1-4,18:1
• 6 May. Joshua 20:1-9
• 7 May. Joshua 22:1-16,21,28,30-34
• 8 May. Joshua 23:1-16,24:14-16,22-27
• 9 May. Joshua 24:29-33
• 10 May. Judges 1:1-11,17-19
• 11 May. Judges 2:1-5,10-15
• 12 May. Judges 2:16-23
• 13 May. Judges 3:5-11
• 14 May. Judges 3:12-30
• 15 May. Judges 4:1-24,5:31
• 16 May. Judges 6:1-27
• 17 May. Judges 6:33-40
• 18 May. Judges 7:1-25
• 19 May. Judges 8:4-28
• 20 May. Judges 8:29-9:21
• 21 May. Judges 9:22-49
• 22 May. Judges 9:50-57
• 23 May. Judges 10:1-16
• 24 May. Judges 10:17-11:33
• 25 May. Judges 11:30-31,34-40
• 26 May. Judges 12:1-6
• 27 May. Judges 12:7-15,13:1
• 28 May. Judges 13:2-25
• 29 May. Judges 14:1-11
• 30 May. Judges 14:12-20
• 31 May. Judges 15:1-8
• 1 June Judges 15:9-20
• 2 June Judges 16:1-3
• 3 June Judges 16:4-15
• 4 June Judges 16:16-31
• 5 June Judges 17:1-13
• 6 June Judges 18:1-31
• 7 June Judges 19:1-30
• 8 June Judges 20:1-48
• 9 June Judges 21:1-23
• 10 June Job 1:1-22
• 11 June Job 2:1-13
• 12 June Job 3:11-13:8
• 13 June Job 38:1-42:17
• 14 June Ruth 1:1-22
• 15 June Ruth 2:1-23
• 16 June Ruth 3:1-18
• 17 June Ruth 4:1-17
• 18 June 1 Samuel 1:1-20
• 19 June 1 Samuel 1:21-2:2
• 20 June 1 Samuel 2:11-12,18-26
• 21 June 1 Samuel 3:1-21
• 22 June 1 Samuel 4:1-18
• 23 June 1 Samuel 5:1-12
• 24 June 1 Samuel 6:1-21,7:1
• 25 June 1 Samuel 7:2-17
• 26 June 1 Samuel 8:1-22
• 27 June 1 Samuel 9:1-27,10:1
• 28 June 1 Samuel 10:1-11
• 29 June 1 Samuel 10:13-25
• 30 June 1 Samuel 11:1-15
• 1 July 1 Samuel 12:1-25
• 2 July 1 Samuel 13:2-7
• 3 July 1 Samuel 13:8-15
• 4 July 1 Samuel 14:1-23
• 5 July 1 Samuel 14:24-46
• 6 July 1 Samuel 14:47-15:9
• 7 July 1 Samuel 15:10-31
• 8 July 1 Samuel 16:1-13
• 9 July 1 Samuel 16:14-23
• 10 July 1 Samuel 17:1-52
• 11 July 1 Samuel 17:57-58,18:1-16
• 12 July 1 Samuel 18:17-29
• 13 July 1 Samuel 19:1-18
• 14 July 1 Samuel 20:1-47
• 15 July 1 Samuel 21:1-9
• 16 July 1 Samuel 21:10-11,22:1-5
• 17 July 1 Samuel 22:6-19
• 18 July 1 Samuel 23:1-13
• 19 July 1 Samuel 24:1-22
• 20 July 1 Samuel 25:1-44
• 21 July 1 Samuel 26:1-25
• 22 July 1 Samuel 27:1-12
• 23 July 1 Samuel 28:1-20
• 24 July 1 Samuel 29:1-11
• 25 July 1 Samuel 30:1-31
• 26 July 1 Samuel 31:1-13
• 27 July 2 Samuel 1:1-16
• 28 July 2 Samuel 2:1-7
• 29 July 2 Samuel 2:8-17
• 30 July 2 Samuel 3:1,6-21
• 31 July 2 Samuel 3:22-32
• 1 Aug. 2 Samuel 4:1-12
• 2 Aug. 2 Samuel 5:1-12
• 3 Aug. 2 Samuel 5:17-25
• 4 Aug. 2 Samuel 6:1-23
• 5 Aug. 2 Samuel 7:1-17
• 6 Aug. 2 Samuel 8:1-14
• 7 Aug. 2 Samuel 9:1-13
• 8 Aug. 2 Samuel 10:1-14
• 9 Aug. 2 Samuel 11:1-17,26-27
• 10 Aug. 2 Samuel 12:1-18
• 11 Aug. 2 Samuel 12:24-31
• 12 Aug. 2 Samuel 13:1-39
• 13 Aug. 2 Samuel 14:21-33
• 14 Aug. 2 Samuel 15:1-12
• 15 Aug. 2 Samuel 15:13-37
• 16 Aug. 2 Samuel 16:1-22
• 17 Aug. 2 Samuel 17:1-29
• 18 Aug. 2 Samuel 18:1-33
• 19 Aug. 2 Samuel 19:1-18
• 20 Aug. 1 Kings 1:5-27
• 21 Aug. 1 Kings 1:28-53
• 22 Aug. 1 Kings 2:1-12
• 23 Aug. 1 Kings 2:13-46
• 24 Aug. 1 Kings 3:1-15
• 25 Aug. 1 Kings 3:16-28
• 26 Aug. 1 Kings 4:7,20-34
• 27 Aug. 1 Kings 5:1-18
• 28 Aug. 1 Kings 6:1-22,38
• 29 Aug. 1 Kings 7:1-12
• 30 Aug. 1 Kings 7:13-30,37-38,45-46
• 31 Aug. 1 Kings 8:1-11
• 1 Sept. 1 Kings 8:22-34,54-57,62-63
• 2 Sept. 1 Kings 9:1-9
• 3 Sept. 1 Kings 10:1-10,13
• 4 Sept. 1 Kings 11:1-13
• 5 Sept. 1 Kings 11:14-40
• 6 Sept. 1 Kings 11:42-12:20
• 7 Sept. 1 Kings 12:25-33
• 8 Sept. 1 Kings 14:1-20
• 9 Sept. 1 Kings 14:21-31
• 10 Sept. 1 Kings 15:1-16
• 11 Sept. 1 Kings 15:25-29,17-24
• 12 Sept. 1 Kings 16:1-22
• 13 Sept. 1 Kings 16:23-28
• 14 Sept. 1 Kings 16:29-33
• 15 Sept. 1 Kings 17:1-16
• 16 Sept. 1 Kings 17:17-24
• 17 Sept. 1 Kings 18:1-9,15-21
• 18 Sept. 1 Kings 18:22-40
• 19 Sept. 1 Kings 18:41-46
• 20 Sept. 1 Kings 19:1-18
• 21 Sept. 1 Kings 19:19-21
• 22 Sept. 1 Kings 20:1-22
• 23 Sept. 1 Kings 21:1-16
• 24 Sept. 1 Kings 21:17-29
• 25 Sept. 1 Kings 22:1-40
• 26 Sept. 2 Kings 1:1-18
• 27 Sept. 2 Kings 2:1-15
• 28 Sept. 2 Kings 3:1-27
• 29 Sept. 2 Kings 2:19-22,4:1-7
• 30 Sept. 2 Kings 4:8-37
• 1 Oct. 2 Kings 4:38-44
• 2 Oct. 2 Kings 5:1-15
• 3 Oct. 2 Kings 6:8-23
• 4 Oct. 2 Kings 8:7-15
• 5 Oct. 2 Kings 9:1-25
• 6 Oct. 2 Kings 9:30-37
• 7 Oct. 2 Kings 12:1-12
• 8 Oct. 2 Kings 13:1-9
• 9 Oct. 2 Kings 13:14-21
• 10 Oct. 2 Kings 14:23-29
• 11 Oct. 2 Kings 15:19-20,16:15-18
• 12 Oct. 2 Kings 17:1-18
• 13 Oct. 2 Kings 17:24-34
• 14 Oct. 2 Kings 18:1-8
• 15 Oct. 2 Kings 18:13-21,28-31,36
• 16 Oct. 2 Kings 19:1-10,19-20,32-36
• 17 Oct. 2 Kings 20:1-11
• 18 Oct. 2 Kings 20:12-21
• 19 Oct. 2 Kings 22:1-13
• 20 Oct. 2 Kings 23:1-4,8-11,21-25
• 21 Oct. 2 Kings 23:29-37
• 22 Oct. 2 Kings 24:1-7
• 23 Oct. 2 Kings 24:8-18
• 24 Oct. 2 Kings 25:1-21
• 25 Oct. Daniel 1:1-17
• 26 Oct. Daniel 3:9-15,19-20,24-30
• 27 Oct. Daniel 5:1-13,16-18,20-31
• 28 Oct. Daniel 6:1-11,16-17,19-23
• 29 Oct. Daniel 7:1-9,11-14,16-18
• 30 Oct. Daniel 11:1-9
• 31 Oct. Daniel 12:1-13
• 1 Nov. Ezra 1:1-11
• 2 Nov. Ezra 2:1-70
• 3 Nov. Ezra 3:1-13
• 4 Nov. Ezra 4:1-13,19-21
• 5 Nov. Ezra 5:1-9,6:1-4.13-22
• 6 Nov. Ezra 7:1-6,11-23,8:31-36
• 7 Nov. Nehemiah 1:1-4,2:1-10
• 8 Nov. Nehemiah 2:11-20
• 9 Nov. Nehemiah 4:1-23
• 10 Nov. Nehemiah 5:1-16,6:1-3,15-16
• 11 Nov. Nehemiah 8:1-12
• 12 Nov. Nehemiah 12:27-43
• 13 Nov. Esther 2:1-18
• 14 Nov. Esther 2:19-23
• 15 Nov. Esther 3:1-13
• 16 Nov. Esther 4:1-16
• 17 Nov. Esther 5:1-14
• 18 Nov. Esther 6:1-14
• 19 Nov. Esther 7:1-10
• 20 Nov. Esther 8:1-14
• 21 Nov. Esther 9:1-17,24-28
• 22 Nov. Amos 1:1-15,2:1-2
• 23 Nov. Amos 5:1-7,10-15
• 24 Nov. Hosea 1:1-11
• 25 Nov. Hosea 9:1-9
• 26 Nov. Micah 1:1-9
• 27 Nov. Micah 4:1-5,5:1-5
• 28 Nov. Isaiah 1:1-7,11-20
• 29 Nov. Isaiah 7:1-17,8:3-4
• 30 Nov. Isaiah 9:1-7
• 1 Dec. Isaiah 10:28-34,11:1-10
• 2 Dec. Isaiah 40:1-11
• 3 Dec. Isaiah 44:1-11
• 4 Dec. Isaiah 45:1-7,13-17
• 5 Dec. Isaiah 52:13-15,53:1-12
• 6 Dec. Isaiah 60:1-14
• 7 Dec. Nahum 2:1-13
• 8 Dec. Jeremiah 6:1-8,13-23
• 9 Dec. Jeremiah 7:1-11
• 10 Dec. Jeremiah 18:1-12
• 11 Dec. Jeremiah 19:1-13
• 12 Dec. Jeremiah 23:1-8
• 13 Dec. Jeremiah 26:1-15
• 14 Dec. Jeremiah 29:1-12
• 15 Dec. Zephaniah 1:1-13
• 16 Dec. Habakkuk 1:1-13
• 17 Dec. Ezekiel 1:1-17,22-28
• 18 Dec. Ezekiel 10:1-19,11:22-24
• 19 Dec. Ezekiel 17:1-10
• 20 Dec. Ezekiel 33:21-26,34:1-24
• 21 Dec. Ezekiel 37:1-14
• 22 Dec. Ezekiel 40:1-31
• 23 Dec. Ezekiel 43:1-12
• 24 Dec. Obadiah 1:1-11
• 25 Dec. Haggai 1:1-15
• 26 Dec. Zechariah 1:1-6
• 27 Dec. Zechariah 9:9-17
• 28 Dec. Zechariah 14:1-11
• 29 Dec. Malachi 3:1-5,4:1-6
• 30 Dec. Joel 2:1-11
• 31 Dec. Joel 2:25-32
• Bible Journey 1
• 1. The World of the New Testament Journeys
• 2. John the Baptist's Journeys
• 3. Jesus's Childhood Journeys
• 4. Jesus's Journeys around Galilee
• 5. Jesus's Journeys beyond Galilee
• 6. Jesus's Last Journey to Jerusalem
• 7. Journeys of Jesus's Followers
• 8. Paul's Journey to Damascus
• 9. Paul's Journey to Cyprus, Pamphylia & Galatia
• 10. Paul's Journey to Phrygia, Macedonia & Archaia
• 11. Paul's Journey to Ephesus, Philippi & Corinth
• 12. Paul's Journey to Rome
• 13. Paul's Letters to Galatia & Thessalonica
• 14. Paul's Letters to Corinth & Rome
• 15. Paul's Letters to Ephesus, Colossae & Philippi
• 16. Paul's Letters to Timothy & Titus
• 17. The Letter to the Jewish believers in Antioch
• 18. Letters from James, Jude & Peter
• 19. John's Letters to the believers in Asia Minor
• 20. John's Revelation to the 7 Churches of Asia
• 21. The Romano-Jewish world of the New Testament

Lk. 2:1-5         Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem in Judaea , where Joseph’s family live (see 1 on Map 4 ). The journey takes four or five days as Nazareth is 65 miles / 105 km north of Jerusalem  (in a straight line), while Bethlehem is a hilltop town situated on a ridge near the edge of the Judaean desert , 5 miles / 8km south of Jerusalem .

Map 4  The Birth of Jesus

                The Roman Census

Luke, writing his gospel in 60-62AD for a Roman audience (see Luke 1:3), gives the census ordered by Augustus Caesar (who was emperor from 27BC to 14AD) as the reason why Mary and Joseph travelled from Nazareth to Bethlehem before the birth of Jesus (see Luke 2:1-3 and 1 on Map 4 ). He explains that, as men had to register at their home town (so they could be taxed by the Romans), Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem because Joseph was a descendent of King David and Joseph’s family came from Bethlehem (see Matthew 1:1 & 1 Samuel 16:1&13). Luke states that the census took place when Quirinius was the Roman governor of Syria .

The Jewish historian Josephus confirms that a general taxation was indeed overseen by Cyrenius (Quirinius).  He notes, however, that Cyrenius was appointed as Governor of the province of Syria when the Romans deposed Archelaus (Herod the Great’s son) as ruler of Judaea in 6AD. Judaea was then taken under direct Roman rule and incorporated into the Roman province of Syria . This resulted in a revolt led by Judas of Gamala (‘Judas the Galilean’), a Jewish zealot (see Acts 5:37).

As Jesus was born in 6 or 5BC, this Roman census occurred eleven or twelve years after his birth. As Jesus was born while Herod the Great was King of Judaea , no Roman governor of Syria would have had the jurisdiction to organise a census and general taxation in Judaea at the time of Jesus’s birth.

It appears, therefore, that Luke was mistaken when giving this Roman census as the cause of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem . Whatever the reason, Joseph made the decision to return to his family home in Bethlehem in time for his newly betrothed wife to give birth amongst his close relatives.

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What Was Mary and Joseph’s Journey to Bethlehem Like?

December 23, 2023 by Deacon Frederick Bartels 8 Comments

Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem was no easy trip. After such a long, dangerous and grueling journey, Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem, a name which means “house of bread.” It is fitting that the Christ-Child born there is the bread of life who gives himself—his flesh and blood—as food for eternal life.

By Deacon Frederick Bartels 12 January 2019

When we think of Christmas, we often think of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem, the city of David in which Jesus was born. The pregnant and delicate Mary riding on a donkey, Joseph confidently leading the way as her husband and protector with staff in hand, the demanding and dangerous trip to Bethlehem, finding no room available at the inn upon their arrival and thus giving birth to Jesus in a cave that served as a stable. But what would the trip to Bethlehem have been like for Mary and Joseph and the Child in her womb?

To answer that question, we have to begin by considering what Mary was like. When we think of her, we often think of pious images of a delicate, light-skinned woman adorned in unblemished, ornate robes whose hands never saw a day of laundry. As wonderful as these sacred images are, they cannot possibly convey accurately the real Mary as a poor first-century Palestinian Jewish girl—albeit a singularly extraordinary one.

Read: A Christmas Reflection on Trust in Providence.

There’s no reason to think Mary was anything but intimately familiar with long days of hard work, as were other Jewish women of her place and time whose daily lives entailed various challenges far removed from technologically advanced, modern-day lives in first world nations. Mary likely began her day at sunrise by preparing a meal, perhaps of bread and olive oil with dried fish. Water needed to be carried and stored for drinking, cleaning, bathing and washing clothes. Food, such as ground wheat-flour, had to be collected and prepared; firewood gathered for cooking and providing warmth in winter; clothes laundered. Consequently, Mary’s work-day was perhaps ten hours long. To keep up, she had to be strong and efficient.

Joseph would be no less familiar with tough times and demanding labor. His days as a tradesman—a carpenter—began at sunup and continued until the light had gone or nearly so. He was strong and resilient, with rough, calloused hands.

It’s likely neither Mary nor Joseph were literate, as was typical of the majority of people in their day. They would have spoke Aramaic and had a familiarity with Latin and Greek. Some historical scholars believe that, in Nazareth, Mary and Joseph lived in what might be described as a small housing complex, as was often typical. It consisted of perhaps four small, one-room houses made of stone with dirt floors, connected by a central courtyard used for cooking and gathering. It was often the case that family members or kin shared these complexes, which helped them—especially the women—to share the heavy load of daily tasks.

Mary and Joseph, of course, lived under the burden of Roman judicial and military rule. They were taxed by both Temple and Rome; they had firsthand experience with the painful gap of inequality between rich and poor, and the oppressive economic and social policies of the Roman Empire:

The social and economic policy of the Roman Empire could well be summarised in a phrase: “the Roman system of inequality.” Governing the entire Mediterranean world, Rome maintained its domination through judicial institutions developing legislation concerning property ownership and labour control – and through the use of brutal force. The whole system was based heavily on the inequality of people, which was thought to be either natural or at least inevitable, in order to secure peace and stability in the society. Häkkinen, Sakari. (2016). Poverty in the first-century Galilee. HTS Theological Studies, 72(4), 1-9.

Yet the society in which Mary and Joseph lived was not at all stable, let alone peaceful. All of this serves as a backdrop for the 90 mile journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem—initiated by Joseph’s requirement to participate in a Roman census. Mary and Joseph were familiar with hardship, which means the journey, as difficult and grueling as it was, would not have greatly intimidated the Holy Family.

But what was it like? Do we really have any idea? Probably not. It was difficult, strenuous and highly dangerous. The gospels fail to convey just how challenging it was. James Strange , a New Testament and biblical archeology professor, had this to say: Writers of the gospels of Matthew and Luke “are so laconic about the [Nativity] event because they assume the reader would know what it was like. [W]e have no idea how difficult it was.”

How long would it have taken to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem? People could perhaps travel about twenty miles a day. However, given Mary’s late stage of pregnancy, that number would have been much less, perhaps around ten miles a day. This means their journey likely took place over a ten-day period.

The hazards were many. Wild animals, bandits, desert robbers—all these and more factored into the nature of the trip. The valley of the Jordan river was a forested refuge for lions, bears and wild boar. Archeologists have uncovered signs warning travelers of these kinds of dangers ( ibid .).

Assuming the Holy Family traveled in winter and Jesus was born in December (there’s no hard evidence indicating he was not), it’s possible the Holy Family may have encountered cold temperatures. The record low for Bethlehem is 25° (since these records have been maintained, which is only recently). However, severe weather in the area of Nazareth and Bethlehem is rare. Normally in December and January, lows are around 41° with highs into the upper 40s and above (temperatures can reach into the 70s). Nevertheless, their travel experience was far different than it is today, lacking, as it did, modern-day conveniences made possible by a broad network of paved roads and automobiles. Consequently, warm clothing would be required for nighttime temperatures and a fire would need to be lit for warmth and to help stave off hungry predators. Additionally, rain is possible in the wet season, which runs from October through April.

For provisions, Mary and Joseph would have relied on bread, herbs and oil, with perhaps some dried fish as an extra protein-boosting treat. Water would need to be carried, perhaps in wineskins.

After such a long, dangerous and grueling trip, Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem, a name which means “house of bread.” It is fitting that the Christ-Child born there is the bread of life who gives himself—his flesh and blood—as food for eternal life. But, due to the census, Bethlehem is overcrowded. There is no room in the inn. There is no room for Mary and Joseph anywhere, except in a cave—likely on the lower level of the inn—used as a stable to house animals, probably the very animals travelers had relied upon to get to Bethlehem, travelers who perhaps had arrived earlier and were staying at the inn.

The omnipotent Creator of the universe assumes human flesh and is born of a poor, young Jewish virgin named Mary, birthed in a stable and laid in a manger of poverty. Heaven comes down to earth. The light of humanity enters the world through the womb of Mary, the Mother of God, where men shun and reject him. God becomes man and takes the form of a slave in service to all. And, all the while, the cross stands erect on the horizon of his earthly life as Jesus of Nazareth.

All of this takes place in order to restore humankind to communion with God. What mystery. What love!

Merry Christmas.

Photo Credit: Pixabay, free use photo.

This post was updated on 14 January 2019 to better reflect temperature conditions in the areas of Nazareth and Bethlehem.

Deacon Frederick Bartels is a member of the Catholic clergy who serves the Church in the diocese of Pueblo. He holds an MA in Theology and Educational Ministry and is a Catholic educator, public speaker, and evangelist who strives to infuse culture with the saving principles of the gospel. For more, visit YouTube , iTunes and Twitter .

Reader Interactions

November 1, 2020 at 03:38

thank you for your writing I have been doing an independent study of Jesus Birth I always figure that there travel would have been a long tough road so to speak. I wonder if they traveled alone or with a group. the Bible does not seem to say. I would think they did because of the dangers. Luke talks about the travel and that when they were in Bethlehem and when it was time for her to give birth there was no room in the Inn. My understanding from what I read was the Inns had no separate room just drape or rug separating floor space and that giving birth would be a difficult and she gave birth in the stable below the inn using a manger as a crib. I am of the understanding the stables were below the inn so that the heart of the animals would rise and warm the Inn. I would love to read more and if available please forward info, Thank you

November 9, 2020 at 19:02

Thank you for this information. It gives a wonderful realistic view of our Lord’s birth. I will be putting some of this information to use this holiday season. I’m trying something new with my family and we will be camping several days over Christmas. Christmas Eve, we will fast and pray and discuss as a family the reality of what Mary and Joseph went through. Christmas day we will celebrate using foods that would have been eaten by the Holy Family. We will sing happy birthday to Jesus and rather than exchange gifts we will have have a treasure hunt for our children. They will be given clues on gold stars and a small baby doll (Jesus) will be hidden. They will search for baby Jesus and the one who finds him will place him in a manger we will set up. A very different Christmas than what my family is used to!

December 8, 2020 at 04:37

Tina, I would love to hear how this different CHristmas goes with your family, I will pray that it will be a meaningful one.

December 19, 2020 at 22:53

Thank you for writing the truth of our Lords birth. And the hardships and Faith Mary and Joseph had. It is easy to commercialize the birth. But as Christian’s, I believe we need to realize the actual hardships they faced. Also to realize the actual commitment of Christianity.

December 21, 2021 at 09:54

I loved this!

November 15, 2022 at 18:32

There is actually ample evidence to prove Jesus was most likely born in September. Do your Berean job and consider when Johns father was told his wife would have a son. Take everything from that moment and add 6 Months for how many Months along Elizabeth was when Mary visited her, and I believe you will agree with me that September is more accurate, and besides, in the Winter, the sheep are not kept out at night in the Winter around Bethlehem, too cold.

November 23, 2022 at 07:51

Chuck Ness,

Did you read the article? Lows in December in and around Bethlehem are normally in the 40s. That’s plenty warm for sheep. The worn out idea that it was too cold for the sheep to be pastured at that time of year has been proven wrong time and time again.

December 28, 2022 at 07:23

Thank you for your article. Re the time of year of Jesus birth – we read in Luke’s gospel that the shepherds were out in the fields keeping watch over their flocks – from this we can know that the shepherds were village rather than nomadic shepherds (the sheep of nomadic shepherds would have grazed the wilderness). Also the time of year – sheep were put out in the fields after the harvest, to graze on whatever was left. This would have bee in the fallow period of approx July – October. So it’s very unlikely that Jesus was born in December as the crops would have been planted.

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The Journey of Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem

Born and raised in London, Daniel fulfilled his dream of living in Israel after graduating from high school. He enlisted in the IDF and served to defend his new Homeland. Daniel is deeply motivated to share the rich history and beauty of the Land of Israel, both ancient and modern, with others.

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Kelli Harris researches, writes, and edits content for a variety of niches such as philosophy, culture and more.

Updated August 8, 2024.

The story of the birth of Christ is significant to Christians as this is where the story of Christmas begins, but what about the events leading up to His birth? The circumstances surrounding the time is not as widely known as the nativity story. Mary and Joseph had to travel far and under dangerous conditions to get from their home in Nazareth to the childhood home of Joseph in Bethlehem. Once they arrived in Bethlehem, they faced further challenges.

Let's take a deeper look at their journey, including why they went to Bethlehem, how they got there, and the events which transpired at the time of their arrival.

Why Did Mary and Joseph Go to Bethlehem?

Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem to participate in a census ordered by Caesar Augustus. This was ultimately so that everyone could be accounted for and pay taxes.

Everyone was to be registered in their own city, so Mary and Joseph had to return to Joseph's home city - Bethlehem in Judea. Bethlehem at the time was called David's city, and Joseph was of descent of David.

Let us remember that all things happen the way they do as it is God's will. While Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem for the census, there was a very particular reason that the decree was given when Mary was as close to childbirth as she was. A prophecy given in Micah 5:2-3 speaks of the Messiah being born in Bethlehem.

It is a powerful passage in our Gospel, as it states clearly where the one true Messiah will be born. It refers to Jesus and confirms the reason for Caesar Augustus issuing the census so close to the birth of Christ.

How Did Mary and Joseph Travel to Bethlehem?

We all know the traditional story of how Mary rode on a donkey while Joseph walked. However, this is down to speculation. Neither the Bible passage that accounts for their journey nor any documentation mentions the infamous donkey. The donkeys included in the Nativity Scene are presumed to be those residing in the manger Mary and Joseph arrived at, not any brought along from their journey.

The speculation does not come without reason, however, as the trip was far uphill, and Mary was heavily pregnant at the time and may very well have required assistance. While the assumption is not entirely far-fetched, it is essential to note that it is merely speculation.

What Route Did Mary and Joseph Take?

 Luke 2:4 (NKJV) states that Joseph went up from Galilee into Judea. This is because the city of Bethlehem is elevated at about 2543 feet above sea level (1493 feet higher than Nazareth). Bethlehem is also located in the Judean Mountains, making for rugged terrain during their journey.

They had to navigate foothills in Jerusalem on their way, meaning they had to maneuver up and downhill throughout their journey. Mary and Joseph also took their journey during the beginning of winter, which meant they likely experienced rainfall along the way. To combat the elements, Mary and Joseph probably wore thick coats over their clothes, which added to the load they had to bear. In addition to these obstacles, they would have had to be careful of thieves along the road and dangerous animals in the surrounding woods.

While the exact time their journey would have taken is unknown, educated guesses place the number somewhere between four days and a week.

Arrival in Bethlehem

The relief of arriving at their destination as the city of Bethlehem was short-lived, as it was soon discovered that there was nowhere for the couple to stay. The town was filled with individuals who had come to be registered much as Mary and Joseph had. They made do with what was available and set up in the manger, where Mary immediately went into labor and gave birth to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Their stay in Bethlehem was short-lived, however, due to King Herod's fear of the promised power of Jesus. An angel in the night warned Joseph to leave Bethlehem, and so he took Mary and Jesus and did precisely that. Joseph and Mary's flight to Egypt would start a series of important events in the life of Jesus Christ .

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Did Mary Really Ride on a Donkey into Bethlehem?

• Heather Riggleman GodUpdates Contributor
• Updated Dec 23, 2021

We all love a good nativity play. Hundreds of people crammed into little seats while straining to catch a glimpse of your child acting out his role as “Sheep 3,” or perhaps one of the finer roles like Mary or Joseph or even baby Jesus. While we strain our necks and hold up our phones to capture these precious moments, we did perhaps get one thing wrong about the story. There is no mention of Mary on a donkey when she traveled to Bethlehem.

Did Mary and Joseph’s Entrance into Bethlehem Really Include Mary on a Donkey?

Almost every film, every play, and every nativity scene planted in front yards depicts Mary on a donkey. While these nativity scenes remind us of the wonder and awe of the night of Jesus’ birth. There may be misconceptions about the night of our wonderful Savior’s birth. They all tell the Christmas story but are they correct? Is it okay to use a theatrical license to retell the story? Either way, it does cause us to wonder what the journey to Bethlehem was like.

Other stories in the Bible give us details about modes of transportation from the very early books of the Bible. A search on the word “Donkey” will provide over 145 Scripture references. Several of these not only reference Jesus’ entry on a donkey but also how donkeys were used as transportation. 2 Kings 4:22 “She called her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and return.”

Isaiah 21:7 “When he sees chariots with teams of horses, riders on donkeys or riders on camels, let him be alert, fully alert.”

Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

Matthew 21:7 “They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on.”

What Does the Bible Actually Tell Us about Their Entrance?

The story of the journey to Bethlehem is found in chapter two of Luke. Verses 1-21 tell us about the journey, Jesus’ birth, and the first eight days after his birth. However, only Luke 2:4-7 give us any details of their journey to Bethlehem:

“So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of  David . He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.”

What Is the Significance of Mary and Joseph's Entrance?

We also know they were subject to living under the burden of Roman military and judicial rule. They were taxed by both Rome and the Temple. They were simple people living a very simple way of life which meant they experience the gap inequality between the rich and the poor.

We also know Mary never had any relations with Joseph and both were chosen by God to be Jesus’ earthly parents. When they did make it to their destination, Jesus was birthed in a manger. Our King of kings wasn’t born in a palace or a home for that matter. He was birthed in a stable which was used as a shelter to keep animals out of the elements. Because there was no room to lay him anywhere, Mary laid him in a feeding trough. From the onset of His birth , He becomes the sacrifice as He was wrapped in bandages foreshadowing the day of His death. And the feeding trough becomes an altar. Thus, the manger becomes a reference to the table of God in which we are invited to receive the Bread of Life.

From the poverty of Jesus’ simple beginnings being born to simple parents who traveled to Jerusalem in search of a place to rest—is the journey we all make as we find our way to God through the “Bread of Life.” Some of us wander the earth for years looking for a way to rid ourselves of the heavy burdens we carry. It’s not until we receive Jesus, that we are debt-free of the wages of death. From poverty, Jesus’ birth becomes the miracle of our redemption.

We do know for sure Jesus was born over 2,000 years ago. As The Message puts it, God " became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood." While some of the details of Christ's birth have been romanticized by Hollywood, the definitive truth remains both at the heart of Christmas and for those who seek Jesus.

This doesn’t mean we need to become legalistic about the details of Christ’s birth. Nor do we need to toss out our nativity scenes. Instead, we enjoy the Christmas narrative and hold close to the truth found in Scripture.

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Nankimstudio 

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Q: #601. Did Mary and Joseph spend more time in Bethlehem, or Nazareth in (Matthew Chapters 1 & 2) and (Luke Chapters 1 & 2)? A timeline of Mary and Joseph's travels.

By: steve shirley.

     A: In this study, we are going to look at all of the travels of Mary and Joseph that are found in Matthew Chapters 1 & 2, and Luke Chapters 1 & 2. In particular, we are going to focus on what happened after Jesus was born in Bethlehem. After He was born, did Mary and Joseph find a place to live, and remain in Bethlehem for several years, or did they return to their home in Nazareth shortly after Jesus was born? 

     There are two views regarding this, and we will look at evidence for both. However, since this study is looking at ALL of the travels of Mary and Joseph, we are going to begin by summarizing the travels that both views agree on.

***Note: For the sake of space, I am leaving out a “ lot ” of details here. I would urge you to read chapters 1 & 2 in Matthew and Luke before going forward. You can also find my expository teaching on these chapters here.

(Original Location) The angel Gabriel visits Mary in NAZARETH in (Lk 1:26-38), and tells her that through the Holy Spirit she would become pregnant, and give birth to Jesus.

(Travel #1.) Immediately afterwards (“with haste”), Mary goes to “a city of Judah” (likely Hebron) to visit Elizabeth (Lk 1:39-55), and stays with her “three months.”

(Travel #2.) Mary leaves from visiting Elizabeth, and returns to Nazareth (Lk 1:56). Shortly after her return, Joseph finds out Mary is pregnant, and makes the decision to divorce her (“put her away”). However, an angel appears to Joseph in a dream, tells him the child was “conceived by the Holy Spirit,” and to not divorce Mary (Mt 1:18-25).

(Travel #3.) Mary and Joseph leave Nazareth, and go to Bethlehem (their ancestral home) “to be registered” in the census that Caesar Augustus has required for everyone. When they arrive, “there is no room for them in the inn,” so they find shelter in a cave (likely not a “stable,” as is often taught), and in that cave, Mary gives birth to Jesus. (Lk 2:1-7). Afterwards, an angel appears to shepherds in the fields, tells them to go to Jesus, and they do so (Lk 2:8-20). 

(Possible Travel #4.) (Lk 2:21) Eight days later, after the shepherds leave, Jesus is circumcised. Mary and Joseph “may” have traveled to the Temple in Jerusalem to have this circumcision done, and then returned to Bethlehem, but we aren’t told where it was done. (It “could” have been in Bethlehem.)

———-

***It is from this point going forward that it gets complicated!!***

     After Jesus is circumcised, the next thing we see is Mary and Joseph traveling to the Temple in Jerusalem (Lk 2:22-24). They do so for two reasons: (#1.) To “consecrate Jesus (as firstborn) to the Lord” (as required by Old Testament law: Ex 13:2,12-15, Ex 22:29, Ex 34:19, Num 18:15-16). (#2.) To offer a “purification sacrifice” to the Lord (Lk 2:22-24).

***Note: The “purification” ritual after giving birth was commanded by God in Leviticus Chapter 12. After giving birth to a son, God said that a woman was ceremonially unclean for 40 days, or 80 days after giving birth to a daughter (Lev 12:2-5). After that, she was to “bring to the priest a lamb of the first year as a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or turtledove as a sin offering, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting.” After the priest “offered it before the Lord, and made atonement for her, she would be clean from her flow of blood” (Lev 12:6-7). 

     After this is accomplished in the Temple, we are told in (Lk 2:39)(NKJV), “So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth.”

     This seems pretty clear, right? They did the things the “law” required (the consecration of Jesus, and the purification sacrifice for Mary), and then they went back to where they had originally come from: Nazareth. Well… THIS is where the “debate” begins! A “vast” majority of scholars believe that (Lk 2:39-40) fits after the events that occur in (Mt 2:1-18). In other words, in their view, after the events in (Lk 2:22-38), Mary and Joseph returned to Bethlehem, rather than Nazareth.

     I’ll be honest here. I have been TORN between these two views as I have exposited chapters 1 & 2 in Matthew and Luke! I have long believed the “traditional” view that Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem, and after Mary gave birth to Jesus, they remained there for a long period of time. BUT, as I have “deeply” studied these verses again, I have definitely found “solid” evidence for the “Nazareth view” as well. SO, what I am going to do is present “both” views, and the evidence for them being possible, and I will leave it for you to make your own conclusions. I am beginning with the evidence for the “Nazareth view.” (The order of travels for #1-4 are above, so we begin with #5.)

 ———-

     NAZARETH VIEW

(Travel #5.) “Most” who hold the “Nazareth view” believe that after their 40 days in Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph left to go to the Temple in Jerusalem to consecrate Jesus, and make the purification offering for Mary (Lk 2:22-28).

(Travel #6.) Afterwards, as (Lk 2:39) says, they left Jerusalem, and “returned to Nazareth.”

( MY OPINION! ) I begin (Travel #5.) with “most,” because if the “Nazareth view” is true,  I have several questions that most don’t ask. “Where did Mary and Joseph stay for the 40 days after Jesus was born, before going to Jerusalem? Did they stay in the cave? Did they finally get into the “inn,” or find a house (or room in a house) to rent for a month (“or more,” see “Important Detail Note” below)?” If they did, how could they afford it since they were poor?

     Keeping these “questions” in mind, I personally believe that Mary and Joseph stayed in the cave for the 8 days leading up to Jesus’ circumcision. However, after this, I think it is “possible” that after Jesus’ circumcision, Mary and Joseph “may” have “returned” home to Nazareth for about a month, and then returned to Jerusalem to consecrate Jesus, and offer the purification sacrifice for Mary (this travel is not mentioned in Scripture). Because Mary and Joseph had “houses” in Nazareth (Lk 1:28,56), they could live there for free, thereby eliminating the need for them to “find a place to live in Bethlehem,” and come up with the money to pay for it. (This could also fit well with [Lk 2:39] saying Mary and Joseph “returned” to Nazareth, perhaps indicating that they had just left there to come to Jerusalem.) (***Note: If my “possible” theory here is true, this would add another “Travel” for them.)

(Important Detail) “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem… wise men from the East… saw His star in the East,” and traveled to Jerusalem looking for “He who has been born King of the Jews” so they could “worship Him” (Mt 2:1-2). These “wise men” came from somewhere near Babylon (Baghdad in Iraq today), which was around 1000 miles away from Bethlehem. Therefore, this journey likely took several months .

*** Note: Keeping this in mind, if Mary and Joseph went back to Bethlehem (the “Bethlehem view”), rather than Nazareth after the consecration of Jesus, and the purification of Mary, they would have been paying an innkeeper, or rent on a house for an even longer period of time! And, they would have been away from their homes in Nazareth for that long too!

     Since prophecy (Mic 5:2) said that “the Christ” (the “King of the Jews” – Mt 2:2) would be born in Bethlehem (Mt 2:6), it was assumed that “the Christ” (Jesus, along with Mary and Joseph) would “still” be in Bethlehem. Therefore, Herod “sent them (the “wise men”) to Bethlehem” (Mt 2:8). However, following the star, the wise men were instead led to Nazareth (Mt 2:9-10). (***Note: It seems more logical that the star led them to a place 80 miles distant: Nazareth, rather than a place only 5 miles away: Bethlehem.) After finding the “house” where Jesus was, they worshipped Him, and presented their gifts to Him (Mt 2:11). Then, as the “wise men” were going to “return to Herod” to report that they had found Jesus (as Herod had asked them to do: Mt 2:8), they were “divinely warned in a dream” not to do that. Therefore, they “departed for their own country another way” (Mt 2:12). 

***Note: “ Another way ” – The “wise men” certainly went from Jerusalem to Nazareth on the same road that Mary, Joseph, and everyone else used. After their time with Jesus had finished in Nazareth, they were going to use this same road to travel back to Jerusalem, and report to Herod. After reporting to Herod, the wise men were going to leave Jerusalem, and begin the 1000 mile journey back to their home in Babylon on the same road they had originally come in on. However, after they were “divinely warned” not to “return to Herod,” they instead had to cut over (“another way”) to the road that led back to Babylon from Nazareth. (Look at a Biblical map to see what I am talking about.)

(Travel #7.) After the “wise men” leave Nazareth, “an angel of the Lord” tells Joseph in a dream to take Mary and Jesus and “flee to Egypt” because “Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him” (Mt 2:13). Joseph “arose,” and “took them by night” (Mt 2:14) out of Nazareth.

***Note: After they safely arrive in Egypt, Herod realizes that “he was deceived by the wise men” (they did not report back to him). Still assuming “the Christ” is somewhere in Bethlehem, he orders “all male children two years old and under in Bethlehem and its districts to be put to death” (Mt 2:16-18).

(Travel #8.) Herod dies shortly after this, and “an angel of the Lord” appears to Joseph in a dream again, and says, “Arise, take the young Child and his mother, and go to the LAND OF ISRAEL, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead” (Mt 2:20). Joseph does this in (Mt 2:21).

(Mt 2:21-23)(NKJV) However, when he “came into the LAND OF ISRAEL… he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, (and) he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. (23) And he 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.””

     Why did I capitalize “LAND OF ISRAEL?” Because there are two interesting things to consider here. What was the “Land of Israel?”

#1. Historically, after the reign of Solomon in the Old Testament, the land that belonged to the Jews was divided into “two “kingdoms:” the “Northern Kingdom,” and the “Southern Kingdom.” The “Northern” was called “Israel,” and the “Southern” was called “Judah.” Nazareth was a city in “Israel,” and Bethlehem was a city in “Judah.” So… when God said to go to the “LAND OF ISRAEL,” was He asking them to go back to Nazareth, which was in Israel in the “Northern Kingdom?”

#2. Could God have been referring to the “geographic location” called “Israel,” meaning “all” of the land that He had given to the Jews in the Old Testament (the “Promised Land”)? All of this land (including Judah, and its cities Bethlehem and Jerusalem) was sometimes referred to as “Israel” in the Old Testament (i.e. Ex 6:6-8, 2 Kin 5:2, Ezek 40:2) (as it still is today). So… when God said to go to the “LAND OF ISRAEL,” was He asking them to go back to Bethlehem, which was a part of “all” of the land that belonged to the Jews?

***Note: Arguing for point #2. (and the “Bethlehem View”), it is worth noting that when you look at a Biblical map, you will see that when Mary and Joseph would have first “come into the land of Israel” (from Egypt), and learned about Archelaus, they would have been nowhere near the land of the “Northern Kingdom.” Therefore, it seems very likely that the “land of Israel” spoken of here is the wider meaning of “all” the land belonging to the Jews.

***Note: Arguing for point #1. (and the “Nazareth View”), it is possible that when God said to “go to the land of Israel,”  He meant the land of the “Northern Kingdom.” But, when it says that they learned about Archelaus upon entering the “land of Israel,” this use could be the “wider meaning of “all” the land belonging to the Jews. In other words, the “land of Israel” could be used “both” ways.

***Note: For those who would argue that since Archelaus was ruling in Bethlehem, and Mary and Joseph turned away from it, this must mean they were headed “back” to Bethlehem, where they had previously lived, I would counter by saying that: “Yes, they “likely” were headed to Bethlehem, but they could have been going back to Nazareth “by way” of Bethlehem.”

***Note: (Mt 2:23) is also a strong argument for the “Nazareth View,” because Matthew says it was prophesied that Jesus would “be called a Nazarene.” It should be noted that there is no “clear” Old Testament prophecy that says this, therefore, scholars debate its meaning. However, when in doubt, I usually go with the most “literal” meaning first, and by this it would likely to refer to Jesus growing up in Nazareth. Knowing this, would God have told Joseph and Mary to return to their “house” in Bethlehem, and raise Jesus there, when He knew it would not fulfill this prophecy?

***One More Note (lots of Notes!): When (Mt 2:22) says that Joseph “turned aside into the region of Galilee,” “Galilee” was a “region” in the “land of Israel” (in the “Northern Kingdom”), and Nazareth was a city in Galilee. When you look at a Biblical map, most scholars believe there are only two possible routes that Joseph could have used to “turn aside into the region of Galilee:” #1. By going north along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and then turning east towards Galilee (somewhere near Caesarea). #2. By going east (south of Judah), crossing Dead Sea into the land of Perea, going north paralleling the Jordan River until they approached the Sea Of Galilee, and then going west by again crossing the Jordan Sea, and entering Galilee.

      BETHLEHEM VIEW

     While I have touched on a number of things related to this view above, here is a short recap.

***Note: Those who hold the “Bethlehem view” believe that shortly after Jesus’ birth (perhaps after his circumcision 8 days later), Mary and Joseph found a place to live in Bethlehem. Three possibilities are offered for where this was: 1. They were finally able to get into the inn. 2. They were taken in by family. 3. They found a house (or room in a house) to rent. They stayed in this “house” during the time that Mary was considered unclean, and left from this “house” to travel to Jerusalem

(Travel #5.) After Mary’s 40 days of “uncleanness,” Mary and Joseph travel from their house in Bethlehem to the Temple in Jerusalem to consecrate Jesus, and make the purification offering for Mary (Lk 2:22-28).

(Travel #6.) Afterwards, Mary and Joseph return to their “house” in Bethlehem.

(Travel #7.) The “wise men” travel to Jerusalem, see Herod, leave Jerusalem, and follow the star to Bethlehem, where they find the “house” Jesus is living in. After worshipping Jesus, and presenting their gifts to Him, they leave (Mt 2:11). After they leave, “an angel of the Lord” tells Joseph in a dream to take Mary and Jesus and “flee to Egypt” because “Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him” (Mt 2:13). Joseph “arose,” and “took them by night” (Mt 2:14) out of Bethlehem.

***Note: After they safely arrive in Egypt, Herod realizes that “he was deceived by the wise men” (they did not report back to him, and tell him the “exact” location of Jesus). Therefore, knowing that Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were in Bethlehem, but not knowing “exactly” where, Herod orders “all male children two years old and under in Bethlehem AND its districts to be put to death (Mt 2:16-18).

***Note: In relation to this, there are “ three ” strong arguments in favor of Mary and Joseph fleeing to Egypt from Bethlehem, rather than Nazareth. #1. Why would Mary and Joseph need to “flee” from Nazareth, since it was about 80 miles from “Bethlehem and its districts,” and therefore likely far enough away to be safe from Herod’s decree? #2. If Mary and Joseph “were” in Nazareth, why wouldn’t the “angel” have told them to flee north to the safety of Syria (“Damascus”), which was about 250 miles closer than Egypt? #3. Tradition, and the Bible tell us that Egypt was a place that people fled to from Jerusalem and Bethlehem when in trouble (see: 1 Kin 11:17, 1 Kin 11:40, Jer 26:21, Jer 43:4-7).

(Travel #8.) Herod dies shortly after this, and “an angel of the Lord” appears to Joseph in a dream again, and says, “Arise, take the young Child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead” (Mt 2:20). Joseph leaves Egypt, and heads towards Bethlehem (Mt 2:21), returning to the place they had come to Egypt from. However, before he gets there, God warns him in a dream to avoid Bethlehem, and instead to “turn aside into the region of Galilee.” Joseph does this, thus bringing us back to (Lk 2:39-40), “And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. (40) And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.”

     So, that is it. I hope I did not lose you. I did my very best to order this in the right way, and make it flow smoothly. You have all of the information I could find, and I will leave you to draw your own conclusions.

Copyright: https://JesusAlive.cc © Steve Shirley

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Pilgrimage in the Time of Jesus

Shmuel Safrai [1919-2003] 1989Sep01 Articles Leave a Comment

During the Second Temple period pilgrimage was associated with the festivals of Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot.

Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up for the feast, according to the custom of the feast. When they had fulfilled the days [of the feast], his parents started home, unaware that the boy Jesus had stayed behind in Jerusalem. (Luke 2:41-43)

Luke states that Joseph and Mary made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem every Passover. The requirement of pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem is mentioned in the passages of Scripture that deal with three annual festivals. Exodus 23:17 states: “Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Sovereign, the LORD.” Exodus 34:23 repeats this command almost verbatim, and the book of Deuteronomy characteristically adds further details:

Three times a year—on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, on the Feast of Weeks, and on the Feast of Booths—all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place that he will choose. They shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed. (Deut. 16:16)

During the Second Temple period these verses were not understood to mean that one was obliged to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem three times a year, but rather that pilgrimage was associated with these festivals. Pilgrimage was considered a commandment that “has no measure,” as stated in Mishnah, Peah 1:1: “The following are the things for which no definite quantity is prescribed…appearing [before the Lord ]….”

Thus, the commandment to “go up” to Jerusalem might be observed once every few years or perhaps only once in a lifetime.

Once a Year

A number of rabbinic traditions refer to people who were rather strict in observing the commandment of pilgrimage. [1] One such tradition is found in Tanhuma, Tetsaveh 13, which reads:

There was a scribe who used to make pilgrimage every year. He was recognized by the residents of Jerusalem as being a great scholar. They said to him: “We will give you fifty gold pieces a year if you will take up residence in our city.”

The midrashic (homiletic) account of the pilgrimage of Elkanah, the father of Samuel, to the tabernacle in Shiloh also indicates that pilgrimage once a year was quite acceptable:

Elkanah used to take with him his wife, children, sisters and all his relatives, and make the pilgrimage [to the tabernacle in Shiloh]. They slept in the squares of the towns and villages through which they passed. Their coming aroused great excitement in each community and the inhabitants would ask, “Where are you going?” They would answer, “To the house of the Lord in Shiloh from where Torah and commandments go forth. Why don’t you join us and we will go together?” Immediately their eyes filled with tears. “We will go with you [next year],” they answered. “Very well,” the pilgrims said to them. By the next year five families [of that community] had joined them on the pilgrimage, a year later ten families, until finally everyone was making the pilgrimage. (Yalkut Shim’oni, Torah, remez 77)

This midrash, which reflects the practice of the first century, praises Elkanah even though he goes on pilgrimage only once a year. The account in Luke agrees with such Jewish traditions about righteous individuals or families who made pilgrimage once a year.

Purpose of Pilgrimage

Young Jesus took advantage of the pilgrimage to Jerusalem to question the learned teachers about interpretations of Scripture, as well as to express opinions of his own. This is also in keeping with the rabbinic motif that one of the most important purposes of pilgrimage is to study Torah:

Rabbi Eliezer says: “When one brings the sacrifices that one has vowed to the Temple, he enters the Chamber of Hewn Stone and sees sages and their disciples sitting and engaging in the study of Torah. The sight inspires him also to study Torah.” Rabbi Ishmael says: “When one brings the second tithe to the Temple, he enters the Chamber of Hewn Stone and sees sages and their disciples sitting and engaging in the study of Torah. The sight inspires him also to study Torah.” (Midrash Tannaim to Deut. 14:23)

Both Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Ishmael lived while the Second Temple was still standing and their words reflect the reality of that period.

Jesus in Jerusalem

The study of Torah while on pilgrimage in Jerusalem likewise agrees with events in the life of Jesus as described in the gospels. Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Feast of Hanukkah and taught in Solomon’s Porch in the Temple compound (John 10:22-24). When Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles, he also taught in the Temple (John 7:14). And, when he went to Jerusalem for the last time at Passover, he sat opposite one of the treasuries of the Temple and taught Torah (Mark 12:41; Luke 21:1; John 8:2).

When Jesus was finally arrested, he berated his captors for coming to arrest him at such a late hour when he had been sitting daily in the Temple courtyards teaching (Matt. 26:55; Mark 14:48-49; Luke 22:52-53; cf. John 18:20). Jesus apparently taught in the temple courtyards in a manner similar to that of Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai who used to “sit and teach daily [2] in the shade of the sanctuary” (Babylonian Talmud,  Pesahim  26 a ).

Length of Stay

In Luke 2:43 it is stated that Jesus’ parents returned home when they had “fulfilled the days.” This implies that they not only spent the first day of Passover in Jerusalem, but a number of days there.

When the Bible discusses the Passover sacrifice, it adds: “And in the morning you may start back on your journey home” (Deut. 16:7). In other words, the Passover pilgrim could return home any time after the first day of the seven-day festival (traveling was forbidden on the first day of the festival).

However, rabbinic tradition dating from as early as the Second Temple period interpreted “in the morning” in this verse as referring not to the first day of the festival, but to the whole seven-day festival: “Scripture treats all of them [the days of Passover] as one morning [i.e., as one day]” (Mishnah, Zevahim 11:7; Babylonian Talmud,  Zevahim  97 a ).

Thus, in the time of Jesus’ parents the Passover pilgrim did not return home after the first day of the festival, but only after he had “fulfilled the days.” A family of pilgrims stayed in Jerusalem for the entire seven days of the Feast of Passover, and the entire eight days of the Feast of Tabernacles. [3]

Read more articles by Shmuel Safrai:

And check out these recent JP articles:

• [1] But who nevertheless made pilgrimage to Jerusalem only once a year and not three times as mentioned in the Bible. ↩
• [2] Here, the words כל היום ( kol ha-yom , all day long) mean כל יום ( kol yom , each day, daily). ↩
• [3] For more on pilgrimage in the first century, see “ Synagogue Guest House for First-century Pilgrims .” ↩

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Shmuel Safrai [1919-2003]

Professor and Rabbi Shmuel Safrai died on July 16, 2003. He was buried the following day in a section of Jerusalem's Har ha-Menuhot Cemetery reserved for faculty of the Hebrew University. His grave is only a few feet from the grave of his close friend… [ Read more about author ]

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The Journey to Bethlehem

• December 20, 2017

Charlie McKinney

• One Comment

The days of Mary’s expectation were gradually nearing their fulfillment. Then there went forth throughout the land a decree of the Roman emperor Augustus that all the subjected kingdoms, which included the Jewish provinces, should be enrolled together with their inhabitants. The census was carried out by Herod agreeably to the ancient custom according to tribes, houses, and families, each head of a family being obliged to return to the place of his origin for the purpose of registration.

This order was the cause of much excitement and irritation among the inhabitants. Joseph and Mary, however, submitted resignedly and patiently; for they knew that all things come from God, and that the Savior was to make His appearance in this world in Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2). And so Joseph set out for Bethlehem with Mary because she, too, as heiress had to be enrolled.

Thus, the descendants of the old Jewish families hastily traversed the various ways to their native cities, not, as may be supposed, without some show of the prestige becoming their rank and station. The season was winter; the month, December; and since at that time of the year in the Holy Land strong winds blow and heavy rains fall, it may become bitterly cold on the hills.

Mary and Joseph journeyed along slowly and modestly, recollected and patient amid the untoward treatment of men and the inclemency of the weather. Mary, heavily veiled, rode on the beast of burden that Joseph guided with the utmost solicitude.

The journey lasted about three and a half days, leading probably through the plain of Esdraelon and the green valleys of Samaria, and down from Jerusalem over the plateau of Rephaim, where of old Solomon, seated in his gilded chariot and escorted by a hundred servants, rode to the gardens of Ethan in a manner far different from that of the Holy Family. Opposite the border of the latter plateau was the small but royal city of Bethlehem, situated on an elevation of terraced gardens and vineyards and surrounded by verdant valleys where flocks of sheep and goats were wont to graze. The little town with its fortress-like dwellings covered the crest of the western ridge of the elevation, while the eastern ascent toward Jerusalem was uninhabited and contained the grotto at the very site where the cupola-crowned Church of the Nativity now stands.

It was probably at evening, just as the sun was setting, that Joseph and Mary made their uphill journey through the terraces and came to the public inn of the city. Those inns (khans) are closed spaces where travelers may procure protection, rest, and water; all other necessaries they themselves must supply. In the present instance, however, the hostelry had been completely occupied, for Bethlehem was crowded with strangers. Hence, Joseph and Mary were obliged to continue on their way, until, as is likely, after knocking at many a door and being refused admittance by the occupants, they found outside the town on the eastern hill of gray limestone a cave like shelter that served as a stable. It was probably known to Joseph or had been pointed out to him by some sympathetic person. There they settled themselves as best they could for their night’s rest.

Mary and Joseph belonged to the most illustrious families of Bethlehem; they were the holiest of the children of men, the parents of the Messiah, for whom Israel and the whole world existed; and now this Messiah was to be born far away from the great thoroughfares of the world, unknown, unacknowledged, in a strange, unimportant region, as though He were just an ordinary person. He seemed scarcely to belong to the world.

Meanwhile night stole on, and in its holy shadow the Light of the World visited this earth. We may well believe that Mary brought forth her firstborn and only Son in an ecstasy of yearning and love, and as our holy Faith teaches us, without pain or any discomfiture. She beheld Him as a poor little infant lying in the fold of her mantle. She adored Him, raised Him in her arms, and having wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, placed Him tenderly upon the soft hay of the manger, which extended along the wall.

Mary summoned Saint Joseph, who was resting close by. He approached and beheld for the first time the face of Him, to see the one who had been the desire of all creation. He gazed at the child, and supernaturally enlightened, he recognized His supreme greatness and glory in both His human and divine natures. Together with Mary he cast himself upon his knees, and before commanding Him as father, he adored Him as his God with a faith and reverence and love of which only his saintly heart was capable. Indeed, we may say his soul melted away for love and joy and gratitude to God.

All his sorrows were now forgotten in the contemplation and embrace of the divine Infant, to whom he was to be father on earth. How this child must even now have ravished his eye and captivated his heart! What a joy was his at this gift of God and of his beloved spouse, Mary, to whom this divine token bound him anew in admiration and love. Only one regret was his: the unworthy surroundings of God’s first appearance on earth and his own inability to offer Him at the present moment anything but his love and his whole heart. The impoverishment and humiliation of the royal family of David had here reached their lowest ebb.

This circumstance touched Joseph’s noble heart keenly. At that moment he realized his entire duty toward this child and made a complete sacrifice of himself to fulfill the office entrusted to him. It was his duty to support Mary in her services to the Child Jesus. Later on another Joseph (of Arimathea) would assist her in wrapping the body of her Son in the burial shroud and laying it to rest in the tomb. The swaddling bands and the manger are forerunners of the winding sheet and the grave. The divine Child saw and understood the sentiments and affections of His foster father and blessed him with marvelous graces for the fulfillment of his high vocation. By his first glimpse and embrace of the divine Babe he was clothed with an exquisite purity and wonderful sanctity.

This holy and blissful night brought Mary and Joseph a second surprise and joy. Scarcely had they offered their first homage to the Savior when the footsteps and voices of men were heard, asking for admittance into the cave. They were the holy shepherds, who, at the invitation of the angel, had come to see the Child and adore Him. They related to Saint Joseph how, while they were keeping watch over their flocks, the angel of the Lord had appeared to them and announced the birth of the divine Child. Saint Joseph listened to their story with surprise, yet with feelings of confidence and joy, and led them to the Child and His Mother. The shepherds beheld the fulfillment of all the angel had told them and, having adored the child, reverently greeted His Mother, Mary. Filled with joy and praising God for all they had seen and experienced, they returned to their flocks. They remained staunch friends of the Holy Family and announced everywhere they went the coming of the Savior.

This wonderful nocturnal visit was a source of intense joy to Saint Joseph because it was a recognition and an honoring of the divine Child and His Mother, and in his regard, a marvelous strengthening of faith, which had received its confirmation from so unexpected a circumstance. The shepherds had become an object of affection and reverence to him inasmuch as they were messengers of God upon whom a ray of the glory of His Son had rested, and who had been accounted worthy to be addressed by His holy angels and to hear their heavenly hymn of praise.

After the birth of our Savior, Saint Joseph probably sought a more suitable home for the Holy Family in Bethlehem and took up his abode there. The eighth day after Jesus’ birth brought a new honor and a mysterious lesson to the saint. The child was to be circumcised (Luke 2:21). Circumcision was a ritual law of the Old Covenant and signified the separation of Israel from all other nations, the incorporation of the circumcised into the Jewish religion, and the acceptance of its law with its promises of blessings or of curses. The child at the same time received his name and thereby obtained his full status in religious and civil society. The rite of circumcision might be performed by the father or by a priest, but to confer the name belonged by right to the father. Our Savior, although not obliged to do so, wished to submit to the law in order to give it His approval, to fulfill it, and to take upon Himself the penalties of our transgressions of the law. Such is the meaning of our Savior’s blood, shed this day for the first time. These drops of blood were a pledge that on a future day He would shed all His blood on the Cross for the redemption of the world. With awe and emotion Saint Joseph and Mary contemplated this blood offering. Did they not see in these drops of blood the threatening dawn that foreboded storm and tempest in the life of their beloved Child?

Such, too, was the meaning of the holy name of Jesus, which signifies God and Savior. It expresses, therefore, not only the essence of the God-Man, His human and divine nature, but also His mission and its effects in our regard. The holy name was to be for us a pledge of our redemption, of the forgiveness of our sins, of the hearing of our petitions, in a word, the pledge and intermediary of all blessing, all strength and consolation in life and death. For our Savior it was to be the pledge of His future exaltation, so that at His name every knee in Heaven and on earth should bow (Phil. 2:10). What our Savior is to us, that He wishes to be through the invocation of His name in the spirit of faith and love. Saint Joseph, in his capacity and with his authority of father, bestowed this name on our Savior, as he had been directed by the angel to do (Matt. 1:21). It is, therefore, manifestly befitting and proper to cherish a grateful and loving remembrance of him who gave this name to our Lord and opened to us this fountainhead of salvation.

This article is an excerpt from The Truth about Saint Joseph by Fr. Maurice Meschler which is available from Sophia Institute Press . 

• Tags: Advent , Blessed Virgin Mary , Books , BVM , Charlie McKinney , Christmas , St. Joseph

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A Long, Cold Road to Bethlehem : Nativity: Gospel accounts of Mary and Joseph’s journey gloss over the arduous reality of life and travel in ancient Galilee, scholars say.

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A newly betrothed couple is forced to register for a census in a town far away. The woman is nine months pregnant. When they finally reach their destination after an arduous journey, there is no place to stay. The woman gives birth in a stable.

Scholars and clergy differ on whether the Nativity stories in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew are historical accounts or symbolic narratives of Christianity’s beginnings.

But one thing is certain: The world of Mary and Joseph was a difficult and dangerous place, one whose harsh conditions were not fully chronicled in the Gospel accounts of their travails. Writers of the gospels of Matthew and Luke “are so laconic about the [Nativity] event because they assume the reader would know what it was like,” said James F. Strange, a New Testament and biblical archeology professor at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Today, he added, “we have no idea how difficult it was.”

Joseph and Mary’s hardships would have begun more than a week before the birth of their son, when the couple had to leave their home in Nazareth, in the northern highlands of Galilee, to register for a Roman census.

They had to travel 90 miles to the city of Joseph’s ancestors: south along the flatlands of the Jordan River, then west over the hills surrounding Jerusalem, and on into Bethlehem.

“It was a fairly grueling trip,” said Strange, who annually leads an excavation team at the ancient city of Sepphoris, near Nazareth. “In antiquity, the most we find people traveling is 20 miles a day. And this trip was very much uphill and downhill. It was not simple.”

Strange estimates that Joseph and Mary likely would have traveled only 10 miles a day because of Mary’s impending delivery.

And the trip through the Judean desert would have taken place during the winter, when “it’s in the 30s during the day [and] rains like heck,” said Strange. “It’s nasty, miserable. And at night it would be freezing.”

To protect themselves during inclement weather, Mary and Joseph would likely have worn heavy woolen cloaks, constructed to shed rain and snow. Under their cloaks, the ancient residents wore long robes, belted at the waist. Tube-like socks and enclosed shoes protected the feet, Strange said.

And the unpaved, hilly trails and harsh weather were not the only hazards Joseph and Mary would have faced on their journey south.

One of the most terrifying dangers in ancient Palestine was the heavily forested valley of the Jordan River, Strange said. Lions and bears lived in the woods, and travelers had to fend off wild boars. Archeologists have unearthed documents warning travelers of the forest’s dangers, he said.

And “bandits, pirates of the desert and robbers” were also common hazards along the major trade routes like the one Joseph and Mary would have traveled, said the Rev. Peter Vasko, a Catholic priest and director of the Holy Land Foundation, an organization that works to retain a Christian presence in Israel and promotes the restoration of sacred Christian sites there.

The threat of outlaws often forced solitary travelers to join trade caravans for protection.

Mary and Joseph had to bring their own provisions. “In wineskins, they carried water,” said Vasko. “And they carried a lot of bread. . . . Breakfast would be dried bread, lunch would be oil with bread, and herbs with oil and bread in the evening.”

The hardships did not end when Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem.

Under normal circumstances, he said, the pair would have expected to stay in the spare bedroom of a relative or another Jewish family. However, an overcrowded Bethlehem would have forced Joseph and Mary to seek lodging at a primitive inn.

It is widely agreed that Jesus was born in a cave used for housing animals. But how realistic are the Renaissance images of Joseph, Mary and the newborn Jesus surrounded by a menagerie of camels, oxen, cows, chickens, pheasants and peacocks?

Not very, according to Strange. Since the stable was part of the inn, the only animals likely to be found there would have been donkeys used for travel--and perhaps a few sheep, he said.

And both Strange and Vasko believe overcrowded conditions in Bethlehem on the night of Jesus’ birth would have resulted in others being close at hand during Mary’s delivery.

“There were others present at the birth of Jesus,” Vasko said. “It’s human nature to help somebody.”

“There’s another account of the Nativity . . . where it says that when it was time to have the baby, Joseph went out looking for a midwife,” Strange said, referring to a noncanonical gospel written either by James, considered the brother of Jesus, or James the apostle.

Even though Mary could have had help and the cave may have provided some protection from the elements, the “noisy and dirty” conditions under which Jesus was born would have made the event anything but “warm and wonderful and sweet and comfortable,” Strange said.

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The Visit of the Boy Jesus to Jerusalem

The raving maniac died! The various loathsome diseases which inflicted Herod the Great had claimed his impious life. Archlaus, his eldest son, had received the subordinate title of Ethnarch, and his jurisdiction was over Judea, Samaria, and Idumea. He catered to a life of luxury and crude sensuality. In his reign he surpassed his father’s oppression and cruelty. Disgusted with his many crimes, Augustus, emperor of Rome, deposed and banished him. Judea was now a providence which Rome controlled by the appointment of special administrators called procurators.

To determine the level of taxation of the newly acquired provinces of Archlaus, a census was ordered by the Roman governor of Syria. This enraged the populous, for any kind of census was regarded as a badge of servitude. It resulted in a fiercely nationalistic revolt that gave birth to the Zealot movement. The “iron hand” of Rome suppressed the rebellion and quickly installed their first procurator, Coponius. However, the Roman presence was a constant offense which continually fueled the fervor of the Zealots.

With the Roman takeover, the office of the high priesthood regained much of its authority. As a political move, Rome appointed Annas, an illegitimate holder, to this most influential office. His decisions would sway the minds of the Sanhedrin, composed of seventy elders, and would determine the course of Israel’s religious and domestic life.

Meanwhile, in Nazareth, a twelve year old Jewish boy anxiously anticipated His trip to Jerusalem for Passover. Jesus was taught that Jerusalem was the center of life and affection, for there dwelt the house of God. This city’s past history had been great, and her future was yet to be all the more glorious, but not so distant a future.

By law (Ex. 23:14–17), only the men were required to attend this annual feast, but it was permissible by tradition for devout women as well to be present. Sensing Jesus’ excitement for this trip, Mary accompanied Joseph and the others on their pilgrimage.

The trip from Nazareth to Jerusalem was about 75 miles. The usual route was to travel along the Plain of Jezreel and down the western side of the Jordan Valley. It was a perilous journey of four days. Therefore, the family traveled together in a caravan for safety and companionship.

Along the way, the caravan passed many wonderful historical sites. As they passed these various places, Jesus was reminded of the great heroes of the faith and of the many struggles and victories of ancient Israel. All the major events as God directed were recorded in Israel’s sacred writings—the holy Scriptures.

The caravan now traveled through the narrow passes through Bethany and the Mount of Olives. Here the first view of the glorious holy city could be seen. Joyously, the sounds of the flute and timbrals accompanied the pilgrims, as they chanted from their hearts the “songs of aliyah” (Psalms of Ascent 120–134). Especially significant to the young Jesus were the words of Psalm 122, “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.”

The spectacular Temple with glittering gold appeared as they drew nearer. Upon entering through the large colonnades, the now solemned caravan walked onto the beautiful marble pavement of the Court of the Gentiles. Along the sides of the court the faithful could see the money changers practicing their unsavory occupation. The sounds of the animals used for the sacrifices mingled with the noise of the bustling crowd.

They proceeded up the steps into the Court of the Women. This court was surrounded by simple colonnades. Located against the walls were the 13 chests, which were used for the charitable contributions. Sometimes when coins were placed into these chests a sound much like a trumpet could be heard. Here by law the women were prohibited from going any farther.

The males continued entering onto the upper court which was divided into two parts. The narrowest part formed the Court of Israel. The wider section formed the Court of the Priests, in which the great altar and laver were located. Jesus watched as a paschel (lamb) was slain along with the burnt and peace offerings offered to God. Yet, as He stood there, absorbed in the deep, far-reaching implications of the sacrifices, His heart was elsewhere. His thoughts were focused on that place beyond the two-leaved gold plated doors covered by a rich Babylonian curtain adorned with the four colors of the Temple (white, blue, scarlet and purple). His heart soared into the innermost chamber of the Temple, the holy of holiest While standing with the other men, He was overwhelmed by the fact that this was truly the “house of his Father.”

During the first two days of the feast of Passover, the lamb would have been eaten, the festival sacrifices offered, and the first ripe barley waved before the Lord. Commencing on the third day, the “moed katan” began. This signified the minor festive period. It was permissible, as taught by the rabbis, to return home during these semi-holy days. Therefore, when Joseph and Mary had fulfilled the days, they started back toward Nazareth.

Supposing that Jesus was in the company of friends and neighbors in their caravan, the family traveled a day’s journey of 18 to 30 miles. They were confident that, as the caravan halted for the night, they would be together at the agreed resting place.

Jesus was missing! Early in the morning, they anxiously returned to Jerusalem. On the third day they found Him in one of the royal porches that outlined the Court of the Gentiles.

It was customary on sabbaths and minor holidays for some members of the Sanhedrin to sit on these porches and teach. These informal meetings were very popular among the people. Here, Jesus was found “sitting in the midst of doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions.”

Rabbis have always been proud of their Jewish youths. The stringent requirements of their education often resulted in the exhibition of outstanding intellect. So, it wasn’t uncommon for many twelve-year-olds to actively engage in theological discourses. But, with Jesus there was something extraordinary!

They were astonished at His competitive insight and discerning answers. His words pricked the conscience of both learned and unlearned, Jew and Gentile alike. To the more prejudicial Judeans, they wondered where He acquired such depth of understanding—surely not in that despicable place called Nazareth? Yes, in Nazareth! Every morning the Father awoke Jesus and taught Him, as was foretold by the Prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 50:4, “The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.”

Mary and Joseph were elated to see their child among such honorable company. Then half reproachful and half relieved, Mary gently chided Jesus: “Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? Behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.” Sorrowing? Jesus, who was aware of His being and mission, wondered surprisingly, Could it have been all that difficult to find Me ? “Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?”

His words suggested an intimacy that went far beyond that of the prophets or servants of God recorded in Scripture. It assumed that God was His Father and that He had a definite task to perform. These doctors knew by tradition that only the Messiah could know God as Father without any human assistance. Yet, all were silent as the words of young Jesus penetrated their minds: “I must be about my Father’s business.”

Jesus obediently returned home with His parents. However, the people sitting there on the porch had been hearing the voice of God! Jesus interrupted their usual conversation on the intricacies of the Law by elevating the discussion to a higher spiritual level. This was because, in His humanity, He drew near to His Father. He approached the Word as hearing the very voice of God. As a result, Jesus had an irresistible impulse to be doing His Father’s business. Such is the example set forth to all who would call God their Father.

Mary did not fully understand all that had happened, but surely she would never forget. She kept all these things in her heart. Each new experience in the life of Jesus was crystallizing in her mind and heart that He truly was Messiah!

Peter Colón serves as creative resource coordinator for The Friends of Israel. A unique aspect of his ministry is to communicate the gospel in biblical and historical reenactments. He preaches and teaches in churches and at Bible and prophecy conferences, and is an award-winning, contributing editor for The Friends of Israel’s magazine, Israel My Glory .

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Did a Census Really Bring Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem?

[Editor's note: Beyond Sunday is a Monday Bible study to start off your week.] 

Focus Bible Passage

" 1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.   2   This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.   3   And all went to be registered, each to his own town.   4   And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,   5   to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child."

Defending the faith means clearing Christ and the Bible of false charges when they arise. When others cast doubt on the historical accuracy of Bible events, such as the census mentioned in the passage above, be prepared with a gracious response. Here is one adapted from W. P. Armstrong's well-documented article "Chronology of the New Testament" in the  international standard bible encyclopedia .

Classic Commentary

The census or enrollment, which, according to  Luke 2:1 , was the occasion of the journey of Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem where Jesus was born, is connected with a decree of Augustus embracing the Greek-Roman world. This decree must have been carried out in Palestine by Herod and probably in accordance with the Jewish method--each going to his own city--rather than the Roman. 

While Josephus does not mention the Herodian census, Luke carefully distinguishes the census at the time of Jesus' birth as "first," (i.e. first in a series of enrollments connected either with Quirinius or with the imperial policy inaugurated by the decree of Augustus).

The geographical work of [Herod] Agrippa, together with the interest of the emperor in the organization and finances of the empire and the attention which he gave to the provinces are indirectly corroborative of Luke's statement. Augustus himself conducted a census in Italy in and in Gaul in 727/27* [see  roman dating system, ‘auc '] and had a census taken in other provinces. For Egypt there is evidence of a regular periodic census every 14 years extending back to 773/20 and it is not improbable that this procedure was introduced by Augustus. 

The time of the decree is stated only in general terms by Luke, and it may have been as early as 727/27 or later in 746-8, its execution in different provinces and subject kingdoms being carried out at different times. Luke dates the census in the kingdom of Herod specifically by connecting it with the administrative functions of Quirinius in Syria. But as P. Quintilius Varus was the legate of Syria just before and after the death of Herod from 748/6-750/4 and his predecessor was C. Sentius Saturninus from 745/9-748/6 there seems to be no place for Quirinius during the closing years of Herod's reign.

Tertullian indeed speaks of Saturninus as legate at the time of Jesus' birth. It is possible that the connection of the census with Quirinius may be due to his having brought to completion what was begun by one of his predecessors; or Quirinius may have been commissioned especially by the emperor to conduct a census in Syria. 

A Thought to Keep

Christian author francis schaeffer wrote, "The best reason to believe Christianity is that it's true." God calls us to true belief, not blind faith.

5 Reasons: Why Did Joseph and Mary Go to Bethlehem?

• October 4, 2023

In this comprehensive article, we explore the reasons behind Joseph and Mary’s journey to Bethlehem, the individuals who influenced their decision, the logistics of their travel, the census order, and the historical context of the time.

Why Did Joseph and Mary Go to Bethlehem – The story of Joseph and Mary’s journey to Bethlehem is a significant event in Christian history, as it marks the birthplace of Jesus Christ. This article delves into the factors that compelled Joseph and Mary to undertake this arduous trip, the messengers who conveyed the message to them, the logistics of their travel, the order of the census that brought them to Bethlehem, and the emperor responsible for it all. Let’s journey back in time to explore the origins and reasons behind this momentous pilgrimage.

Table of Contents

Why Did Joseph and Mary Go to Bethlehem?

Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem because of:

• Census Decree
• FullFillment of Prophecy
• Divine Instruction
• Josephs Lineage

Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem was not merely a coincidence; it was deeply rooted in historical events, religious significance, and divine messages . Understanding the reasons behind this trip is essential to grasp its profound importance in the Christian faith.

Who Told Mary and Joseph to Go to Bethlehem?

The decision for Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem was influenced by a divine message . Let’s delve into the details of this celestial communication.

Where Did the Message Come From?

The angelic message to travel to Bethlehem was conveyed to Mary through an angel, signifying the divine will behind this journey.

Divine Messages given during the Birth and Life of Jesus

Why Did the Message Come?

The purpose of this celestial message was to fulfill ancient prophecies and bring to fruition the birth of Jesus Christ in the prophesied city of Bethlehem.

When Did the Message Come?

The angelic message to Joseph and Mary came at a crucial juncture in their lives, ensuring they were in Bethlehem for the birth of the Messiah.

How Long Did It Take Mary and Joseph to Travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem?

The journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem was no easy feat, and it required careful planning and determination. Let’s explore the logistics of their travel.

Available Methods of Travel

It should be noted that the mileage could vary significantly depending on the terrain, weather, and the condition of the roads, which could be quite poor in places. The estimates given are averages and could vary significantly in practice.

Who Ordered the Census Which Brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem?

The census order that brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem was a crucial historical event tied to the Roman Empire and its leadership.

The Roman Empire was a dominant force during this era, and its administrative decisions, such as the census, had far-reaching consequences.

The Emperor Augustus played a pivotal role in ordering the census, impacting the lives of countless individuals, including Joseph and Mary.

Publius Sulpicius Quirinius

Publius Sulpicius Quirinius, the Governor of Syria, was responsible for overseeing the implementation of the census order in the region.

Why Was Bethlehem Used for the Census?

The selection of Bethlehem as the location for the census had historical significance and played a crucial role in fulfilling prophecies about the Messiah’s birthplace.

These are broad reasons for the Roman Empire’s census, including the one around the time of Jesus’ birth. This specific census, ordered by Caesar Augustus, also played a key role in biblical history, leading Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem.

What Was the Name of the Emperor Who Ordered the Census?

Agustus – Understanding the identity of the emperor who ordered the census sheds light on the historical context of Joseph and Mary’s journey.

How Often and Reason Censuses Were Ordered?

Censuses were not uncommon in the Roman Empire, and they were periodically conducted to maintain administrative records and assess taxation.

Final Thoughts

The journey of Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem holds immense spiritual and historical significance. From celestial messages guiding their path to the Roman Empire’s administrative decisions, each aspect contributed to the fulfillment of ancient prophecies. The arduous travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem showcased their unwavering faith and determination. The birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem remains a cornerstone of Christianity, symbolizing hope, redemption, and divine grace.

Q: What is the significance of Joseph and Mary’s journey to Bethlehem? Joseph and Mary’s journey to Bethlehem is significant as it marks the birthplace of Jesus Christ, fulfilling ancient prophecies and laying the foundation for Christianity.

Q: How did Joseph and Mary receive the message to go to Bethlehem? The message for Joseph and Mary to go to Bethlehem was conveyed through an angel, representing the divine will behind their pilgrimage.

Q: How long did it take Joseph and Mary to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem? The journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem would have taken several days, possibly up to a week, considering the distance and available modes of transportation in ancient times.

Q: Who ordered the census that brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem? The census was ordered by Emperor Augustus, with Publius Sulpicius Quirinius overseeing its implementation as the Governor of Syria.

Q: Why was Bethlehem chosen for the census? Bethlehem was chosen for the census due to its historical significance as the city of David, the ancestral home of Joseph’s lineage.

Q: What impact did the census have on Joseph and Mary’s journey? The census order necessitated Joseph and Mary’s travel to Bethlehem, aligning with divine prophecies about the Messiah’s birthplace.

Final Thoughts – Why Did Joseph and Mary go to Bethlehem

The journey of Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem is a tale of faith, prophecy, and historical context that continues to resonate with millions worldwide. Through divine messages and administrative orders, this pilgrimage culminated in the birth of Jesus Christ, a pivotal event in human history. By understanding the reasons behind their journey, we gain valuable insights into the origins of Christianity and the enduring legacy of this remarkable couple.

Father / Grandfather / Minister / Missionary / Deacon / Elder / Author / Digital Missionary / Foster Parents / Welcome to our Family https://jesusleadershiptraining.com/about-us/

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BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

The betrothal of mary and joseph in the bible.

Explore the history and archaeology of first-century Jewish weddings

Mary and Joseph in the Bible. This illustration by Jim Padgett shows Mary and Joseph in the Bible. Credit: Biblical Illustrations by Jim Padgett, courtesy of Sweet Publishing, Ft. Worth, TX, and Gospel Light, Ventura, CA. © 1984 / CC-by-SA 3.0

With Christmas around the corner, many people read the Nativity stories in Matthew 1–2 and Luke 1–2. Tucked into these narratives are the engagement and marriage of Mary and Joseph in the Bible (Matthew 1:18–25; Luke 1:26–27; 2:5). Any reader would recognize immediately that elements of their courtship were extraordinary. Yet other aspects were quite ordinary, reflecting the cultural norms of that time, people, and place—first-century Jews in Galilee.

David A. Fiensy invites readers to a first-century Jewish wedding in his article, “ Wedding Bells in Galilee ?”—published in the Winter 2022 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review . He explores Jewish courtships in the first century and provides insight into the engagement and marriage of Mary and Joseph in the Bible. Dust off your copy of BAR , put on your dancing shoes, and join him!

FREE ebook, Who Was Jesus? Exploring the History of Jesus’ Life . Examine fundamental questions about Jesus of Nazareth.

In his BAR article, Fiensy discusses first-century Jewish weddings. Here, we highlight five aspects of the courtship process:

(1) Family Ties. The adage “you marry the family” was even more true in Mary and Joseph’s time than today. Fiensy explains that in the first century, marriages were transactional unions between families. Children did not choose their spouses; rather parents would arrange marriages on behalf of their children. Further, endogamy (marrying close relatives) was likely practiced. Fiensy elaborates:

Endogamy seems to have been the norm in the Hebrew Bible (Genesis 28:2), as it is today in the Middle East. There are strong indications that in the late Second Temple period Jewish families preferred their daughters to marry either a cousin or uncle. Therefore, it is probable that Joseph and Mary were relatives.

(2) Betrothal. The groom would submit a contract—written or oral—to the bride’s family. If the family agreed to its terms, the couple was engaged. At the time of Mary and Joseph’s engagement, the rule of the ketubbah would have been in effect. Fiensy describes the ketubbah :

In this ruling—not at all hinted at in the Hebrew Bible—the groom pledged a divorce or widow-settlement to be paid to the bride should the marriage dissolve. … Not only do we have a rabbinic tractate with rules for this process, but we also have marriage contracts from the period. They were discovered in caves on the west side of the Dead Sea and date from the early second century CE. Among these documents are three marriage contracts in which the grooms promise to pay an amount of money to the bride if the marriage dissolves (one promises 400 denarii, equivalent to about $24,000), confirming that the Mishnaic regulation was in effect.

(3) Marriageable Age. At the time of their marriage, Mary was probably a teenager—and Joseph not much older. According to rabbinic texts, parents were encouraged to engage their girls around age 12, about the time of puberty, and marry them a year later. Fiensy supports this claim with archaeological evidence; first-century inscriptions that list women’s age-at-marriage generally indicate ages 12–17, with the majority at age 13.

Marriage Contract. In this document, Anani requests Meshullam (his future father-in-law) to marry his daughter Tamut. The contract, written in Aramaic on papyrus by Nathan ben Ananiah, dates to July 3, 449 BCE, and comes from Elephantine, Egypt. Credit: Brooklyn Museum, Bequest of Theodora Wilbour from the Collection of Her Father, Charles Edwin Wilbour, 47.218.89 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 47.218.89_Sl1.jpg).

(4) Engagement Length. The engagement typically lasted one year.

(5) Wedding. At last we come to the wedding celebration! Fiensy explains that most first-century Jewish weddings contained a procession from the bride to the groom’s house, a large dance party, and a feast:

Local customs varied, but the basic act was carrying the bride to the groom’s house on a litter or carriage while people applauded, played music, and perhaps danced in the streets. The bride wore a “crown” of some sort. There might also have been torches or lamps carried by the procession (Matthew 25:1). Upon the bride’s arrival at the groom’s house, the groom and friends probably emerged with tambourines and drums. … There was also a wedding feast (John 2:1–10; Matthew 22:2; 25:10; Luke 12:36; 14:8), given by the groom’s family, which could last a week or more. … At some point, somebody uttered a benediction over the couple. The ceremony was a huge event, celebrated by the entire village.

Although no wedding feast is described for Mary and Joseph in the Bible, we should not assume that one did not occur. Matthew 1:24–25 says, “When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife but had no marital relations with her until she had given birth to a son, and he named him Jesus.” In an email to Bible History Daily , Fiensy clarifies, “‘Took her as his wife’ need not mean there was no feast. True it is not mentioned, but culture pressed for it.” The historical testimonies suggest some sort of wedding celebration would have taken place—even given the extraordinary circumstances of Mary and Joseph’s courtship.

Learn more about first-century Jewish weddings in David A. Fiensy’s article “ Wedding Bells in Galilee? ” published in the Winter 2022 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review , and in his book The Archaeology of Daily Life: Ordinary Persons in Late Second Temple Israel (Cascade, 2020).

—————— Subscribers: Read the full article “ Wedding Bells in Galilee? ” by David A. Fiensy in the Winter 2022 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review .

Related reading in Bible History Daily :

Were Mary and Joseph Married or Engaged at Jesus’ Birth?

Mary’s Many Sides

All-Access subscribers, see more in the BAS Library:

The Proto-Gospel of James

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2 responses.

How does the cultural context of first-century Jewish weddings shed light on the relationship between Mary and Joseph, considering Mary’s young age and the societal norms surrounding marriage at that time?

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Why did Mary and Joseph have to go to Bethlehem?

Luke 2 records for us that the Lord Jesus was born in a city called Bethlehem, the City of David. The account tells us that His earthly parents were from somewhere else and had to go there for some purpose, and His earthly mother had to give birth to Him there.

Why did Mary and Joseph, Jesus' earthly parents, have to go to Bethlehem anyway? Let's take a closer look at that.

A ruler's decree

"And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of 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, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered." (Luke 2:1-6)

We read in the passage above that as the time drew near for Mary to give birth, Caesar Augustus, the emperor during that time, called for a census to be held.

While I will not delve into how the Romans governed and taxed the Jews or how the Jews treated their lineage and were thus very likely to participate in such a census, we see there that the Roman emperor was able to call all the Jews back to their hometowns through the use of a census. Since Joseph was a descendant of David, he had to go back to Bethlehem to comply with such a command from their ruler.

What many do not notice, though, is that this was done to fulfill a prophecy in Micah 5:2, which says:

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting."

God's hand on the move

Some may not believe it, but God caused this to happen. Since God declared that the Christ will come from Bethlehem, God would make it happen. His word will never fail:

"So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11)

And so how did God do this? By causing the emperor to decree a census. Proverbs 21:1 tells us that God can do that:

"The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes."

God caused Caesar to call for the census. Take note that the very census that caused Joseph and Mary to come to Bethlehem was the first of its kind to take place.

Friends, Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem because it was God's will for Jesus to be born there. He used earthly people and circumstances to bring about His desired result. This shows His sovereignty over everything.

"But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases." (Psalm 115:3).

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Grace and Judgment

Exploring the balance of seeming opposites with careful bible study., joseph and mary in jerusalem: leaving jesus behind.

The Finding of the Saviour in the Temple / William Holman Hunt (1860)

We have only one story of Jesus as a child, Luke 2:41-52. Joseph and Mary traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover every year and probably took Jesus each time. In any case, when he was 12, they returned to Nazareth without him. Jesus stayed at the temple and questioned the teachers there.

Surely every parent can identify with the multitude of emotions Joseph and Mary must have felt as they searched for their son.

Men traveled separately from women and children in those days. A 12-year-old, one year from adulthood, could have plausibly traveled with either group. Only when they stopped for the night and families reunited did Joseph and Mary realize that no one had seen Jesus.

They had to return to Jerusalem to find him. When they did, they were upset. Mary scolded him.

The story ends saying, “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. More than one preacher has commented that even Jesus as a child had to learn wisdom from his youthful carelessness. Why didn’t he stay with his parents?

How church people leave Jesus behind

© Copyright Maigheach-gheal l and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons License

Mary and Joseph, like good church people, went on about their business simply assuming that Jesus was around somewhere. Isn’t it the parents’ responsibility to know where their children are? Why did they have to go back to Jerusalem looking for Jesus?

More to the point, isn’t it our responsibility as Christians to follow Jesus instead of assuming he’s with us?

Jesus has promised never to leave us or forsake us. We can’t wander away from his presence. Unfortunately, we can easily lose the experience of his presence. When we leave it behind, it can be a long time before we notice. It can take even longer to remember where we were and what we were doing the last time we noticed him. Then we have to go looking for Jesus.

The church and its individual members too often go through church activities and personal quiet time as a routine. When we’re finished, we do something else. Do we leave Jesus behind, intent on the next thing on the schedule? That might be the meaning of “all we, like sheep, have gone astray.”

Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus performed many of his miracles when he was on his way to do something else. He frequently allowed the opportunity to minister to the needs around him to change his plans.

If Jesus pauses to go about his Father’s business and we keep plodding along out of force of habit, we will leave him behind. Maybe we will even be as upset as Joseph and Mary as they backtracked and added two days to their journey looking for Jesus.

When we find him again, do we then scold him?

The baby in the manger has grown up. Why are we so often astonished?

Joseph and Mary in Jerusalem: Leaving Jesus behind — 11 Comments

Amen! We are the ones who leave Jesus, not the other way around. May we stay faithful and ever seeking of our Lord and Savior. Blessings!

Thanks. Blessings to you too, Martha Jane.

May I never leave Jesus behind.

“When we leave it behind, it can be a long time before we notice. It can take even longer to remember where we were and what we were doing the last time we noticed him. Then we have to go looking for Jesus.”

Hmmm, may I not leave Jesus behind. Amen.

Thanks for commenting.

In this story in Luke’s Gospel Jesus replies to his mother who admonished him that what had he to do with her as he was about his,’Heavenly Father’s business. How does this sit with Mary later becoming the Queen of Heaven, as the Som of Man addresses his mother as ‘woman’, appearing to us as impolite and dismissive.

Biblically, the Queen of Heaven was a pagan goddess, an object of false worship. The Roman church intended to honor her by giving her that title, but it’s really no honor at all. And in today’s culture, addressing someone as “woman” appears impolite and dismissive. But did it appear so in the very different culture Jesus lived in? Jesus said all kinds of things that offended the people he was talking to, but he also said all kinds of things that would offend us today but clearly, from the context, did not offend his hearers. By the way, in this story, Jesus does not address his mother as “woman.” He simply asked his parents why they didn’t know where to find him. The story concludes that Mary treasured these things. You seem to think that she should have been offended. She was not.

thank you so much for the explanation…

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Mary and Joseph: Ages, Marriage, and Travel to Bethlehem

Written by Joshua Schachterle, Ph.D

Author |  Professor | Scholar

Author |  Professor | BE Contributor

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Date written: December 14th, 2023

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily match my own. - Dr. Bart D. Ehrman

What can we really know about Mary and Joseph, Jesus’ parents? Like most figures from ancient times, they are difficult to pin down. How much of the Gospel stories about them are historically reliable? In this article, I’ll look at information about Mary and Joseph from the Gospels and apocryphal literature and combine it with what we know of the history and culture of 1st-century Palestine to create as clear a picture of them as I can.

Mary and Joseph in the Gospels

Luke 1:26-38 says this about Mary and her pregnancy with Jesus:

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”[b] 29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”[c] 35 The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born[d] will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Matthew 1:18-25 puts it this way:

18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant from the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to divorce her quietly. 20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

23 “Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,”

which means, “God is with us.” 24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife 25 but had no marital relations with her until she had given birth to a son, and he named him Jesus.

Both stories make special mention of the fact that Mary was a virgin. Where did this notion come from? Matthew quotes a prophecy which comes from Isaiah 7:14. However, the idea of the virgin birth may have come from a simple mistranslation of one word in the prophecy.

All the authors of the New Testament read the Hebrew Bible not in its original Hebrew language but in Greek. This Greek translation was called the Septuagint. Like all translations, the Septuagint sometimes made mistakes. The prophecy in its original Hebrew says “Look the almah shall become pregnant and give birth to a son.” The Hebrew word almah simply means “young woman.”

When the Greek-speaking translators came across that word, they mistranslated it, using the Greek word parthenos, which indeed means “virgin.” So, when Matthew and Luke (or their sources) were writing their Gospels, they looked to the Hebrew Bible for prophecies concerning Jesus and found a reference to what they thought was a virgin becoming pregnant. This accorded with their idea of Jesus as God’s son so they used it as evidence that Jesus was the Messiah.

Given this fact, it is historically likely that Jesus was simply Mary and Joseph’s firstborn son.

Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem

While the Gospels of Mark and John have no birth stories of Jesus, both Matthew and Luke agree that Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem. However, many of our earliest sources about Jesus call him Jesus of Nazareth and acknowledge that he was raised in the town of Nazareth. Why would Mary and Joseph have gone to Bethlehem for Jesus’ birth?

Again, Matthew quotes the relevant prophecy from the Hebrew Bible, this time from Micah 5:2:

6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’ ”

For both Matthew and Luke, as well as other Jewish traditions, the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem like King David. The Gospel writers had to come up with a story to get Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem from Nazareth.

Actually, Matthew just says Jesus was born in Bethlehem without any explanation at all. Luke 2:1-7, however, says this:

2 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place in the guest room.

There are several historical problems with this story. First, Caesar Augustus did take censuses in order to be able to tax the citizens of his empire. However, Quirinius was governor of Syria from 6-7 CE, years that Caesar did not take a census.

In addition, most scholars agree that Jesus, meanwhile, was born between 6 and 4 BCE. The dates Luke establishes around the census don’t match.

Second, a census never required sending everyone to their ancestral cities. Had the emperor required this, it would have crippled the economy, stopping everyone’s production of food and other products while they all traveled slowly (it was the ancient world, after all!) to their ancestral cities and back.

Third, the distance from Nazareth to Bethlehem is almost 100 miles. Mary and Joseph were not wealthy, so they would have been on foot or with the pregnant Mary possibly riding a donkey. Imagine a journey of 100 miles, at least 35 hours of total walking or riding, while you are pregnant with delivery imminent.

Most scholars agree that for Luke, the story of the census is merely a plot device to get the pregnant Mary to Bethlehem to confirm that Jesus was the Messiah. It is far more historically likely that Jesus was born in Nazareth and spent his entire childhood there.

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The Slaughter of the Innocents

According to Matthew 2:13-18, Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus were then sent on another journey:

13 Now after [the magi, or wise men] had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.”

16 When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the magi. 17 Then what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.”

Again, we have to address historical problems in this story. First, it’s only told in Matthew. Did the other Gospel authors not know about such a horrific event? There are also no other historical sources for this story, indicating that it probably never happened.

Most scholars believe that the story is Matthew’s invention, meant to correspond to a similar event in the life of Moses when Pharaoh kills all Israelite babies but Moses escapes . For Matthew, Jesus is the new Moses, as we see during his discourse on the Torah in the Sermon on the Mount.

Second, if Mary and Joseph had been in Bethlehem, the journey to Egypt – the border would have been about 40 miles away –  would have taken them several days, again on foot. If Mary were still recovering from giving birth and Jesus was a newborn, such a journey would have been all but impossible.

In addition, if we also accept the scholarly consensus that the Slaughter of the Innocents never happened, the journey to Egypt would have been entirely unnecessary.

Only the Gospel of John says explicitly that Mary was at Jesus’ crucifixion in a scene in which Jesus asks the Beloved Disciple to care for her after his death. While this is not impossible, the fact that the other Gospels don’t have the same story makes it a bit less likely to have happened.

That’s basically all the information we get about Mary and Joseph in the Gospels. What else can we know about them? 

Mary and Joseph’s Marriage: What Was Marriage Like in 1st-century Palestine?

While the Gospels never explicitly say that Mary and Joseph married before Jesus’ birth, 1st-century readers would have assumed that if they had lived together, traveled together and raised a child together as it says in the Gospels, they must have been married.  

To understand Mary and Joseph’s marriage, we need to understand the marital customs and traditions from their time and place.

In 1st-century Palestine, the ideal age for marriage, for both women and men, was during late adolescence. Men, however, often married a bit later, sometimes even as late as 30. We can probably assume, therefore, that when they married, Mary was between 14 and 19 years old while Joseph may have been in his 20s.

Bruce Malina writes this about marriage in the 1st-century world:

During the initial phase, the prospective spouses are set apart for each other; they are betrothed. The responsible males [fathers of the bride and groom] draw up a marriage contract, and eventually the bride’s father must surrender his daughter to the groom, who takes a wife by bringing her into his house [with his parents].

The bride’s family looks for a groom who will be a good provider, a kind father, and a respected citizen. The bride does not look to him for companionship or comfort… The new wife will not be integrated into her husband’s family, but will remain for the most part of her life on the periphery of the husband’s family.

Note that husbands and wives were not required to have a close relationship. This doesn’t mean that they couldn’t be close, just that it was not a necessity of marriage as it is considered today. Instead, marriage was an economic arrangement, meant to bring together two families for economic purposes.

If indeed Mary had been pregnant before their marriage, Joseph’s family, if they were alive, would likely have canceled the marriage since a pregnant bride would have been considered less valuable. The fact that neither Joseph nor his family does this in the Gospels is surely meant to show that Joseph was a kind person. It is likely, then, that they got married before Jesus’ birth.

Since the Gospels don’t say anything about Mary or Joseph’s parents, there are two possibilities: First, both Mary and Joseph’s parents might have been dead. Life expectancy, especially for the poor, was very low.

Second, Mary and Joseph might have moved to Nazareth from some other surrounding town. This is less likely since, as Malina notes, most people remained all their lives in the place where they had grown up.

A Biography of Mary: The Protoevangelium of James

While the Gospels give us almost no information about Mary and Joseph’s upbringing, there is a much later text, The Protoevangelium of James, that claims to include a biography of Mary (“protoevangelium” means “proto-Gospel,” indicating that it’s a kind of prequel to the Gospels). This text was written almost a century after the Gospels , so its value as a historical source is dubious. However, it does contain some interesting ideas.

According to the text, Mary was the daughter of Joachim and Anna, a righteous couple who were unable to conceive until their desperate prayers for a child were answered. In response to her miraculous pregnancy, Anna dedicates Mary to God and vows that she will be raised in the Temple.

If this sounds familiar, it should: this story is almost identical to the story of the prophet Samuel in 1 Samuel, chapter 1 . No doubt the author of this text did this intentionally, showing why Mary, like the prophet Samuel, was a pure servant of God and was therefore worthy of giving birth to Jesus.

Mary is raised in the Temple until she is 12, when the priests tell her she can’t stay in the Temple any longer since she is becoming a young woman. At this point, God brings Joseph, an elderly widower, to be her guardian. In other words, he is not only old but also not Mary’s husband. For this author, this explains why Joseph could not have had sexual relations with Mary, confirming Jesus’ birth of a virgin.

This seems to be the beginning of the notion of the perpetual virginity of Mary. This is the idea that not only did Mary not conceive Jesus through sexual intercourse, but that she also never had sex even after that. Joseph is said, in the Protoevangelium of James, to have had other children through a first marriage, which explains Jesus having brothers and sisters.

Most scholars don’t believe any of this to be historical, although it is interesting as a source of later Christian devotion to Mary.

Finally, Mary is mentioned later in Acts 1:14 as part of the Jesus-following community, which included the 12 apostles and Jesus’ brothers. It says that after Jesus’ death,

All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus , as well as his brothers.

This is the last we hear about Mary’s life.

What Do We Know About Joseph’s Upbringing?

Unfortunately, we have even less information about Joseph. In Matthew, we are told that Jesus was called “the son of the carpenter.” The Greek word translated as carpenter is tekton. John Dominic Crossan writes that while we think of a carpenter as a highly-skilled and trained professional, the word in ancient Greek is more similar to “day-laborer.” This marks Joseph as poor and coming from a poor family.

It has been noted that Joseph is not mentioned in the Gospels after the story about Jesus being forgotten at the Temple in Luke 2:41-52. Later interpreters would assume from this that Joseph had died when Jesus was very young, which is certainly plausible.

Conclusion: What Can We Know about Mary and Joseph?

Mary and Joseph would have gotten married in their teens or 20s, with Joseph more likely to be a little older. Legends about Joseph being elderly and merely the guardian of Mary were invented later to reinforce the notion of Mary’s virginity and thus Jesus’ messiahship.

Despite what the Gospels say, it is more historically likely that they were both from Nazareth and that they were betrothed by their parents or other older relatives for economic reasons. They probably spent their lives living in Nazareth and raising their children.

Joseph was likely a kind of day-laborer, cobbling together the best living he could by working at whatever menial jobs were available. He may have died when Jesus was young.

Mary likely lived for several years after the death of Jesus and became part of the community gathered around the life and teachings of her son. She was there at the beginning of Jesus’ life and remained, still devoted to him, after his death.

NOW AVAILABLE! DID THE CHRISTMAS STORY REALLY HAPPEN?

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Josh Schachterle

About the author

After a long career teaching high school English, Joshua Schachterle completed his PhD in New Testament and Early Christianity in 2019. He is the author of "John Cassian and the Creation of Monastic Subjectivity." When not researching, Joshua enjoys reading, composing/playing music, and spending time with his wife and two college-aged children.