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For this reason, when Nathanael said to Philip, after the latter had said, 'We have found Jesus of Nazareth,' 'Can anything good come out of Nazareth?' Christ said of him: 'Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile.' And for what reason, he says, did He praise him? Because he was not carried away by Philip's announcement, but knew clearly and precisely that Christ was not to be born in Nazareth, nor in Galilee, but in Judaea and in Bethlehem; which indeed also happened. Since, therefore, Philip was ignorant of this, but Nathanael, being learned in the law, answered according to what was said in the prophecy from above, knowing that the Christ would not come from Nazareth; for this reason Christ also said, 'Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile.' For this reason also some of the Jews said to Nicodemus: 'Search, and see that a prophet has not arisen out of Galilee.' And again elsewhere: 'Does not the Christ come from Bethlehem, the village where David was?' And it was the common verdict of all, that He must certainly come from there, not from Galilee.

49.354 Since, therefore, Joseph and Mary, being 49.354 citizens of Bethlehem, having left it, established their life in Nazareth, and there they stayed (as is likely to happen to many people, leaving the cities where they were from, and living in others where they were not originally from), and it was necessary for the Christ to be born in Bethlehem; the decree went out, and compelled them against their will to that city, God so ordaining. For the law which commanded each to be registered in his own homeland, forced them to get up from there, from Nazareth I mean, and to come to Bethlehem, so as to be registered. Indeed, hinting at this very thing the evangelist said: 'And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to 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.' And it came to pass, while they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth, and she brought forth her firstborn son.

3. Have you seen, beloved, the economy of God, and through the unbelieving and the believing the things

concerning Himself which He arranges, so that those who are strangers to piety might learn His strength and His power. And while the star led the magi from the east, the law drew Mary to the homeland spoken of by the prophets. From this it is clear to us that the Virgin is also of the Davidic lineage; for since she was from Bethlehem, it is evident that she was also of the house and lineage of David. The evangelist also showed this above, in what he said: 'And Joseph also went up from Galilee with Mary, because he was of the house and lineage of David.' For since Joseph's genealogy was given, but no one has numbered her ancestors for us in the same way as his; lest you should doubt and say, 'Whence then is it clear that she too is of David?' hear: 'In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.' The phrase, 'of the house of David,' must be understood as spoken of the Virgin; which indeed has also been shown here. For this reason also the command and this law was in effect, leading them up to Bethlehem; for at the same time as they set foot in the city, Jesus was immediately born. Wherefore also He was laid in a manger, since many were then running together from all directions, and taking up the places beforehand, and making the space very cramped; which is why the magi also worshipped Him there.

But that I may provide you with a clearer and more familiar proof, stand up for me, I beseech you, now; for I wish to stir up a long history, and

3

∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ τοῦ Ναθαναὴλ εἰπόντος πρὸς τὸν Φίλιππον, ἐπειδὴ ἐκεῖνος ἔλεγεν, Ἰησοῦν τὸν ἀπὸ Ναζαρὲθ εὑρήκαμεν, Ἐκ Ναζαρὲθ δύναταί τι ἀγαθὸν εἶναι; ὁ Χριστὸς περὶ αὐτοῦ φησιν· Ἴδε ἀληθῶς Ἰσραηλίτης ἐν ᾧ δόλος οὐκ ἔστι. Καὶ τίνος, φησὶν, ἕνεκεν αὐτὸν ἐπῄνεσεν; Ἐπειδὴ οὐ συνηρπάγη τῇ ἀπαγγελίᾳ τοῦ Φιλίππου, ἀλλ' ᾔδει σαφῶς καὶ ἀκριβῶς, ὅτι οὐκ ἐν Ναζαρὲθ, οὔτε ἐν τῇ Γαλιλαίᾳ ἔδει τὸν Χριστὸν τεχθῆναι, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ καὶ ἐν τῇ Βηθλεέμ· ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ἐγένετο. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ὁ μὲν Φίλιππος τοῦτο ἠγνόησεν, ὁ δὲ Ναθαναὴλ, ἅτε νομομαθὴς ὢν, ἀπεκρίνατο τὰ κατὰ τὴν ἄνωθεν προφητείαν εἰρημένα, εἰδὼς, ὅτι οὐκ ἐκ Ναζαρὲθ ἥξει ὁ Χριστός· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς, Ἴδε ἀληθῶς Ἰσραηλίτης, φησὶν, ἐν ᾧ δόλος οὐκ ἔστι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καί τινες τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἔλεγον πρὸς τὸν Νικόδημον· Ἐρεύνησον, καὶ ἴδε, ὅτι προφήτης ἐκ τῆς Γαλιλαίας οὐκ ἐγήγερται. Καὶ πάλιν ἀλλαχοῦ· Οὐκ ἀπὸ Βηθλεὲμ τῆς κώμης, ὅπου ἦν ∆αυῒδ, ὁ Χριστὸς ἔρχεται. Καὶ κοινὴ πάντων ψῆφος ἦν, ὅτι πάντως ἐκεῖθεν αὐτὸν δεῖ παραγενέσθαι, οὐκ ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλαίας.

49.354 Ἐπεὶ οὖν ὁ Ἰωσὴφ καὶ ἡ Μαρία τῆς Βηθλεὲμ ὄν49.354 τες πολῖται, ἐκείνην ἀφέντες, ἐν τῇ Ναζαρὲθ τὸν βίον αὐτῶν κατεστήσαντο, κἀκεῖ διέτριβον (οἷα δὴ πολλὰ συμβαίνειν εἰκὸς ἐπὶ πολλῶν ἀνθρώπων, τὰς μὲν πόλεις, ὅθεν ἐγένοντο, καταλιμπανόντων, ἐν ἄλλαις δὲ, ἐν αἷς οὐκ ἐφύησαν παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν, διατριβόντων), ἔδει δὲ τὸν Χριστὸν ἐν Βηθλεὲμ τεχθῆναι· ἐξῆλθε τὸ δόγμα, καὶ ἄκοντας αὐτοὺς συνωθοῦν εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἐκείνην, τοῦ Θεοῦ οὕτως οἰκονομοῦντος. Ὁ γὰρ νόμος ὁ κελεύων ἕκαστον εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν ἀπογράψασθαι πατρίδα, ἠνάγκαζεν ἐκεῖθεν αὐτοὺς ἀνίστασθαι, ἀπὸ τῆς Ναζαρὲθ λέγω, καὶ ἔρχεσθαι εἰς τὴν Βηθλεὲμ, ὥστε ἀπογράφεσθαι. Τοῦτο γοῦν αὐτὸ αἰνιττόμενος καὶ ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς, ἔλεγεν· Ἀνέβη δὲ καὶ ὁ Ἰωσὴφ ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλαίας, ἐκ πόλεως Ναζαρὲθ, εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν, εἰς πόλιν ∆αυῒδ, ἥτις καλεῖται Βηθλεὲμ, διὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν ἐξ οἴκου καὶ πατριᾶς ∆αυῒδ, ἀπογράφεσθαι σὺν Μαριὰμ τῇ μεμνηστευμένῃ αὐτῷ γυναικὶ οὔσῃ ἐγκύῳ. Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ εἶναι αὐτοὺς ἐκεῖ, ἐπλήσθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ τεκεῖν αὐτὴν, καὶ ἔτεκε τὸν υἱὸν αὑτῆς τὸν πρωτότοκον.

γʹ. Εἶδες, ἀγαπητὲ, οἰκονομίαν Θεοῦ, καὶ διὰ τῶν ἀπίστων καὶ τῶν πιστῶν τὰ

καθ' ἑαυτὸν οἰκονομοῦντος, ἵνα μάθωσιν οἱ ἀλλότριοι τῆς εὐσεβείας τὴν ἰσχὺν καὶ τὴν δύναμιν αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ὁ μὲν ἀστὴρ τοὺς μάγους ἤγαγεν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνατολῆς, ὁ δὲ νόμος τὴν Μαριὰμ εἷλκεν ἐπὶ τὴν πατρίδα τὴν ὑπὸ τῶν προφητῶν εἰρημένην. Ἐντεῦθεν ἡμῖν δῆλόν ἐστιν, ὅτι καὶ ἡ Παρθένος ἐκ γένους ἐστὶ ∆αυϊδικοῦ· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐκ τῆς Βηθλεὲμ ἦν, εὔδηλον ὅτι καὶ ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου καὶ τῆς πατριᾶς ἦν τοῦ ∆αυΐδ. Τοῦτο καὶ ἀνωτέρω ἐδήλωσεν ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς, ἐν οἷς ἔλεγεν· Ἀνέβη δὲ καὶ Ἰωσὴφ ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλαίας σὺν Μαριὰμ, διὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν ἐξ οἴκου καὶ πατριᾶς ∆αυΐδ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ μὲν Ἰωσὴφ ἐγενεαλογήθη, τοὺς δὲ ταύτης προγόνους οὐδεὶς ἡμῖν ἠρίθμησεν οὕτως, ὡς τοὺς ἐκείνου· ἵνα μὴ ἀμφιβάλλῃς καὶ λέγῃς, Πόθεν οὖν δῆλον, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ ∆αυΐδ ἐστι καὶ αὐτή; ἄκουσον· Ἐν τῷ μηνὶ τῷ ἕκτῳ ἀπεστάλη ὁ ἄγγελος Γαβριὴλ ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς πόλιν τῆς Γαλιλαίας, ᾗ ὄνομα Ναζαρὲθ, πρὸς παρθένον μεμνηστευμένην ἀνδρὶ, ᾧ ὄνομα Ἰωσὴφ, ἐξ οἴκου ∆αυΐδ. Τὸ, ἐξ οἴκου ∆αυῒδ, περὶ τῆς Παρθένου ὑποληπτέον εἰρῆσθαι· ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ἐνταῦθα δεδήλωται. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὸ πρόσταγμα καὶ ὁ νόμος οὗτος ἐφοίτα, ἀνάγων ἐπὶ τὴν Βηθλεὲμ αὐτούς· ὁμοῦ τε γὰρ τῆς πόλεως ἐπέβησαν, καὶ Ἰησοῦς εὐθέως ἐτίκτετο. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐν φάτνῃ κατεκλίνετο, πολλῶν πανταχόθεν τότε συντρεχόντων, καὶ τοὺς τόπους προκαταλαμβανόντων, καὶ πολλὴν ποιούντων τὴν στενοχωρίαν· ὅθεν ἐκεῖ αὐτὸν καὶ οἱ μάγοι προσεκύνησαν.

Ἵνα δὲ σαφεστέραν καὶ γνωριμωτέραν ὑμῖν ἀπόδειξιν παράσχωμαι, διανάστητέ μοι, παρακαλῶ, νῦν· καὶ γὰρ μακρὰν ἱστορίαν ἀνακινῆσαι βούλομαι, καὶ