Chapter X.—A Statement of the Reason Why Luke Tells Us that “His Parents Went to Jerusalem Every Year at the Feast of the Passover” Along with the Boy; While Matthew Intimates that Their Dread of Archelaus Made Them Afraid to Go There on Their Return from Egypt.

23. Or does any one put to us this question, How was it, then, that His parents went up to Jerusalem every year during the boyhood of Christ, as Luke’s narrative bears, if they were prevented from going there by the fear of Archelaus? Well, I should not deem it any very difficult task to solve this question, even although none of the evangelists has given us to understand how long Archelaus reigned there. For it might have been the case that, simply for that one day, and with the intention of returning forthwith, they went up on the day of the feast, without attracting any notice among the vast multitudes then assembled, to the city where, nevertheless, they were afraid to make their residence on other days. And thus they might at once have saved themselves from the appearance of being so irreligious as to neglect the observance of the feast, and have avoided drawing attention upon themselves by a continued sojourn. But further, although all the evangelists have omitted to tell us what was the length of the reign of Archelaus, we have still open to us this obvious method of explaining the matter, namely, to understand the custom to which Luke refers, when he says that they were in the habit of going to Jerusalem every year,283    Luke ii. 4. as one prosecuted at a time when Archelaus was no more an object of fear. But if the reign of Archelaus should be made out to have lasted for a somewhat longer period on the authority of any extra-evangelical history which appears to deserve credit, the consideration which I have indicated above should still prove quite sufficient,—namely, the supposition that the fear which the parents of the child entertained of a residence in Jerusalem was, nevertheless, not of such a nature as to lead them to neglect the observance of the sacred festival to which they were under obligation in the fear of God, and which they might very easily go about in a manner that would not attract public attention to them. For surely it is nothing incredible that, by taking advantage of favourable opportunities, whether by day or by hour, men may (safely venture to) approach places in which they nevertheless are afraid to be found tarrying.

CAPUT X. Quomodo Lucas dicit, Ibant parentes ejus per omnes annos in Jerusalem in die solemni Paschae cum illo puero; cum dicat Matthaeus quod metu Archelai timuerint illuc ire ab Aegypto redeuntes.

23. An et hoc aliquis dicit: Quomodo ergo, sicut Lucas narrat, ibant parentes ejus per omnes annos pueritiae Christi in Jerusalem, si Archelai timore illuc prohibebantur accedere? Hoc mihi dissolvere non esset difficile, nec si aliquis Evangelistarum expressisset, quamdiu ibi regnaret Archelaus. Fieri enim poterat ut per diem festum inter tam ingentem turbam latenter ascenderent, mox reversuri, ubi tamen aliis diebus habitare metuerent: ut nec solemnitate praetermissa essent irreligiosi, nec continua mansione conspicui. Cum vero etiam de regno Archelai quam fuerit diuturnum, omnes tacuerint, iste quoque intellectus patet, ut quod Lucas dicit per omnes annos eos ascendere solitos in Jerusalem (Luc. II, 41), tunc accipiamus factitatum, cum jam non timeretur Archelaus. Quod si Archelai regnum aliquanto diuturnius ulla praeter Evangelium prodit historia, cui fides habenda videatur; illud quod superius dixi suffecerit, quod ita timebant parentes pueri habitationem in Jerusalem, ut tamen propter Dei timorem festivitatem solemnem non praetermitterent, in qua latere facillime possent: neque enim incredibile est, captatis temporibus opportunis vel dierum vel horarum, accedere homines ad ea loca in quibus esse formidant.