The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1879-12-24

was king OF Judea. he was an
Idumean by descent, the son OF
Antipater. About tbirty-fve years
before this time the Roman Senate
had appointed him king Of the
Jews, or Of Judea, but such was
the hatred and aversion Of the
Jews to him that it required three
years before he could take posses
sion of his throne. He murdered
his wife Marianne, and his two
sons, besides committing many
other cruclties. A bad heart and
a guilty conscience make towards.
At this Sine Herod must have
been the most hateful and hated
man in Jerusalem. The city had
Just been stirred to it's center by a
collision between him and GER
tain class Of Jews. Six thousand
Pharisees refused to take the oath
of allegiance, and these were the
representatives Of a much larger
numb of Jewish foes ofHerod. At
this time, too, every body spoke of
certain prophecy foretelling "the
divinely intended transfer of the
kingdom from Herod and his race
to a tavorite of the Jews" All
this would naturally excite the
nerves of even a better man than
Herod.
In the midst of these ominous
forebodings, a messenger an-
nounces to the king the arrival of
a caravan Of distinguished men,
asking for an interview. Perhaps
the question occurred to him !:
"Might not this be part of a plot
to dcthrone him &? perhaps a cum
ming device Of the Jews" He
hears their message. "Whore is
he that is born King Of the Jews?
For we have seen his star in the
east, and are come to worship
him." A star! Surely these must
be astrologers-star-g gazers-w
foretell future events by the ap-
pearance and situation of the stars.
For all heather minds, and espe-
cially kings like Herod: consulted
the stars before entering upon an
importar; enterprise. Now the
stars announce that new king OF
Judea has been born. Where else
but in Herod's family could this
take place. And he knows nothing
about it until these men Of the far
East bring him the news. What
can it mean? "He was troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him."
Herod, though a cunning politi-
clan and a shrewd far-seeing ty-
rant, was in some things a very
ignorant man. A century before,
the Idumeans were made Jews by
a forced circumcision through
Hyrcanus. In fact they remain
ed Idumeans still, though circum-
cised-a sort of half-pagan barba-
rians. To this extent, too, Herod
was a Jew by descent. But of the
Jewish law be was wholly igno-
rant. He consults the "chiefpriests
and scribes"-the seventy mem
bers Of the great council, all learn
ed in the law. Where should
Christ be born ? "In Bethlehem
of Judea," is the reply. What can
all this mean ? "W hen did the
star appear? Go to Bethlehem
and search for the child and bring
me word again"
1t seems they had lost sight of
the star for season. Now it reap
pears, and guides them to the place
where the young child was. Ia
the East it is not unusual for peo-
pie to travel by night, when the
star would be visible. During the
day it was out Of sight. By night,
most likely, they journeyed from
Jerusalem to Bethlehem. Two
hours travel brought them to the
gate of the town. Who could lead
them to the house where the in
fant King lay? The Star stood
over it. Besides, certain shep-
herds, who had received a strange
angelic message, called attention
tc the child. Thus all the people
of the town had heard of this
strange birth in the stable.
Many a curious question must
have occurred to the minds Of the
Wise Men on, their journey. Sure
ly, a costly palace must be the
home of such child, whose birth
the stars of heaven announce.