Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-05
Drai1a ann fta Ttntra
The Years in GoIiIee Were Happy
As Young Jesus Grew to Manhood
BY DANIEL-ROPS
Chapter 2

little green and white town, cut into the
sides Of the Snow-crowned heights which
seal the plain of Esdraelon on the north.
Today it is town of some 5000 or 1000
Inhabitants distinguishable from other such
towns only by the multiplicity Of churches,
converts and belfries.
1t is surrounded by a graceful circlet Of
hills, sprinkled with primitive farm build
ings of waffle and daub, the dark columns
Of the cypress standing out among the vine
yards, the olive groves and the grain fields.
The gardens are fragrant with lilies and
verbena and the bougainvillea trails its cope
Of episcopal purple over the white walls.
This is the setting in which we can
visualize the Child Jesus.
The physical reality was probably less like
that charming 4th century statue, now in
museum in Rome, showing serene, COM
posed child in long pleated tunic, and
more like one Of those vivacious nervous
Jewish children who can be encountered
anywhere along the roads of Palestine and
in the Zionist settlements Of the plain of
Esdraelon. those sparsely clad, barefooted
children whose faces display at once lively
intelligence and a sober intensity of passion.
Homes Remain Unchanged
The surroundings of the Holy Family,
which so many painters have striven to
depict, can have been very little different
from those which we can see in any small
house in the locality today. Ordinarily
there is only one room, pervaded by the
swedish smell of olive oil. Often there is
no outlet for the smoke save by the door.
At night lamp made of clay, hung on an
iron chandelier or placed on a projecting
slab in the stone wall, provides poor light
A church marks the site which certain
archaeological researches have identified as
that of the house where Joseph brought up
Jesus. The house was largely subterranean,
followed out of the soft local limestone,
with crude stairway tnow richly dec
GRATED with mosaics) where the child could
climb up and down.
He would have received the same educa-
ton as all the young Jews of His time.
There seems to have been regular course
Of studies which the Talmud describes.
They revolved around the synagogue and
were presided over by the hassan, who
seems to have been a sort of beadle or
where the faithful foregathered.
At the beth-hasepher or primary school.
sitting on the ground around the scrolls of
the law, the children repeated the verses in
unison until they knew them by heart.
Has Historical Probability
The familiar picture of Jesus growing up
with His father and mother in the humble
household at Nazareth has good deal of
historical probability, especially If, after
the death of His foster father Joseph. He
lived in the company of numerous cousins.
Our information about His childhood is
scanty.
a single episode is reported to us, about
the time He was IL years old Like all pious
Jews, Joseph and Mary would go to Jeru-
salem for the Passover.
Perhaps this would be the first time they
had taken their son. The long journey
would be ightened by the chants of the
pilgrims, reciting those psalms which the
Ancients had composed to the rhythm of
the march.
The pilgrims would eat lamb prepared
with bitter herbs and a red sauce, accord
ing to ancient custom. So they ate un-
leavened bread and drank their wine and
then, when the last hallelujahs had died
down, they started on their way back
At the first stopping place, Joseph and
Mary went to look for their child, whom
they had not seen during the march, but
whom they supposed to be with their friends
and relations among the pilgrims. He was
not to be found, and, very perturbed, they
went back to Jerusalem to look for him.
After three days search He was discov-
cred in the Temple, in the place where the
doctors of the law and other learned men
were accustomed to teach their disciples.
Groups of children commonly sat around
with the students; sometimes they were
even permitted to ask questions.
He Sat Among the Learned
There Jesus was, among the learned men
of Israel-"And all that heard Him." said
St. Luke, were astonished at His under
standing and answers"
His mother relieved as she was, had to
chide Him gently and ask Him why He had
treated them thus. Behold, thy father
and have sought Thee sorrowing". And
the Holy Child replied in those strange
harsh words which stated, for the first time,
the requirement that whoever would fol-
low Christ must forSake all human ties,
even the dearest How is it that We sought
me? Visit We not that must be about my
Fathers business?"
So the years passed by; many years. for
1t was not until He was about 80 that Christ
came out Of obscurity and began to teach.
We know nothing about these hidden
years.
In this small and remote province of the
empire, humble Jew would be as unknown
to the great world as one ant out of hill,
and the historical events of the period took
place without the slightest connection with
those by which the divine soul received His
human grounding.
One fact concerning the early life of