Matthew 2:1-12 Lesson 2
Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."
In this lesson:
The wise men.
Mary and Jesus.
By Raffaello Sanzio (1483-1520).
By Raffaello Sanzio (1483-1520).
Study Tip:
As you study the Bible, use the five W's technique employed by investigative journalists.
Ask yourself who, what, when, where and why as you read each passage.
As you study the Bible, use the five W's technique employed by investigative journalists.
Ask yourself who, what, when, where and why as you read each passage.
Where was -
Jerusalem -
Hebrew for "foundation of Shalem" (peace). Jerusalem is also called Mount Zion, David's city, or the Holy City. The city of Jerusalem is located fourteen miles west of the Dead Sea and thirty-three miles east of the Mediterranean and sits in the Judaean Mountains approximately 2,500 feet above sea level. Surrounded by valleys on three sides, Jerusalem dominated the area and in Jesus' time was the epicenter of Jewish life, government, and religion. The ancestral home of Israel's King David, ancient Egyptian texts mention the city going back to the 19th century BC. It is first mentioned in the Bible under the name Salem (Genesis 14:18) and is first called Jerusalem in Joshua 10:1. The original city covered only about eight acres but was constantly being rebuilt and expanded. Many early Christians had to flee Jerusalem or face persecution. Through the centuries Jerusalem has been occupied by Assyria, Egypt, Babylon (2 Kings 25), Persia, Greece, and Rome (who destroyed the city and killed its citizens in AD 70). Rome then rebuilt the city, renamed it Colonia Aelia Capitolina, banned Jews, and constructed a temple to the pagan god Jupiter. In AD 614, the Persians captured the city and again Jerusalem's citizens were murdered. The European Crusaders occupied Jerusalem in 1099 and later the Turks. Today, Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and holds religious significance for Jews, Christians, and Muslims.
Jerusalem -
Hebrew for "foundation of Shalem" (peace). Jerusalem is also called Mount Zion, David's city, or the Holy City. The city of Jerusalem is located fourteen miles west of the Dead Sea and thirty-three miles east of the Mediterranean and sits in the Judaean Mountains approximately 2,500 feet above sea level. Surrounded by valleys on three sides, Jerusalem dominated the area and in Jesus' time was the epicenter of Jewish life, government, and religion. The ancestral home of Israel's King David, ancient Egyptian texts mention the city going back to the 19th century BC. It is first mentioned in the Bible under the name Salem (Genesis 14:18) and is first called Jerusalem in Joshua 10:1. The original city covered only about eight acres but was constantly being rebuilt and expanded. Many early Christians had to flee Jerusalem or face persecution. Through the centuries Jerusalem has been occupied by Assyria, Egypt, Babylon (2 Kings 25), Persia, Greece, and Rome (who destroyed the city and killed its citizens in AD 70). Rome then rebuilt the city, renamed it Colonia Aelia Capitolina, banned Jews, and constructed a temple to the pagan god Jupiter. In AD 614, the Persians captured the city and again Jerusalem's citizens were murdered. The European Crusaders occupied Jerusalem in 1099 and later the Turks. Today, Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and holds religious significance for Jews, Christians, and Muslims.