Study of all 4 Gospels at the Same Time - Flight to Egypt And Death of Herod the Great - Matthew 2: 13 - 30 - Post 11

After the Wise men had come to Jerusalem to the Palace of Herod the Great and inquired of the birth of the Messiah; Herod questioned them in hopes of finding more information concerning the whereabouts of the Child.  King Herod told the Wise men to come back and tell him where the child was so he could worship the Child.  When the Wise men did not return, King Herod became angry and issued a proclamation that all new born males born 2 years and younger, in and around Bethlehem are to be killed.  King Herod arrived at this group to be singled out from questioning the Wise men when they had visited his Palace.  King Herod told the Wise men that he intended to worship the Child, as the Wise men had done.  King Herod really wanted to kill the Child.  King Herod's title was King of the Jews, but Herod was not Jewish at all.  He was an Edomite, born of the House of Esau.  Herod became king of Israel, because no Jew wanted to be king under the rule of the Romans.  You can read more about King Herod in Josephus' Book The Antiquities of the Jews Book 14 Chapter 13 1.324. Starting there and continuing.  King Herod was King of Israel from 37 B.C. to 4 B.C.

The story continues with God coming to Joseph in a dream, telling him to take his young family and go to Egypt for safety until all those trying to kill the Messiah were dead.  Joseph and his family were gone from Bethlehem, when Herod's soldiers came to kill all the young boys living in and around Bethlehem 2 years and younger.

While Joseph's family were in Egypt, people living in Egypt became aware of Joseph and his family, some of these people came to believe that Joseph's Son was the Messiah.  These people became known as "Coptic's"  This group in Egypt traces their belief back to when this family was in Egypt.

True to His Word, God came to Joseph in a dream, while he was still in Egypt and told him it was safe for he and his family to return back to Israel.  Upon returning to Israel, Joseph took his family and settled in Nazareth, in the Northern part of Israel.  This is where the family lived after leaving Bethlehem.

Nothing is mentioned in the Bible until Jesus was 12 years old.