“O, little town of Bethlehem…” We are all familiar with the name of the little town where Jesus was born. Today, Bethlehem is a city in Palestine, approximately 6.2 miles south of Jerusalem with a population of around 25,000 people. Its economy is primarily tourist-driven, welcoming thousands of Christian pilgrims at Christmas time. It is also an important city for Jews and the location of Rachel’s Tomb, the wife of Jacob. 

The earliest mention of Bethlehem can be found in the Amarna correspondence of 1350-1330 BC. Written on clay tablets, the letters contain diplomatic communication between Egypt and its representatives in Canaan. At this time, the Egyptians referred to the village, as it was then, as Bit-Lahmi. Incidentally, Bethlehem had a different name at the beginning of the Bible: 

• So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). (Genesis 35:19)
• As I was returning from Paddan,to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way, a little distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem). (Genesis 48:7)

Initially, Bethlehem was allotted to the tribe of Zebulun, as it says in Joshua 19: “Included were Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah and Bethlehem.” (19:15) Later, it became a part of the Kingdom of Judah: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” (Micah 5:2) Here, Micah is prophesying the coming of the Messiah. 

Bethlehem continues to be mentioned throughout the Old Testament, however, not necessarily for anything connected to the prophecy of Jesus’ birth. In the book of Judges, we are told, “Ibzan of Bethlehem led Israel” for seven years. (Judges 12:8) In the same book, “A young Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, who had been living within the clan of Judah, left that town in search of some other place to stay.” He found work as a priest at Micah’s house in the hill country of Ephraim.

In the Book of Ruth, we learn Naomi came from Bethlehem with her husband Elimelek and sons, Mahlon and Kilion. “They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah.” (Ruth 1:2) They moved to the country of Moab where Elimelek died. Following his death, the two sons married Moabite women, however, the sons died too, leaving Naomi alone with her daughter-in-laws Orpah and Ruth. Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem and told the young women to return to their families, however, Ruth insisted she stay with her mother-in-law, “So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.” (Ruth 1:22) 

In the First Book of Samuel, God tells the prophet, “I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.” (1 Samuel 16:1) Jesse was the father of the future King David, which is why Bethlehem is occasionally referred to as the City of David in the New Testament. “Once in Royal David’s city stood a lowly cattle shed …” During David’s lifetime, a Philistine garrison was established in Bethlehem, for which there is archaeological evidence. “At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem.” (2 Samuel 23:14)

Despite being the birthplace of Jesus, there is relatively little mention of Bethlehem in the New Testaments. Matthew and Luke record Jesus’ birth, however, Mark only mentions Jesus came from Nazareth. 

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:1-2) As a result of the Magi asking King Herod where they could find the king of the Jews, the disturbed king “gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under.” Some scholars argue Bethlehem may not have been the birthplace of Jesus, however, the Massacre of the Innocents in the town and its vicinity is evidence that Jesus was born in the area. 

To those disputing the whereabouts of Jesus’ birth were invited by Justin Martyr in around 155 to visit the cave in which Jesus was born. The Gospel of Luke documents the birth of Jesus, however, does not mention the precise location in Bethlehem. Modern nativity plays present the scene as a stable or cattle shed rather than a cave on account that Mary wrapped Jesus “in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.” (Luke 2:7)

The supposed cave was converted into a shrine dedicated to the Greek god Adonis by Emperor Hadrian. Others associate the cave with the Mesopotamian god Tammuz, claiming the Massacre of the Innocents was misinterpreted and the locals were partaking in a pagan mourning ritual over the god’s death. 

Sometime between 326 and 328 AD, Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great, visited Bethlehem during a pilgrimage to Syra-Palaestina. Not long after her visit, Constantine built a basilica over the cave where Jesus was purportedly born. This is now known as the Church of the Nativity. The building was destroyed during the Samaritan Revolt of 529, however, the emperor at the time, Justinian I, ordered it to be rebuilt. In 614, the Persian Sassanid Empire captured Bethlehem, however, the Church of the Nativity survived the assault. Legend says they refrained from destroying the church when the saw a mosaic showing the magi dressed in Persian clothing. 

Although Muslims captured Bethlehem in 637, Christians were promised they could continue to use the Church of the Nativity, however, they did build a mosque next door. This agreement continued until 1009 when those in charge ordered the church to be demolished. Local Muslims, however, persuaded the authorities to spare it. In 1099, the Crusaders fortified the Church of the Nativity, however, the Greek Orthodox clergy were forced to leave and were replaced by Latin priests. When Saladin captured Bethlehem in 1187, the Greek Orthodox clergy was allowed to return. 

During the Ottoman era, the Greek Orthodox clergy was often in dispute with the Catholic Church about the custody of the Church of the Nativity. Nonetheless, the Christian population began to rapidly grow and by the end of the 16th century, Bethlehem was split into separate communities: the Muslims and the Christians. During this time, the Christian community was more prosperous, which was partly because the Muslim quarters were attacked by Egyptian troops in 1834. Bethlehem was under Egyptian rule for a brief period before returning to the Ottoman Empire where it remained until the end of World War One. 

From 1920 to 1948, the British Mandate administered Bethlehem. Following this, Bethlehem returned to Palestine; however, the city was captured by Jordan during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. After the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel took control of Bethlehem until they withdrew in 1995. Since then, the Palestinian National Authority has ruled the city. 

Despite being a popular place for Christian pilgrims, the Christian population in Bethlehem has been declining since the mid-twentieth century. In 1948, Christians made up 85% of Bethlehem’s population but by 2016 it had declined to 16%. This is partially because Christians have been forced to leave the city so that land can be used to construct thousands of Israeli homes. A study also points out there has been a lower birth rate amongst Christians in the area, plus Christians are more likely to emigrate to the western world than any other religious group.

Tourism is Bethlehem’s main industry and provides more than 20% of the population’s employment. The Church of the Nativity is a major attraction, particularly around Christmas-time. Festivities begin long before the traditional date (25th December) and continue through the Greek, Coptic and Syrian Orthodox church celebrations (6th January) until 19th January when Armenian Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas.  

Due to the mix of religions in Bethlehem, other festivals continue to attract tourists throughout the year. This includes the annual Feast of Saint George, who is known as al-Khadr in the Quran, on the 5th and 6th May and the Feast of Saint Elijah on 20th July. 
​
Just for fun, here is a list of the current cities throughout the world twinned with Bethlehem:

• Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
• Assisi, Italy
• Athens, Greece
• Burlington, Vermont, USA
• Chartres, France
• Cologne, Germany
• Province of Cordoba, Spain
• Cusco, Peru
• Florence, Italy
• Glasgow, Scotland
• Greccio, Italy
• Lisbon, Portugal
• Madaba, Jordan
• Montpellier, France
• Orvieto, Italy
• Saint-Herblain, France
• Tournai, Belgium
• Valinhos, Brazil 

Jericho is a city that features in both the Old and New Testament of the Bible. Today, it is a Palestinian city on the Jordan Bank with a population of over 18,000. Believed to be one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world, it is also the first known city to have had a protective wall built around it. So far, archaeologists have found evidence of settlements dating back to 9000 BC. 
The last Ice Age ended in around 9600 BC and it was shortly after that when humans began to settle in the areas around the Jordan River. Remains of constructions built by these Epipaleolithic people have been unearthed, suggesting there were at least seventy houses. These buildings were built from clay and straw, therefore, little else can be determined other than they were quite small, probably containing only one room.

The Wall of Jericho was constructed around 8000 BC. It was roughly 12 feet high and 2 feet wide with a tower that was 22 steps high. Whilst the tower may have been used for ceremonial purposes, the function of the wall was likely to keep out the floodwaters from the Jordan. By 7000 BC, new houses were being constructed from mud bricks, each consisting of several rooms and a courtyard. 

Not much is known about the comings and goings of people during the Bronze Age, however, from the 4th millennium, there is evidence the walls were rebuilt several times. By 2600 BC, Jericho was inhabited by the Amorites, although they seem to disappear around 300 years later. Jericho was taken over in 1900 BC by the Canaanites until an earthquake destroyed the city in 1573 BC. It remained uninhabited until the 9th century BC when it was rebuilt.

In the Book of Numbers, Jericho is used as a reference for the location of the Israelites. For example, “They left the mountains of Abarim and camped on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.” (Numbers 33:48) It is estimated Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt in 1447 BC, therefore Jericho was uninhabited at this time but may have still been known by the people in the vicinity. Alternatively, since the final form of the Book of Numbers was written in the 5th century, the name may have been added then. 

The most famous account of Jericho in the Bible is, of course, in the Book of Joshua, which tells us of the Battle of Jericho. Unfortunately, scholars believe the book holds little historical value since there are issues with the dates. The Bible dates the battle as taking place around 1400 BC, however, archaeological evidence suggests the city was uninhabited at the time. The Book of Joshua was first written during the reign of King Josiah (640-609 BC) and revised in around 538 BC, therefore, the dating could be an estimate, an incorrect one at that.

Nevertheless, the Book of Joshua provides a great example of Israel’s obedience to the teachings and the laws set down in the book of Deuteronomy. It also tells us that the Israelites conquered Jericho, a city that had fallen into sin. 

“Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. ‘Go, look over the land,’ he said, ‘especially Jericho.’ So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.” (Joshua 2:1) Jericho was the first city of Canaan that the Israelites had decided to conquer. By sending in two spies, Joshua discovered the inhabitants were afraid of the Israelites and God. The prostitute Rahab told them:
“I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you.  We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed.When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.” (Joshua 2:9-11)

Following this, she asked the spies to promise that the Lord would show kindness to her for helping the spies. “Give me a sure sign that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them—and that you will save us from death.” (Joshua 2:12-13) With an instruction to tie a scarlet cord in her window so that she and her family could be identified by the Israelites, the spies returned to Joshua.

Acting on the will of the Lord, Joshua prepared the Israelites to attack the city. When the time came to attack the city, they found the gates closed and the citizens hiding in fear of the approaching attackers. “Then the Lord said to Joshua, ‘See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.’” (Joshua 6:2)

Rather than attempting to force an entry, the Israelites marched around the city walls once a day for six days with the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant. On the seventh day, they were instructed to march around the city seven times after which the priests blew their horns and the walls of Jericho came tumbling down. Following God’s instruction, the Israelites entered the city and slaughtered every man, woman, child and animal apart from those belonging to the family of Rahab. Joshua then cursed anybody who rebuilt the foundations of the city with the death of the eldest and youngest children. According to the Bible, the city was rebuilt during the reign of King Ahab (871-852 BC), although not by him but by Hiel theBethelite. “In Ahab’s time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken by Joshua son of Nun.” (1 Kings 16:34)

Jericho was destroyed once again during the 6th century BC by the Babylonians during their conquest of Judah. The Book of Ezra records the number of people “whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive to Babylon.” (Ezra 2:1) From Jericho alone, there were 345. The Bible, however, provides evidence the city of Jericho was once again flourishing during the 5thcentury BC. It had been rebuilt during the Persian period and during the construction of the walls of Jerusalem, “the men of Jericho built the adjoining section” after the Tower of Hananel. 

Alexander the Great captured the region between 336 and 323 BC, making Jericho his private estate. Following this, the city became part of the Hasmonean and Early Roman empires during which time Mark Antony gifted the royal estate to Cleopatra. Following their joint suicide in 30 BC, the city of Jericho was given to Herod the Great (74-4 BC), who was king of Judea at the time of Jesus’ birth. His son Herod Archelaus who ruled for two years succeeded him. 

The city of Jericho is mentioned in three of the Gospels as places Jesus passed through. Matthew 20 tells us “as Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho” (20:29) two blind men called out to Jesus and asked him to restore their sight, which he did. Mark 10 records Jesus “came to Jericho” where he met “a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means ‘son of Timaeus’)” who he also healed. (10:46) The same story is told in Luke chapter 18.

In Luke 19, Jesus was passing through Jericho once again when he came across a chief tax collector named Zaccheus who had climbed a sycamore-fig tree to get a look at Jesus. Inviting himself to the tax collector’s house, Jesus inspired Zaccheus to repent of his dishonest practices.

Jericho was also mentioned in the parable of the Good Samaritan. “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers.” (10:30)

The city of Jericho began to decline from 70 AD following the fall of Jerusalem to Emperor Vespasian. By 100 AD, it was a small Roman town and by 333 AD it was abandoned altogether. The current city of Jericho lies slightly to the east of the old town and was built during the Byzantine Period (6th– 7th century AD). It was then under Muslim rule until the Crusades when a couple of monasteries were erected, one of which was dedicated to John the Baptist. In 1187, however, the Muslim forces of Saladin evicted the Crusaders. Since then until the 1900s, the growing city was mostly Muslim.

According to a census in 1922, the population of Jericho was over 3000, the majority of which were Muslim, however, there were also 92 Christians and 6 Jews. During the Second World War, Britain built fortresses in Jericho and by 1945 the population of Christians and Jews had risen to 260 and 170 respectively. 

During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Jericho was under the control of Jordan, however, the city continued to grow. By 1961, the population had reached 10,000. Since the Six-Day War of 1967, Jericho has belonged to Israel. 

Jericho is situated 846 feet below sea level, making it the lowest city in the world. In 2010, Palestinian tourists ranked Jericho the most popular tourist destination due to its proximity to the Dead Sea. It also receives a lot of tourism from Christian pilgrims. Just for fun, here is a list of notable places in and around Jericho you could visit:
·       Mount of Temptation on which a Greek Orthodox monastery sits
·       The Spring of Elisha (Ein es-Sultan)
·       The Sycamore tree of Zaccheus (for some reason there are two)
·       The traditional site of the baptism of Jesus on the River Jordan
·       The Monastery of Saint Gerasimos 
·       The Saint George Monastery
·       The Stone, belonging to the Bronze and Iron Age

As President of Trinovante (The Wild Women of Essex) at Western Road URC, Romford, it is my privilege to do two talks a year on subjects of my choice. My most recent talk was about Words and I thought it would be interesting to share a few sections of my talk with you.

The talk covered various word games where I tried to breathe new life into unfamiliar and out-of-fashion words.

Round One: Would you like to be called?
Which of the following words do you think apply to you?

1. Aptycock
2. Crumpsy
3. Inisitijitty
4. A peg-puff
5. Cytherean
6. Daphnean
7. Ephebe
8. Eristic
9. Loquacious
10. Quisquose
11. Pulchritudinous 

Which words have you chosen? Here are the meanings

1. Aptycock - a quick-witted and intelligent young man
2. Crumpsy - short-tempered and irritable
3. Inisitijitty - a worthless, ridiculous person
4. A peg-puff - a young woman with the manners of an old woman
5. Cytherean - of great beauty, pertaining to the goddess Aphrodite
6. Daphnean - shy/timid
7. Ephebe - a young man
8. Eristic - a person who argues over small points
9. Loquacious - talkative
10. Quisquose - difficult to deal with
11. Pulchritudinous - extremely physically beautiful 

Round Two: Bible, Shakespeare or Dickens?
From where would you find the following words and phrases?

1. The green-eyed monster
2. A leopard cannot change its spots
3. Round the Clock
4. Twinkling of an eye
5. A law unto themselves
6. A sorry sight
7. The blind leading the blind
8. Wild goose chase
9. No peace for the wicked
10. Fight the good fight
11. Whiz-bang
12. As white as snow
13. Tongue-tied
14. Flummox
15. There's nothing new under the sun
16. Not slept a wink
17. Knock knock, who's there?
18. The creeps
19. He who lives by the sword dies by the sword
20. On the rampage
21. In a pickle
22. At one's wits' end
23. All that glitters is not gold
24. Out of the mouths of babes
25. Devil may care
26. Red sky in the morning

N.B all Biblical quotes were taken from the KJV

1. Shakespeare, Othello Act 3 Scene iii
2. Bible, Jeremiah 13:23
3. Dickens, Bleak House
4. Bible, 1 Corinthians 15:52
5. Bible, Romans 2:14
6. Shakespeare, Macbeth Act 2 Scene ii
7. Bible, Luke 6:39
8. Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet Act 2 Scene iv
9. Bible, Isaiah 48:22
10. Bible, Timothy 6:12
11. Dickens, Pickwick Papers
12. Bible, Daniel 7:9
13. Shakespeare, Julius Caesar Act 1 Scene i
14. Dickens, Pickwick Papers
15. Bible, Ecclesiastes 1:9 
16. Shakespeare, Cymbeline Act 3 Scene iv
17. Shakespeare, Macbeth Act 2 Scene iii
18. Dickens, David Copperfield
19. Bible, Matthew 26:52
20. Dickens, Great Expectations 
21. Shakespeare, The Tempest Act 5 Scene i
22. Bible, Psalm 107:27
23. Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice Act 2 Scene vii
24. Bible, Psalm 8:2
25. Dickens, Pickwick Papers
26. Bible, Matthew 16:3

Round 3: Collective Nouns
What are the collective names for the following animals?

1. Bears
2. Buffalo
3. Ferrets
4. Frogs
5. Giraffes
6. Hippopotami
7. Hyenas
8. Lemurs
9. Monkeys
10. Otters
11. Parrots
12. Porcupines
13. Ravens
14. Rhinoceroses
15. Sharks
16. Skunks
17. Zebras

How many did you get?

1. A sloth or a sleuth of bears
2. A gang or obstinacy of buffalo
3. A business of ferrets
4. An army of frogs
5. A tower of giraffes
6. A bloat of hippopotami
7. A cackle of hyenas
8. A conspiracy of lemurs
9. A barrel or a troop of monkeys
10. A family of otters
11. A pandemonium of parrots
12. A prickle of porcupines
13. An unkindness of ravens
14. A crash of rhinoceroses
15. A shiver of sharks
16. A stench of skunks
17. A zeal of zebras

Round 4: Anagrams
Here are some prophetic anagrams you may enjoy.

1. Debit card is an anagram of bad credit
2. Punishment is an anagram of nine thumps
3. Halley's comet is an anagram of shall yet come
4. Ronald Reagan is an anagram of a darn long era
5. Ian Botham is an anagram of oh man I bat
6. Albert Einstein is an anagram of elite brain nest
7. Mel Gibson is an anagram of big melons
8. William Ewart Gladstone is an anagram of wild agitator means well
9. Santa Claus is an anagram of casual ants
10. Margaret Thatcher is an anagram of that great charmer
11. Michael Heseltine is an anagram of he is the ill menace
12. William Shakespeare is an anagram of I'll make a wise phrase
13. Florence Nightingale is an anagram of angel of the reclining
14. Lester Piggott is an anagram of got St Leger tip
15. Sean Connery is an anagram of on any screen
16. David Seaman is an anagram of a man did save
17. Nicole Kidman is an anagram of nickname idol
18. Statue of Liberty is an anagram of built to stay free
19. Leonardo Di Caprio is an anagram of ocean idol or a drip
20. Nigel Havers is an anagram of girls heaven

​Finally, some interesting facts...

• The most common letter in the English language is E 
• The most common consonant in English is R followed by T
• More English words begin with the letter S than any other letter
• The word "uncopyrightable" is the longest English word in normal use that contains no letter more than once
• A sentence that contains all 26 letters of the alphabet is called a pangram. E.g. the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
• A word formed by joining parts of existing words is called a blend or a portmanteau, such as brunch (breakfast and lunch), motel (motor car and hotel)
• If we place a comma before the word "and" at the end of a list, this is known as an Oxford comma. E.g. I drink coffee, tea, and wine. The Oxford comma ensures we do not mistakenly think the person drinks the liquids together!
• Only two English words in current use end in -gry: angry and hungry
• Whilst we know that Triskaidekaphobia means fear of the number 13, I did not know Paraskevidekatriaphobia means fear of Friday 13th 
• The shortest complete sentence is "I am"
• The word "checkmate" in Chess comes from the Persian phrase "Shah mat", meaning the King is helpless
• We pronounce the combination "-ough" in nine different ways, as in the following: a rough-coated dough-faced, thoughtful ploughman strode through the streets of Scarborough after falling into a slough, he coughed and hiccoughed ​

5th January 2020
Epiphany 
Readings: Matthew 2:1-12

Let me first concentrate on the "Wise Men". Certain readings go together and so with Matthew, you also need to read:

• Isaiah 60:1-6 - because it introduces us to gold and frankincense;
• Psalm 72 - a description of the ideal king. In verse 11 it says "may all kings fall down before him";
• Micah 5:2 - tells us the king will come from Bethlehem;
• Numbers 24:17 - tells us about the star;
• Hosea 11:1 - tells us that God's son would be called out of Egypt;
• 1 Kings 10:12 - the visit of the Queen of Sheba to Solomon where she brings gifts of gold, spices and precious stones. 

This one reading of Matthew brings together all these Old Testament readings to prove Jesus is the Messiah of the Jews. 

Nowhere do we have the number of visitors from the east but because there are three gifts, we assume there were three. Nowhere does it say they were kings and nowhere does it say they were wise men because, I believe, magi actually means astrologers. I read that magi is the plural magoi, which in Greek means Zoroastrian Priests. These priests prepared horoscopes. 

Zoroaster was Persian, living in the 2nd millennium BC, although there is no concrete evidence on when he lived and was one of the first rulers to follow a single god. This god's name was Ahora Mazda, meaning "wise lord". He believed in one universal god who was all good, uncreated and a supreme deity. Zoroaster was born from a 15-year-old Persian virgin, therefore, miraculously conceived, and started his ministry at 30 after defeating the temptations of Satan. He predicted other virgins would conceive prophets and the Zoroastrian Priests believed they could foretell by reading the stars when these prophets were born; they were star-gazing with a purpose. Matthew's text, therefore, was not only for Jews and Gentiles, because the Magi were Gentiles, but also for the Zoroastrian religion. 

As an aside, when I was researching, I wondered who was the first ruler to espouse a monotheistic religion. It was none other than Akhenaten, the father of Tutankhamun, who reigned 1353-1336 BC. Akhenaten was a Pharoah during the 18th dynasty and worshipped the sun god Aten, however, he was disliked and subsequent pharaohs tried to write him out of history and reverted to polytheism. Around the same time, Zoroaster and Akhenaten were looking at the possibility of there only being one god. 

The three kings, which we will call them for simplicity's sake, appear to have been given names from a Greek manuscript dating around 500 AD. The more I read, the more confusing the various attributes of the three kings became. Over time, various characteristics and traits have been given. The three kings cover the three ages of men as well as come from three geographic areas, showing they are representatives from the known world at that time. With no sense of certainty, I offer the three kings names and their gifts:

• Caspar - aged 60, had a long beard and offered the gift of Gold. He was the king of Tarsus;
• Melchior - aged 40, who offered Frankincense was from Arabia;
• Balthasar - aged 20, offered the gift of myrrh. From around the 12th century AD, art has depicted him as black. 

So, gold expressed kingship, frankincense was a costly incense and myrrh was a prized perfume, also used in embalming. Gold, therefore, represents the baby as a king, frankincense because he was to be a priest and myrrh foreshadowed his death. 

The story of the three kings is said to happen two years after the birth of Jesus, so them coming to the stable is poet license. In Matthew, Jesus is a child and the kings visit a house.

What of the three gifts? King Herod was going to kill all children under the age of two in Bethlehem and so, for the reading of Hosea to come true, the Holy Family goes to Egypt so that they can be called back out. It may well be the money needed to live in Egypt was financed by these three gifts. 

My normal caveat to my sermons is that any new information I find, I offer to you in faith for you to take on board or not. I just thought I would let you know these are some of the thoughts that surround the story of the three horologists. 

Nazareth, the largest city in the Northern District of Israel was the childhood home of Jesus. Despite being such a well-known place, it is only mentioned in the four Gospels and the book of Acts. Although the city was never mentioned in the Old Testament, it is suggested Nazareth comes from the Hebrew word Netzer, which means branch, and alludes to the prophetic message in Isaiah 11:1 about the “branch of Jesse” that would eventually lead to the birth of Jesus. “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.”
 
In Biblical times, Nazareth was a town rather than a city, or to be more precise, “a town in Galilee.” (Luke 1:26) In Luke 1, the angel Gabriel visited Mary at her home in Nazareth to inform her that she would have a son. Her fiancé, Joseph, also came from Nazareth but, as we know, Jesus was not born there, but in Bethlehem. “So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.” (Luke 2:4)
 
Joseph and Mary could not immediately return to Nazareth due to King Herod the Great, who was searching for Jesus with intent to kill. Instead, the family fled to Egypt where they remained in relative safety until, “Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.” (Matthew 2:22-23)
 
Jesus grew up as a Nazarene and the phrase “Jesus of Nazareth” appears at least seventeen times in the Bible. The Acts of the Apostles tends to refer to Christ as Jesus of Nazareth more than the Gospels, however, the Gospel of Mark tells us an impure spirit cried out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” (Mark 1:24) The Gospel of John records at Jesus’ crucifixion, “Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” (John 19:19)
 
When the writers of the Bible introduce new people, they usually reveal where they came from, therefore, hometowns must have been important and used as a way to judge people’s character. Nazareth, being only a town and not yet a city, was not a highly regarded place, evidenced by the future apostle Nathanael’s reaction when he first heard about Jesus. “‘Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?’ Nathanael asked.” (John 1:46) It is not certain why Nazareth was looked down upon, however, when Jesus “went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom,” (Luke 4:16) he was rejected by the crowds who “drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff.” (4:29)
 
There is very little in the history books about what Nazareth was like during the life of Jesus. There is no archaeological evidence of its existence until the Roman period, during which time Jesus was born. Similarly, although it is mentioned in the New Testament, there are no extant non-biblical references to Nazareth until around 200 AD. To make matters more confusing, the earliest references to Nazareth contain conflicting information, for example, one source said approximately 2000 people living in Nazareth at the time of Jesus, whereas, a different source states it had a population of 400. It was not until 2009 that any archaeological remains were discovered in the area dating to the time of Jesus. 
 
Texts from the 6th century claim pilgrims began travelling to Nazareth to see the Jewish synagogue where Jesus was taught and the freshwater spring, known as Mary’s Well, where the Annunciation reputedly took place. Evidence has been found of a church built on the site believed to be Mary’s house and it is believed the town benefited from the Christian pilgrim trade. Unfortunately, anti-Christian hostility broke out when the Persians invaded in 614 AD. Many Jewish people helped the Persians to persecute and slaughter the Christians until Emperor Heraclius of the Byzantine Empire conquered the land in 630 AD. As punishment for their cruel acts, Heraclius expelled the Jews from Nazareth, turning it an all-Christian town. 
 
As well as the church over Mary’s house, there was also a church where Joseph once lived. This, however, was destroyed during the Arab Muslim period, which lasted from 638 AD until the Crusader Period. In 1099, the Crusader Tancred made himself Prince of Galilee and used Nazareth as his capital. The town remained under Christian control until 1187 when the Muslims reclaimed it. Fortunately, the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II managed to negotiate safe passage for Christian pilgrims, although, the Egyptians later destroyed all the Christian buildings when they invaded in 1263. 
 
Due to all the invasions, Nazareth had become a poor village, although a few Arab Christians were determined to remain there. In the 14th century, Franciscan monks returned to Nazareth, however, were evicted in 1584 by the Ottoman Empire. Fortunately, in 1730, the leader of the Galilee, Zahir al-Umar, was more sympathetic to the Christians and allowed a Franciscan Church to be built. Permitting the Greek Orthodox community to build St Gabriel’s Church, which still stands today, followed in 1767.  
 
Nazareth has since been occupied by a variety of people and nationalities, for instance, Napoleon in 1799, Britain in 1917 and Israel in the 1950s. Today, Nazareth still belongs to Israel, however, it receives a lot of trade and visitors from many places across the world, which has helped Nazareth grow into a sizeable city. 
 
Today, Nazareth is home to many religious buildings, the majority of which are Christian, however, there are still plenty of Muslim places of worship. Churches include the Catholic Church of the Annunciation, the Greek Orthodox Church of St Gabriel, the Melkite Synagogue Church, the Roman Catholic St Joseph’s Church, the Mensa Christi Church, and the Basilica of Jesus the Adolescent. 
 
Just for fun, did you know Nazareth is twinned with these cities?

• Florence, Italy
• Loreto, Italy
• Nablus, Palestine
• Neubrandenburg, Germany 
• Saint-Denis, France
• The Hague, Netherlands
• Częstochowa, Poland 
• Baguio, Philippines
• Beirut, Lebanon
• Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States

The Christian calendar has many opportunities for self-reflection and self-examination, for example, Lent and Advent. I thought it might be helpful if I gave you some questions to aid the process. There are many in this list, so please choose the ones that fit you personally.

Where is God in my life?
Where do I see God working?
What is Jesus to me?
What is my list of priorities? God, family church?
What delights me?
What is the gift that I can offer to the world?
Am I living or just existing?
What do I think is my purpose?
What good am I doing for myself and others? 
What small acts of kindness can I do daily?
What time do I have to just sit and stare?
What cheers me up?
Have I got a special place where I am closest to God?
Am I speaking kindly to myself?
With what treats can I reward myself?
How do I prioritise my time?
Do I really know what is important?
How much am I a doer and how much am I an encourager? Do I energise people or do I drain them of energy?
How do I absorb bad and transform it into good? How do I make lemonade from lemons?
How can I make something happen?
Do I know what rejuvenates me?
Who are my closest friends and why?
Do I have enough exercise?
Where are my favourite walks?
If thoughts lead to actions and actions lead to habits, how can I ensure my thoughts are pure? Do I need to change some of my habits because they are leading down the wrong path?
How can I be someone else's angel? How can I be someone's answer to prayer?
How do I keep perspective in a situation?
Am I creating my own golden memories? 
What is shaping my world view? 
Am I being shaped into the image God wants and needs?
How am I looking after myself?
What do I value the most and why?
Do I judge people too much?
How do I enjoy the simple pleasures, such as a sunrise?
Am I finding obstacles or stepping stones on my life journey?
Upon what are my worries and anxieties based?
Do I challenge these thoughts?
How much do I trust God?
I am a child of God, therefore, I am valued and precious. How often do I tell myself that?
It is not the stormy water outside a boat that makes it sink, it is the water that gets in. How am I ensuring I am not taking in too much water and how do I ensure I block any leaks?
How do I keep a strong mindset and how do I keep focused on God's love?
Do I have a vision for my life?
How am I helping others?
Am I using other people as role models?
Am I imitating the good traits I see in other people?
Where do I find refreshment of mind, body and soul and where do I find I am growing? 
I am a work in progress, where is God working?
Am I spending enough time appreciating the good things that are happening to me?
Do I know what cheers me up? Do I know what drains me of energy?
Do I spend too much time dwelling in the past rather than concentrating on the present and the future?
It only takes one person to make a difference, therefore, how am I making a difference to other people's lives?
How do I keep on learning? How am I using my brain?
Am I allowing experiences to change me positively?
How do I acknowledge the people who support me?
Do I do things out of duty or out of love?
How can I turn enemies into friends?
Am I looking for miracles?

Dear All,

Another year has started, and there is always great hope and expectation. It is marked by New Years Resolutions and I like to have at least 20, so that by the end of January I might have at least kept one! Sadly, I recently looked back over my diaries and realised that many of the New Years Resolutions I made this year I also made for 2019, 2018, 2017 and so on. I, therefore, have two alternatives, either stop making New Years Resolutions because they are a waste of time, or really concentrate and make them work. Perhaps even streamline so that I only have one to remember and follow.
 
So, I publically declare that my 2020 New Years Resolution will be to actually read books that I buy. I currently have over 600 theological books in my study that I may or may not have read.  If I have, I don’t remember.
 
How will you keep your New Years Resolution or do you think they are not worthwhile?
 
This year, I am going to begin each newsletter by looking at who or what the month is named after. The God of January is named after Janus who has two faces. One looks back over the past year and one looks forward to the next. So starting a new year, it is useful to reflect upon some of the habits we have accumulated over 2019 and to access whether they are useful and whether they bring us closer to God or whether they are an obstacle. So, as we start the New Year together, let us declutter. Get rid of bad habits. Fully focus on God and ensure all our actions are those that make God happy, namely loving God and loving our neighbour.

Blessings,
​Martin
 
Fun Fact: In the King James Version of the Bible, there are 66 books, 1,189 chapters, 31,173 verses, 774,746 words and 3,566,480 letters.