King James Version · Under Rome
Luke 2
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And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a from Cesar , that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of .) 3And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And also went up from , out of the city of , into , unto , which is called ; (because he was of the house and lineage of :) To be taxed with his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be . And she brought forth her son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, came upon them, and shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in a , which is . And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with a multitude of the praising , and saying, to in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the were gone away from them into , the said one to another, Let us now go even unto , and see this thing which is come to pass, which hath unto us. And they came with haste, and found , and , and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the . But kept all these things, and pondered them in her . And the returned, glorifying and praising for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called , which was so named of before he was conceived in the . And when the days of her purification according to of were accomplished, they brought him to , to present him to ; (As in of , Every male that openeth the shall be called to ;) And to offer a according to that which is said in of , A pair of , or two . And, behold, there was a man in , whose name was ; and the same man was and devout, for the consolation of Israel: and the Ghost was upon him. And it was unto him by the Ghost, that he should not see , before he had seen ’s . And he came by into : and when the parents brought in the child , to do for him after the custom of , Then took he him up in his arms, and , and said, , now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy , Which thou hast prepared before the of all people; A to lighten the , and the of thy people Israel. And and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him. And them, and said unto his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a shall pierce through thy own also,) that the of many may be . And there was one , a , the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from , but with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto , and spake of him to all them that looked for in . And when they had performed all things according to of , they returned into , to their own city . And the child grew, and waxed strong in , filled with : and the of was upon him. Now his parents went to every year at the feast of . 42And when he was twelve years old, they went up to after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child tarried behind in ; and and his mother knew not of it. But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. 45And when they found him not, they turned back again to , seeking him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in , sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about ’s business? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. And he went down with them, and came to , and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her . And increased in and stature, and in with and man.
The 1611 translation, public domain. Its original printing included the Apocrypha, which is why the deuterocanonical books can be read here. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
The world at this moment · Under Rome, 63 BC to AD 100 ›
Judea as a client kingdom and then a province. Roads, garrisons, taxes, crucifixion, and a common Greek language that let a message travel the empire faster than any before it.
- Rome
- The republic tears itself apart in civil war and comes out as an empire under Augustus. What follows is two centuries of relative peace across the whole Mediterranean, enforced by legions and paid for by taxes, with safe roads and safe sea lanes. Every one of Paul's journeys depends on that.
- Judea
- Governed first through Herod the Great, a client king of enormous ability and enormous brutality who rebuilds the temple into one of the wonders of the ancient world, then directly by Roman prefects. Crucifixion is the standard penalty for sedition and is used often and publicly.
- The wider world
- Greek is spoken from Spain to Syria, which means a letter written in Corinth can be read in Rome without translation. Jewish communities already exist in most major cities, which is where the first Christian preaching lands. Mystery religions, imperial cult, and philosophy all compete in the same marketplace.
- Further afield
- The Han dynasty rules China and trades silk westward along routes that touch the Roman world at second hand. In Britain the Roman conquest begins within a decade of the crucifixion.