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* Summary As the records of the Evangelists were compiled long after the death of Jesus, it is probable that they only consigned to writing the accounts of the principal events of his life,
On the contrary, the Buddhists, who recorded their chronicles soon after the crucifixion, and who had the advantage of collecting the most correct references to all points which interested them, give us a complete and detailed description of the life of Jesus.
In those unfortunate days, when the struggle for existence seems to have destroyed all notion of God, the people of Israel endured the double oppression of the ambitious Herod and the despotic and avaricious Romans. Then, as now, the Hebrews placed all their hope in Providence, who, they believed, would send them an inspired man, who would deliver them from their physical and moral sufferings. But time passed and no one took the initiative in a revolt against the tyranny of their rulers.
In these times of trouble and hope, the people of Israel forgot completely that there existed in their midst a poor Israelite who was directly descended from their King David. This poor man married a maiden who gave birth to a marvelous child.
The Hebrews heard of this, and faithful to their traditions of devotion and respect for the race of their kings, they went in crowds to congratulate the happy father and see the child. It is evident that .Herod did not long remain ignorant of all that occurred. He feared that the child, when of age, would make use of his popularity to regain the throne of his ancestors. He therefore had search made for the child, whom the Israelites tried to conceal from the anger of the king; then he ordered the abominable massacre of the children, hoping that Jesus would perish in this vast human hecatomb, but the family of Joseph, being warned of the terrible execution that Herod contemplated, took refuge in Egypt.
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