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It is not known exactly when Jesus was born, but it is believed that it was between 4 B.C. and 6 C.E. As we have seen, the land of Israel was occupied by the Roman Empire at that time. The local Roman administrator for the Jews was Herod. The legends that have been told about the birth of Jesus speak about his mother Mary, who is said to have been born in the village of Nazareth. Mary was engaged to Joseph, who was a common carpenter. It is believed that Mary became pregnant before the marriage and that this was solely by the grace of God acting through His Spirit. It is central to the legend to the birth of Jesus that Mary was nonetheless still a virgin when she became pregnant. In the story, Joseph was divinely inspired and proceeded to marry Mary because he understood the divine origin of her pregnancy. During the later months of the pregnancy, it is told that Mary and Joseph traveled to the southern district of Judea in order to be counted in a census. When the couple arrived in the town of Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to the baby Jesus.
The Childhood of Jesus
Little is documented about the early years of the life of Jesus, but we can imagine the lifestyle of this family. Joseph was a carpenter by trade and Mary took care of the household. We can
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