Unknown Life of Jesus Christ Old Edition 1894 Publication

Author(s): Nicholas Notovitch, Virchand R Gandhi, Kumarpal Desai
Publisher: World Jain Confederation

Page 111

110 THE UNKNOWN LIFE OR JESUS CHRIST.
Thc Hlcbrews hcard 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 sce the child. It is evident that Herod did not long remain ignorant of all that occurred. He scared that the child, when of age, would make use of liis popularity to regain the throne of his ancestors. He tlicrcforc had scarch maclc for the child, whom thc Israclitcs tricd to conccal from thic anger of the king; then he ordered the abominablc massacre of the chil. cren, hoping that Jesus would perish in this vast human liccatonib, but thic family of Joseph, being warned of the terrible execution that Herod contemplated, took rcfuge in Egypt.
Somctimc ilterwards they returned to thcir native land. The child had grown during these travels, although it had been exposed to many dangers. Then, as at present, the Oriental Israclites commenced the education of their children at the age of five or six years. Obligcd always to remain conccalcu, the parents did not permit the son to leave the housc; so, without doubt, he passed all his tiinc studying the sacred writings, by which rcason when he returned to Judea he was far in acvance of all youths of his age, which grcatly astonished the Icarned clders. lle was in his thirteenth year, the age when, according to the Judaic law, a young man rcaclics majority and has the right to marry and perform bis religious duties just ils acuits do,
There still exists among the Israelites an ancient religious custom wlich fixes the majority for males at therteen, wlicn the youth becomes a member of society and enjoys cqual rights with the adults. Thus his marriage at this age is lawful, and is even indispensable in the Warm countries. In Europe, however, this custom has fallen into desuctude and has no more importance,