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It is barely possible that Herod ordered the slaughter of the children, though history makes no mention of it, but it surely was not at the time of the taxing by Cyrenius, and there is no sufficient proof of two taxings. 6o A QUESTION OF MIRACLES • his death bed, sorely troubled over the conspiracy of his brother, Pheroras, and his son, Antipatcr. Herod, it is true, was wicked and cruel enough to have order- ed the slaughter of the children, for his whole life was drenched in blood. He murdered his wife, the beauti- ful Mariamne. He caused Aristobulus, his brother, to be treacherously drowned. He caused his two sons, by Mariamne, to be strangled. But his nemesis was about to overtake him. On his deathbed, tossing in torments of pain, word was brought to him of the conspiracy of his son and brother. But his hands were red with blood to the last, for, while panting for breath, he ordered the death of Antipater, his son. This bloody-handed murderer died the year before Jesus was born, or the very same year. It is certain that he died between the years 4 B, C. and 3 B. C. He was alive March 12, 4 years B. C, as he burned some Jewish Rabbis that day for causing the destruction of his golden eagle. (22) Jesus, at this time, may have been six weeks or two months old. But I find no sufficient proof, outside of Matthew and some of the Apocryphal gospels, that Herod, red-handed as he was, ever sought to destroy him. (23) (22) Jos. Antiq. 17:6. 4 and 17:8, 4. (23) Matthew, unwittingly now for nineteen centuries, has held up Herod's name to the contempt and scorn of the worid. And it will probably go down loaded with execrations, to the latest day. See also section 2, chapter 5, this work. A QUESTION OF MIRACLES 6i Nor was Jesus born December 25, Christmas (24), in Bethlehem : for it is not hkely that Joseph would set out to travel with Mary on an ass or mule (25) seventy or seventy-five miles in a downpour of rain, merely to be taxed. (26) If born in Bethlehem, it must have been late in February, B. C, 3. But, if born there, it is strange that the four gospels continually mention him as "J^sus of Nazareth." (27) (24) Christmas is a Christian holiday, but it -was not known or kept as such, until the third or fourth century A. D., when it happily succeeded pagan festivals and the saturnalia of Eome. (25) The book of James, ch. 17, says he saddled an ass and placed her on it. (26) December the 25th, in Judea, is the very height of the rainy season. Even the sheep and shepherds then seek shelter. (27) John 1:45 and 46, mentions him as "Jesus of Nazareth." Matt. 13, V. 54, says "he came to his country" (Nazareth). Mark 6: "Jesus came from Nazareth to be baptized." Acts 2:22, "Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God." Acts 3:6, "Jesus Christ of Nazareth." Pilate wrote the superscription on his cross — "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" — John 19:19. Luke 18:37, "Jesus of Nazareth passeth by." Per contra, John 7:42, tells us that the scripture saith "Jesus shall come from Bethlehem." Matt. 2:1 says Bethlehem. Did Jesus not live some years in Egypt? Matt. 2, v. 13, gospel of infancy, chapters 10 to 22, says he was three years in Egypt. CHAPTER V Were There Miracles at Jesus' Birth ? Section i . Jesus was either a God or a man ; or he was half God, and half man; his grandmother at all events was Mrs. Anna Joachim, and his mother was Mary Joachim, a fifteen or sixteen year old Jewish girl. If not half a God, he was simply a very religious man who sought to give the world a better religion than the old Jewish superstition. And, all honor to his name, he succeeded gloriously. He preached to the Jews the gospel of peace, and there was sore need of it; yet his audiences have been millions, in lands to him unknown, and in tongues then unborn. He preached less than three years, but his name is upon the lips of more people than that of any human being; Buddha alone excepted, (i) These two men (2) began their ministries when they were each about twenty-nine or thirty years of age. Buddha preached fifty years, and died in peace, (1) Jesus has of Catholics and Protestants about one hundred and seventy millions of followers. Buddha has upwards of four hundred millions of followers. (2) I call Jesus a man. He was born and grew like any other mortal from childhood on to maturity. 62 A QUESTION OF MIRACLES 63 surrounded by friends; the Jews, more barbarous and blood-thirsty than the Hindus, condemned Jesus to the cross, but their very cruelty has only served to empha- size and immortalize his life. Each of these men brought a better faith into the world than any their own people had ever before known. And after their deaths, most marvelous stories began to gather about their names. Of Jesus, it is said some wise men came to Jerusalem saying they had seen his star in the East, and had come to worship him. (3) And "Lo, the star," it is said, "which they saw in the East, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was." Of course, when Mat- thew wrote that line, he had no conception of what a star is, or was. He must have supposed that it was a little luminous lump of nebula, about the size of a man's fist. He certainly did not know that the nearest star to the earth is many millions of miles distant, and that if it should approach us, as that star is alleged to have done, there would be such a crash of worlds that there would be no further use for any religion what- ever. Jesus and Bethlehem would instantly have been crushed out of existence. (4) (3) Who those wise men were, we cannot tell, as neither their names nor country are given. Nor are we told whence they came, nor whither they returned. In fact, they at once drop as completely out of sight as if the earth had opened and swal- lowed them. (4) I shall be told that it was something that had the appear- ance of a star. I answer, that the record says "it was a star." Matthew (ch. 2) would have saved his reputation, if he had ■aid it had the appearance of a star. 64 A QUESTION OF MIRACLES Section 2. The Hindus went to even greater lengths; for they specified the particular star "Pushya" as the one that came doiim to welcome Buddha. But both of tliese star stories must at once be set aside and dismissed as utterly improbable. The wise men, we are told, found Mary and the baby in a "house," and they "fell down and worshipped him," presented him treasures, etc. They must have remained over night, for they were warned of God in a flfr£?am "not to return to Herod." (5) And when they departed, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, wherein he was told to take the child and his mother, and flee into Eg}'pt, and remain there until the angel brought him word, lest Herod destroy the child. (6) The necessity was seemingly so great, that, it is said, Joseph and Mary 'fled by night with the child into Egypt. (7) We are next told that "Herod was exceeding wroth" that the wise men did not return, and there- upon "he sent forth and slew all the children in Beth- lehem, and the coasts thereof, from two years old and under." (8) (5) Matt. 2, V. 12. (6) This trip to Egypt is made because Hosea 760 years be- fore this, had said, "Out of Egypt have I brought my son." (Hosea, ch. 11, v. 1.) Is it not somewhat hazardous to lay the very foundations of our faith on dreams? (Matt. 1, v. 20, and Matt. 2, V. 13.) "Who told Matthew of these remarkable dreams? I shall mention this again when I come to speak of apochryphal gospels. (7) Matt. 2:14. (8) I have shown in my preceding chapter, section 5, that A QUESTION OF MIRACLES 65 In regard to this monstrous order of Herod, (if he ever issued such a one) it is passing strange that neither Mark, Luke nor John makes any mention of it whatever. Is it not reasonable to suppose that a deed so awful, detestable, and cruel beyond description, com- mitted against the little innocents, would call from those writers a stinging condemnation, if such a thing really happened ? Luke, in his story of the birth, says that some shep- herds were keeping watch over their flocks, when an angel came unto them, and gave them a fright ; but the angel told them to "fear not, for he brought them good tidings." "A Saviour," he said, "is this day born in the city of David" and they would "find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger.