THE WAY TO EGYPT
DOUAY – RHEIMS BIBLE
And after they were departed, behold an Angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph saying:
—” Arise and take the child and his mother, and fly into Egypt and be there until I shall tell thee. For it will come to pass that Herod will seek the child to destroy him.”
—” Who rising up and took the child and his mother by night, and retired into Egypt: he was there until the death of Herod: That it might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke by the Prophet Isaias saying: out of Egypt have I called my son.”
THE FOUR KINGS
—” He intensively searches not for the Christ child, but about the Star.”
——— St. John Crysostom _______
—” Wise men from Iran who came into my land looking for a newborn King, greetings to all of you,” Herod said after observing the Chaldeans.
These Magi’s, Zoroaster’s disciples, the good sun-god worshippers respectfully bowed down; and Gaspar the oldest from the three who understand the Hebrew language, replied:
—” We are hoping to find this King that brought us here, from Tigris shores through your City, but our guide vanished like a dream when we finally reached your City defended by the gods and goddesses.
—” I can’t comprehend you Chaldeans,” Herod responded through his sweet words, and with his limited education, he wants to find out of how these Kings able to reach his land; —” but I truly admired these Persian’s Wise Men. However, why did you not come to me first, straight here to my Palace and stayed here, like it is truly yours. Why do you have to pitch your tents from those rubbles, the ruined basement of that Singer King before seeing me?”
—” The Imperial God, who came into this world as Heaven’s Pilgrim, had built His resting place down here on earth, in the sun’s midst; and we, nothing more than mere humans, are simply the sojourners, the travelers of this land, surrendered to death and resigned. Exhausted, we pitched our tents to rest beside the ruins of David’s Palace, because from this Family Tree will come Israel’s (World) Savior.” Gaspar responded.
—” Therefore, the Noble Babylonians have such a great concern from a town that is not theirs?” Herod asked.
—” Anything from God’s proclamation to humanity are warnings from Heaven and should be of concern to all.” Gaspar replied.
—” And is that how your Ethereal God proclaimed your newborn King that’s made known to all?” Herod exclaimed.
—” Balaam prophesied that a Star would appear from the time that “A Great King” is born, and He is designated to accomplish the required victory from East to West.” said the Magi.
—” But there is not a sight of that Star here in Juda; my Wise Scholars never mentioned anything about that. How can you explain this mysterious thing to me? How can it happen that an Ethereal Hebrew God, the One True God, can show itself to this unbelieving land of pagans and not to his loyal follower’s land?” Herod’s questions are one after another.
—” Because no one can explain anything to the unbelieving pagans from that mysterious, and unexplained announcement of the World’s Creator.” said Gaspar.
—” If it is about Herod’s faith, he does not lack that.” a loud response of an ill King.
—” Therefore you should believe that a bright, brilliant Star rise and shine clearly from the East.” Gaspar replied immediately.
—” Shining all the time?” asked Herod.
—” Throughout the days and nights, it shines brilliantly at the top of our Camel’s heads, and guided our journey by its’ mysterious light without a definitive destination to Palestine’s vast sandy desert, from Seleucia to Jerusalem.”
—” Point to me of what direction in Heaven that Star is; I want to see it.” A very anxious Herod responded.
—” That can’t happen because the beautiful Star had left us when we caught the sight of your City’s Minarets from a distance.” Gaspar’s sad reply.
—” And what could be your conviction from that disappearance?”
—” That this is truly the King’s birthplace we are looking for.” Gaspar said.
—” And why a strong desire to see him?” Herod sarcastically asked.
—” To offer to his noble foot the fine pure gold that we picked from the wayside of Nineveh’s river, a common succession of ritual done to a Prince; a Myrrh designated and restricted to one-person, and Frankincense for the One True God. That we may be able to kiss his Holy Foot, to give our great reverence, and worship Him appropriately because he is made to known by Heaven!”
—” Wise Chaldeans, I admire your intelligence, I respect your beliefs. There is nothing here on earth that Herod could be proud of after God, but only the wise. Since you were brought here to my Palace by chance, I am asking for forgiveness, for my many questions that I made, asking for reasonable explanations, from that mysterious Star you followed all the way through here in Jerusalem. That is because of my innocence concerning this matter.”
Herod is a clever politician, and his admiration and his respect for wisdom is a make-believe. He wants to know the truth from the Magi’s mouths everything that happened from the time they left Seleucia. Sharp and very shrewd, the foreigners Kings did not notice intuitively, Herod’s monstrous and bloody plan developing in his mind. He knows that these Persians Kings has learned nothing but to tell the whole truth since their childhood. They considered lying as immodest and lewd like a smelly, ugly spot kind of blood that runs in the vein of the true and honorable gentleman.
Herod made an effort to ask as many questions as possible; he tried hard to ask and affirm of getting the whole truth from his guests, to carry out his plan and use this truth as a weapon against them.
Gaspar relates the whole story with all his prudence, being cautious about his understandings of how this one Star defies the routine with no reformation from Heaven. He also clearly explained the roads this Star traced for them, where they followed its’ ways to Jerusalem, which contradicts the proper courses of comets and planets like it has a mind of its’ own. It is truly mysterious and unbelievable if you did not see it, this big Star that puzzled them, with its’ splendor and shimmering beauty in Heaven’s realm, was never seen again in the cosmic space.
Herod listened in full reverence to Gaspar’s every words. Respectful and complacent, and not more than once he showed to pretend his admiration from these King’s profound words. While these Magi’s on the other hand, are not aware and observant of anything suspicious. They are also like those Scholars that spread and contribute their knowledge all over the world in good and humble ways. They don’t ingrain it in their hearts to use their expertise on treachery and evil pearls of wisdom. Unbeknownst to them, Herod prepared for them a trap; and so, after Herod finished his questioning and found out everything he needs to learn, with full respect, he made the Kings go and leave with this kind of treatment:
—” Go! Investigate and search good; everything that you can find about that child, and upon finding Him, to please let me know, so I can go and worship Him too; and with all my heart, I will offer Him the kind of festivity that your town gives to a Great Man, a newborn child.”
From the exceeding mere show, and from the King’s good attitude, the Capitol’s favored, the Magi Kings left Herod’s Palace filled with joy. When they were about to step down the stairs, Gaspar spoke to his comrades:
—” I hope Herod did not need to say anything wicked and killed enough that made him hated for the most. If not for the human blood that made Israel’s ground red, I may not have believed all the bad news about him.”
Not long after the Persian’s left that Juda’s King’s room, one door suddenly opens. The curtains that cover the said door parted by the one unseen hand, and a head with a thick black soft hair instantly peered out; a happy and friendly face leaned out as if it was speaking, contrary to a dark and grouchy face of that taxpayer’s King.
The newcomer, an added character to our historical story we are reading, had entered with no regard to Mariamne’s executioner’s bedroom. (This is herod’s room). He is a young man approximately twenty-two (22) to twenty-three (23) years of age, arrogant and with a beautiful face. The Roman clothing he is wearing is well-fitting to his robust and graceful elegant physique. Even at a very young age, and before the expected time, a bow can be seen hanging from his forearms, and at his back are the arrows and a dagger on his waist. The “Toga Pretesta” they call Toga Praetexta, is the clothing, a white toga with broad purple stripes on its’ border, wrapped around his body and can be clearly seen in his young and tender young figure, a stature not far from being athletic. Portrayed on his forehead is pride; his appearance is sharp and respectable. Behind his translucent, onion skin face, reflect the visible silhouettes of his bluish veins where the royal blood is flowing.
This handsome child’s name is Achiab, and he is one of the unaccounted grandchildren of Herod. Of all the people at home from Herod’s family, he is called and known as the “favorito.” He obtained his education in Rome through tutoring amid the prosperity and abundance of this Prince. His education was sponsored through Herod’s expenses, his loving forefather that love him so much, and this love is the one that stirred jealousy from Herod’s children, especially Archelao, Achiab’s father.
Sapphire Blue Diamond 