View source for 142:8 In Southern Judea

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142:8.1 By the end of April the [[opposition]] to [[Jesus]] among the [[Pharisees]] and [[Sadducees]] had become so pronounced that [[the Master]] and his [[apostles]] [[decided]] to leave [[Jerusalem]] for a while, going south to work in [[Bethlehem]] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebron Hebron]. The entire month of May was spent in doing [[personal]] work in these [[cities]] and among the people of the surrounding villages. No [[public]] [[preaching]] was done on this trip, only house-to-house [[visitation]]. A part of this time, while [[the apostles]] taught the [[gospel]] and ministered to the sick, [[Jesus]] and [[Abner]] spent at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ein_Gedi Engedi], visiting the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazarite Nazarite] colony. [[John the Baptist]] had gone forth from this place, and [[Abner]] had been head of this [[group]]. Many of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazarite Nazarite] brotherhood became believers in [[Jesus]], but the [[majority]] of these [[ascetic]] and eccentric men refused to [[accept]] him as a [[teacher]] sent from [[heaven]] because he did not teach [[fasting]] and other forms of self-denial.

142:8.2 The people living in this region did not know that [[Jesus]] had been [[born]] in [[Bethlehem]]. They always supposed [[the Master]] had been born at [[Nazareth]], as did the vast [[majority]] of his [[disciples]], but [[the twelve]] knew the [[facts]].

142:8.3 This [[sojourn]] in the south of [[Judea]] was a [[restful]] and fruitful [[season]] of [[labor]]; many [[souls]] were added to [[the kingdom]]. By the first days of June the [[agitation]] against [[Jesus]] had so [[quieted]] down in [[Jerusalem]] that [[the Master]] and [[the apostles]] returned to instruct and [[comfort]] believers.

142:8.4 Although [[Jesus]] and [[the apostles]] spent the entire month of June in or near [[Jerusalem]], they did no [[public]] teaching during this period. They lived for the most part in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tents tents], which they pitched in a shaded park, or [[garden]], known in that day as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gethsemane Gethsemane]. This park was situated on the western slope of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_of_Olives Mount of Olives] not far from the brook [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidron_Valley Kidron]. The [[Sabbath]] week ends they usually spent with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazarus Lazarus] and his sisters at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethany Bethany]. [[Jesus]] entered within the walls of [[Jerusalem]] only a few times, but a large number of interested [[inquirers]] came out to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gethsemane Gethsemane] to [[visit]] with him. One Friday evening [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicodemus Nicodemus] and one [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_of_Arimathea Joseph of Arimathea] ventured out to see [[Jesus]] but turned back through [[fear]] even after they were standing before the entrance to [[the Master]]'s tent. And, of [[course]], they did not [[perceive]] that [[Jesus]] knew all about their doings.

142:8.5 When the [[Sanhedrin|rulers of the Jews]] learned that [[Jesus]] had returned to [[Jerusalem]], they [[prepared]] to [[arrest]] him; but when they [[observed]] that he did no [[public]] [[preaching]], they concluded that he had become frightened by their previous [[agitation]] and decided to allow him to carry on his teaching in this [[private]] manner without further molestation. And thus affairs moved along [[quietly]] until the last days of June, when one Simon, a member of the [[Sanhedrin]], [[public]]ly espoused the teachings of [[Jesus]], after so declaring himself before the [[rulers of the Jews]]. [[Immediately]] a new [[agitation]] for [[Jesus]]' apprehension sprang up and grew so strong that [[the Master]] decided to retire into the cities of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samaria Samaria] and the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decapolis Decapolis].

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[[Category:Paper 142 - The Passover at Jerusalem]]
[[Category: Asceticism]]