Changes

135:2.2 In September of this year [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_(Biblical_person) Elizabeth] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist John] made a [[journey]] to [[Nazareth]] to visit [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_(mother_of_Jesus) Mary] and [[Jesus]]. John had just about made up his mind to launch out in his lifework, but he was admonished, not only by [[Jesus]]' [[words]] but also by his example, to return [[home]], take care of his [[mother]], and await the " coming of the Father's hour. " After bidding [[Jesus]] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_(mother_of_Jesus) Mary] [[good-bye]] at the end of this enjoyable [[visit]], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist John] did not again see [[Jesus]] until the [[event]] of his [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Paper_136#136:2._THE_BAPTISM_OF_JESUS baptism in the Jordan].

135:2.2 In September of this year [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_(Biblical_person) Elizabeth] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist John] made a [[journey]] to [[Nazareth]] to visit [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_(mother_of_Jesus) Mary] and [[Jesus]]. John had just about made up his mind to launch out in his lifework, but he was admonished, not only by [[Jesus]]' [[words]] but also by his example, to return [[home]], take care of his [[mother]], and await the " coming of the Father's hour. " After bidding [[Jesus]] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_(mother_of_Jesus) Mary] [[good-bye]] at the end of this enjoyable [[visit]], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist John] did not again see [[Jesus]] until the [[event]] of his [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Paper_136#136:2._THE_BAPTISM_OF_JESUS baptism in the Jordan].

135:2.3 John and Elizabeth returned to their home and began to lay plans for the future. Since John refused to accept the priest's allowance due him from the temple funds, by the end of two years they had all but lost their home; so they decided to go south with the sheep herd. Accordingly, the summer that John was twenty years of age witnessed their removal to Hebron. In the so-called " wilderness of Judea " John tended his sheep along a brook that was tributary to a larger stream which entered the Dead Sea at Engedi. The Engedi colony included not only Nazarites of lifelong and time-period consecration but numerous other ascetic herdsmen who congregated in this region with their herds and fraternized with the Nazarite brotherhood. They supported themselves by sheep raising and from gifts which wealthy Jews made to the order.

135:2.3 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist John] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_(Biblical_person) Elizabeth] returned to their [[home]] and began to lay [[plans]] for the [[future]]. Since John refused to [[accept]] the [[priest]]'s allowance due him from the [[temple]] funds, by the end of two years they had all but lost their [[home]]; so they decided to go south with the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepherd sheep herd]. Accordingly, the [[summer]] that [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist John] was twenty years of age witnessed their removal to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebron Hebron]. In the so-called " [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judean_desert wilderness of Judea] " John tended his sheep along a brook that was tributary to a larger [[stream]] which entered the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea Dead Sea] at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ein_Gedi Engedi]. The Engedi colony included not only Nazarites of lifelong and time-period consecration but numerous other [[ascetic]] herdsmen who congregated in this region with their herds and fraternized with the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazarite Nazarite] brotherhood. They supported themselves by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepherd sheep raising] and from gifts which [[wealthy]] [[Jews]] made to the order.

 

135:2.4 As time passed, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist John] returned less often to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebron Hebron], while he made more frequent visits to Engedi. He was so entirely different from the majority of the Nazarites that he found it very difficult fully to fraternize with the brotherhood. But he was very fond of Abner, the acknowledged leader and head of the Engedi colony.

==135:3. THE LIFE OF A SHEPHERD==

==135:3. THE LIFE OF A SHEPHERD==