Tudea. inthedays of Herod the King, behold there came wiſe men from rhe Eaft ro Jeruſalem,
Thar 7oſeph, rhe legal Father of Jeſus, was of Nazareth in Galilee, appears irom Lxh.2.4. where we are told thar he went from thence unto the City of David, which is called Bethlehem, becauſe he was of the Fhuje cnd Lineage of David, to te taxed with M.ry his eſpoſed
fo: For, it ſeems, ſo was the Emperor< decree, v. 1. And Cy- enizs, the Governour of Syria, .had crdercd tl:ar every one ſhould go to be taxed in his own Tribe and City, Thoſe words bofaryed. were added to diſtinguiſh the place from anvriter Bethlehem, which was in the Territories of Zebulon, Joſh. 19.15. The Verſe turcher rells us, that chis was in the days of Herod th? King; theſe words [the King] are added to diſtinguiſh him trom 772-24 the Tetrarch, AMatth, 14: 1. or other Hzrods. This was that Hood the Great, com- monly called the 4;c.1lomite, the Son of Antipater. There arethree Opinions of learned Men concerning him ; ſome think that he was by Birch an 7d«mean, and that his Mother was an 4-.:b14n ; and ſay, he was the firſt Foreigner that ever Reigned in Fadez, and that in him the Prophecy was fulfilled, Gen. 49. 10. Tat the Scepter ſhnld nt depart from Judah till Shiloh came. Others contend thar he was a Native 7ew. A third fort ſay, he was Originally an 1dumean, but thar his Predeceſſors had for ſme Ages been Protelyred ro the Jew- ib Religion ; Which laſt Opinion is judged the molt probable, FTuder was at that time ſubje&t ro the Romans, whote Senate made him King over it. Chrift being born ar this rime, it 1s ſaid, There came wiſe Men from the Eaſt i» Feruſalem. How long it was after that he was Born thar they came, the Scriprures rell us nor: Some think they came preſently ; ſome think wachin chirceen days; ſome
SS MATTHEW.
* Chip, think it was two years after. It is certain they were a;