Page:Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius Pamphilus, 1842.djvu/67

35 ed the  aforesaid  genealogy  from  the  book  of  daily  records,  as faithfully  as  possible. Whether, then,  the  matter  be  thus  or  otherwise, as  far  as  I  and  every  impartial  judge  would  say,  no  one certainly could  discover  a  more  obvious  interpretation. And this, then,  may  suffice  on  the  subject;  for,  although  it  be  not  supported by  testimony,  we  have  nothing  to  advance,  either  better  or more  consistent  with  truth. The gospel,  altogether,  states  the truth." At  the  close  of  the  same  epistle,  this  writer,  (Africanus,) adds  the  following:  "  Matthan,  whose  descent  is  traced  to  Solomon, begat  Jacob,  Matthan  dying,  Melchi,  whose  lineage  is  from Nathan, by  marrying  the  widow  of  the  former,  had  Eli,  Hence, Eli and  Jacob  were  brothers  by  the  same  mother. Eli dying childless, Jacob  raised  up  seed  to  him,  having  Joseph,  according to nature  belonging  to  himself,  but  by  the  law  to  Eli. Thus, Joseph was  the  son  of  both."  So  far  Africanus;  and  the  lineage  of Joseph  thus  being  traced,  Mary,  also,  at  the  same  time,  as  far  as can  be,  is  evinced  to  be  of  the  same  tribe,  since,  by  the  Mosaic law,  intermarriages  among  different  tribes  were  not  permitted. For  the  injunction  is,  to  marry  one  of  the  same  kindred,  and  the same  family,  so  that  the  inheritance  may  not  be  transferred  from tribe  to  tribe.     And  this  may  suffice,  also,  on  the  present  point

Christ, then,  having  been  born,  according  to  the  prophecies,  in Bethlehem  of  Judea,  about  the  times  that  had  been  revealed,  Herod was  not  a  little  alarmed  at  the  intelligence. Having ascertained, on  the  inquiry  of  the  eastern  Magi,  where  the  king  of  the Jews should  be  born,  as  they  had  seen  his  star,  and  this  had  been the cause  of  so  long  a  journey  to  them,  glowing  with  zeal  to  worship the  infant  as  God;  he  was  under  great  apprehensions,  as  supposing his  own  kingdom  to  be  in  danger. Having, therefore, inquired of  the  doctors  of  the  law  in  the  nation,  where  they  expected Christ  should  be  born,  and  ascertained  the  prophecy  of