When Christ appeared on the scene, it was during a time of hatred, factions, and divisions. Judaism was split into three factions: the middle class Pharisees, rich aristocratic Sadducees, and the Essenes who had taken vows of poverty. All three disliked each other and looked down on the Galileans, whom they viewed as uneducated country people.
Rabbis in Christ’s time used the following saying to express their disdain of Galilee. They proudly viewed Judea, with its traditional lore and religious academies, as far superior to Israel’s northern regions. And they could find no words strong enough to express their arrogant dislike of their northern Galilean cousins, from Nazareth in particular.
We can only imagine Joseph’s dismay at finding no room in Bethlehem. Having to sleep in the stable, and with a baby on the way! But it wasn’t because the famous innkeeper, anonymous and long maligned, was inhospitable. But because every home and inn was already full.
In Israel, carriage roads existed even before their kings reigned. One of which was the King’s Highway, a toll road for public use (see Numbers 20:17). Jewish law regulated roads and their upkeep, particularly those which led into the cities of refuge. One book of law, the Hebrew Talmud, required proper maintainance, a width of 48-feet, safe bridges, and well-marked signposts.
In Rome a student group recently pelted iPhone clients with eggs and flour, trying to help them see their dependency. And that, according to them, big business makes fools of people by convincing them they need such status symbols. Deplorable methods to prove a point. But there is some truth to their message. And at least those students tried to evaluate the issues and not just go with the flow.
Signora Sheila