“They went forth from thence and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it,” Mark ix. 30, “and they came to Capernaum,” Mark ix. 33. The miracle of the stater in the fish’s mouth (Matth. xvii. 24) is usually placed at this point of the narrative. We have no other account than that given in St Matthew’s Gospel, where it seems to be related as happening at this time. But the evidence as to chronology is not conclusive. This stater or half-shekel was the payment for the Temple service, and we know that this was levied in March. That the demand should be made in September is explained by saying that our Lord’s absence since April might have prevented the collection of the tax. It is however possible that this event may have taken place in March, A.D. 30, see below. Our Lord, leaving Capernaum, made the journey through Samaria to Jerusalem, John vii. 3, Luke ix. 51, 56, arriving there about the 18th of September, which in this year was the middle of the Feast of Tabernacles. The sending out of the Seventy took place soon afterwards, Luke x. 1. A.D. 29. _October._ Our Lord takes up His residence in Judæa, possibly at Bethany, see p. 370. Incident of woman taken in adultery, John viii. 1. Our Lord in the house of Martha, Luke x. 38-40. _November._ Our Lord probably passed this month in Judæa. Many of the events of Luke, chapters xi., xii., xiii. may have occurred at this time, but we must not conclude for certain from St Luke’s account that the events of these chapters all fell together in one short period. Some of them are related by St Matthew in a different connexion; it seems impossible to place them in order. A.D. 29. _December._ The Feast of dedication (encaenia), John x. 22, fell in this year on the 20th of December, and lasted eight days. At the end of our Lord’s discourse at this feast, St John says “They sought again to take him: and he went forth out of their hand. And he went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John was at first baptizing, and there he abode.” John x. 39, 40. A.D. 30. _January._ A.U.C. 783. Our Lord may have remained at the place just mentioned, “the Peræan Bethany” (see A.D. 28, March), during this month, having probably only a few followers with Him. “And many came unto him; and they said, John indeed did no sign: but all things whatsoever John spake of this man were true.” John x. 41. The people contrast Him with John. This agrees with what is said of the place, viz. that John had baptized there; the people recollected him. The teaching of our Lord in Peræa, of which we have an account only in Luke, chaps, xv., xvi., was probably given about this time. A.D. 30. _February._ Early in this month our Lord leaves Peræa, where He had been travelling about, being warned by the Pharisees— “And he went on his way through cities and villages, teaching, and journeying on unto Jerusalem.” Luke xiii. 22.