From Nazareth, Joseph and Mary went every year to Jerusalem. They tramped over the hills of Galilee and across the plain of Esdraelon, then climbed the mountains of Samaria. There is a trail, part of which has been made into a macadamized road. Such trips were usually made in large companies, and when I crossed Samaria a short time ago I met scores of these people from Galilee on their way to Jerusalem. The parties consisted of men, women, and children, most of whom were on foot. Now and then one found a woman riding a donkey, with her husband trudging beside her, and sometimes whole families on donkeys. It was in such a party that Jesus went to Jerusalem when He was about twelve years of age. He was then thought to be old enough to take care of Himself, for the Bible relates that when they departed Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem, and Joseph and His mother knew not of it. They had already gone a day’s journey before they missed Him, and then turned back to find Him. Only after three days was He discovered in the temple sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him they were amazed. And his mother said unto him: Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? Behold, thy father and I have sought thee, sorrowing. And he said unto them: How is it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about my father’s business? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them. But his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favour with God and man. CHAPTER XXIII ON THE SEA OF GALILEE We are in a fisherman’s skiff on the Sea of Galilee. We have just left Tiberias, the ancient city of Herod near the southern end of the lake, and are on our way to Capernaum, that white spot which you can see on the shore at the north where Christ lived and preached. It seems strange that one can carry the whole Sea of Galilee in his eye. I have always thought of it as only a little less than an ocean, or at least as big as the largest of our great freshwater lakes. The truth is that compared to Lake Michigan it is only a puddle. It is about half as large as Lake Cayuga, at Ithaca, New York, and standing on any of the hills rising precipitously about it one can plainly see the whole body of water. This so-called sea is only six miles wide at its widest part from east to west, and from where the Jordan flows in at the north to the place where it empties out at the south the distance is a scant thirteen miles. The sea lies in the depression of the Jordan Valley, the river forming a winding canal two hundred miles long which connects it with the Dead Sea at the south.