Important Dates in the Lives of Jesus and Mary 

the generally accepted view is that Mount Horeb, also called Mount Sinai, is that mountain called Jabal Musa 

and located in the southern part of the Sinai (over 200 miles from Hebron).

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 That location is too far from 

southern Israel to fit Blessed Anne Catherine's description. 

    On the other hand, Dr. Gerald E. Aardsma has proposed a theory, based on historical evidence, that Mount 

Yeroham in Southern Israel is Mount Horeb, where Moses and the Israelites received the Ten 

Commandments.

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 This location for Mount Horeb is within a day or two's walking distance of the area where 

the child John the Baptist hid in the wilderness. This location fits Blessed Anne Catherine's description well. I 

believe that Dr. Aardsma is correct in his conclusion that Mount Yeroham is the true Mount Horeb. 

    Blessed Anne Catherine tells us that Jesus never went to school. In our culture today, it would be unusual 

for a child not to attend school. However, during that period of history, attendance at school was probably 

neither mandatory nor widespread. There were some schools, run mainly by the Jewish priests (see below, on 

the Finding in the Temple), but most children did not receive much of a formal education. 

    Of course, Jesus Christ did not need a formal education. The Divine Nature of Jesus Christ taught the 

Human Nature of Jesus Christ. True and pure knowledge flowed within Jesus Christ, from His Divine Nature 

to His Human Nature. In this way, Jesus taught Himself. It is also true that the Holy Spirit taught Jesus in His 

Human Nature. 

    During the time that the Holy Family lived in Egypt, John the Baptist lived in the wilderness of Israel. He 

received visits and support from his mother and from a member of the Essenes, but he lived and grew up 

mostly alone.

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 It is as if his whole life, even from his earliest days, had only one purpose:  Prepare the way of 

the Lord  (Mt 3:3). 

    The Essenes were a community of Jews living a very strict and devout life in the wilderness, away from 

society in general,  and even away from other Jews. According to Blessed Anne Catherine, they were very 

prayerful and holy.

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  The real Essenes who lived in chastity were indescribably pure and devout. 

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 She 

speaks about them at length in connection with the ancestors of Saint Anne and the Virgin Mary. 

    The Essenes were also mentioned by Josephus, the ancient Jewish Roman historian, who also held them in 

very high esteem.

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 Modern day writers have often pondered the possible connections between John the 

Baptist and the Essenes. The community of Jews who lived at Qumran, and who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls, 

are believed to have been Essenes. 

    According to Blessed Anne Catherine, the child John spent some length of time in early childhood living in 

secret with his parents at Jutta (near Hebron). But he returned again to the wilderness at about the age of four 

or five.

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 So, John did not live entirely in the wilderness during his childhood. 

    Sometime after Herod died, the Holy Family returned to live at Nazareth. But John the Baptist continued to 

live in the wilderness, even after the danger had passed. John remained in the wilderness until the time of his 

ministry began, a few months before the beginning of the Ministry of Jesus Christ, for this was the will of God. 

The Martyrdom of Zechariah and Elizabeth 

      there had been much talk in the land about John ever since his early days. It was well known that 

wonders had attended his birth, and that he was often seen surrounded by light, for which reasons Herod was 

particularly suspicious of him. 

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    Even though Herod had killed hundreds of infants in his attempt to kill the Christ child, he remained uneasy 

about the prophecy of a newborn king of the Jews. The Holy Family did not return from Egypt after the 

Massacre of the Holy Innocents, but they waited until Herod's death (cf. Mt 2:13 15). There was still danger 

from Herod, so Jesus remained in Egypt and John remained in hiding in the wilderness. 

    Herod did not know that the Christ child had fled to Egypt, nor did he know to which family the newborn 

king of the Jews belonged. If he had known, he would not have killed so many children in his useless attempt 

to kill the Christ child. Since John the Baptist showed great holiness, even at an early age, Herod was 

suspicious of him. Perhaps Herod thought that John might be the future king of the Jews, spoken of by both 

the wise men and Sacred Scripture (Mt 2:1 6). 

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