The Divine Childhood 

    First, the true age of Jesus in His humanity should be counted from conception, since that was the beginning 

of His life as a human person. God became a man at the time of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. Therefore, 

Sacred Scripture is referring to the Passover of 3 

B.C.

, when Jesus was 12 years old from conception. 

    Second, further support for this conclusion is found in the meaning of this event. Jesus was lost to His 

parents, who were in great distress at this loss, and he was found on the third day in the Temple of Jerusalem. 

This event was a great foreshadowing of the Crucifixion, death, and Resurrection of Jesus, which occurred 

many years later. At His Crucifixion and death, Jesus was lost to His disciples (cf. Jn 13:36), and they were in 

great distress at this loss. On the third day, Jesus was found in the Temple of His Body. The Finding of Jesus 

in the Temple was a foreshadowing of the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead. 

    In 3 

B.C.

, the month of Nisan began on March 17, so that the Passover began on the evening of Nisan 14, 

which was March 30.

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 Passover ends on the evening of Nisan 21 (Ex 12:18), on the seventh day (the eighth 

day, if you include the Preparation day of the Passover). In 3 

B.C.

, Nisan 21 fell on April 6, a Saturday.

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 If 

the Holy Family left Jerusalem the day after Passover ended, then April 7 was the first day that Jesus was lost 

to His parents.   supposing him to be in the company they went a day's journey, and they sought him among 

their kinsfolk and acquaintances; and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him.  

(Lk 2:44 45). Since they had gone a day's journey away from Jerusalem before they turned around, the Virgin 

Mary and Saint Joseph had to travel another day's journey back towards Jerusalem. According to Blessed 

Anne Catherine, they sought Jesus everywhere along the way back to Jerusalem, and everywhere in the city 

itself.

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  After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and 

asking them questions .  (Lk 2:46). The third day would then be April 9 of 3 

B.C.

    Jesus died on April 7, and rose from the dead on April 9, in the year 

A.D.

 19 (see chapter 2). Jesus was lost 

and then found in the Temple from April 7 to April 9 of 3 

B.C.

 The meaning of this event and its dates 

correspond to the meaning and dates of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Finding of Jesus 

Christ in the Temple foretold, not only of the meaning of the Resurrection, but also of its date. 

    In 2 

B.C.

, the Passover began on Friday, April 18 and Nisan 14.

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 Passover ended on the evening of Friday, 

April 25. The last day of Passover is a day of solemn rest (Lev 23:8). The last day of Passover that year was 

also a Friday; the Jewish Sabbath beings on Friday at sunset and ends on Saturday at sunset. Since devout 

Jews would not travel more than a short distance on the Sabbath, nor on any day of solemn rest, the Holy 

Family could not have traveled away from Jerusalem on Friday  or Saturday that year. If the Finding in the 

Temple had occurred in 2 

B.C.

, the three days would have begun on April 27 and ended on April 29. These 

dates do not correspond to any proposed dates for the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ in any year. 

    Third, Blessed Anne Catherine refers to this as Jesus' 12th year:   wherein they had recorded all that had 

happened in the Temple to Jesus, the Son of Mary, in His twelfth year. 

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 A person's 12th year from birth 

begins on their 11th birthday and is completed on their 12th birthday. Each birthday is numbered according to 

the years which have been completed. In 3 

B.C.

, Jesus had completed just over 11 years from birth, and so was 

in His 12th year from birth. 

    Fourth, at the time of the first Passover of Jesus' Ministry, in spring of 

A.D.

 16, Blessed Anne Catherine tells 

us that Jesus spoke about the time when He taught in the temple as a child.  He said: `It is now about eighteen 

years ago since a little  bachir' (by which Jesus must have meant a young scholar) `argued most wonderfully 

with the Doctors of the Law who, in consequence, were filled with wrath against the Child.' And then He 

related to them the teachings of the little bachir. 

377

 Since these words were said at the first Passover of Jesus' 

ministry in 

A.D.

 16, counting back 18 years brings us to the Passover of 3 

B.C.

 Here again is support for the 

conclusion that the Child Jesus was lost to Joseph and Mary on April 7 of 3 

B.C.

, and then found in the 

Temple on the third day, April 9 of 3 

B.C.

    Fifth, the true age of Jesus, in His humanity, must be counted from His Incarnation, when the Word took 

flesh and became a man.  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have 

beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.  (Jn 1:14). 

    But the Jewish people during the time of Christ did not count a person's age from conception. How is it, 

then, that they considered Jesus to be 12 years old at the time of that Passover in 3 

B.C.

? 

    Blessed Anne Catherine describes a feast which took place in Saint Ann's house at Nazareth for Jesus after 

the Passover. She mentions that the reason for the feast may have been that is was  customary upon the 

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