Important Dates in the Lives of Jesus and Mary 

    Here Blessed Anne Catherine tells us about the Virgin Mary's return to Jerusalem after she had been living 

at Ephesus for about three years. Since she went to Ephesus in early 

A.D.

 25, three years would be completed 

in early 

A.D.

 28. The length of time may have been more or less than three exact years. However, in early 

A.D.

27, Herod Agrippa I began a persecution of the Church during which James the Greater was put to death and 

Peter put in prison. Mary's visit to Jerusalem most likely occurred after the death of Herod Agrippa I (in late 

A.D.

 28), when Peter, John, and Mary could stay in Jerusalem without concern of imprisonment or death. 

Also, Blessed Anne Catherine believed there was a Council of the Church at the time that Peter, John, and 

Mary visited Jerusalem. A gathering of the leaders of the Church, including Peter, John, Thomas, and other 

Apostles, along with the Virgin Mary, would not be held in Jerusalem during a time when Herod Agrippa I 

was still in authority and willing to kill or imprison Christian leaders.  When Herod Agrippa I died, there was 

a respite from persecution (Acts 12:24) during which the Church grew and prospered. The leaders of the early 

Church took advantage of this respite in order to meet in (what was most likely) the second Council of the 

Church. This Council and Mary's visit to Jerusalem occurred after the death of Herod Agrippa I. 

    Saul and Barnabas' mission to bring relief to those suffering from the famine in Judea ended soon after 

Herod's death (Acts 12:23 25). Herod Agrippa I died sometime in 

A.D.

 28 (as shown above). The Sabbatical 

year was also completed that same year, in autumn of 

A.D.

 28, after which the Jews could plant and harvest 

again. The end of the Sabbatical year must have been a major factor in ending the famine. Therefore, the 

famine likely ended in early 

A.D.

 29, (the plantings from autumn of 

A.D.

 28 would be harvested in early 

A.D.

29). Herod's death occurred not long before the end of the famine, and so he died in the latter part of 

A.D.

 28. 

The Virgin Mary's visit to Jerusalem and the Council occurred after Herod's death, in late 

A.D.

 28 or early 

A.D.

 29. But, since the Mediterranean is dangerous to travel in winter, early 

A.D.

 29 is the most likely time for 

both the Council and the visit of Mary to Jerusalem. Thus, the length of time that Mary lived in Ephesus 

before visiting Jerusalem was somewhat greater than three years. 

    Saul and Barnabas were in Judea and Jerusalem until sometime after the death of Herod, when their 

mission to bring relief to those suffering from famine had ended. Their mission ended with the end of the 

famine, which likely ended with the harvest of early 

A.D.

 29. But, in his Letter to the Galatians, Paul doesn't 

mention a meeting with the leaders of the Church in Jerusalem. If he had been present at such a Council, he 

would have mentioned it, because his topic in Galatians 1 2 is his authority to preach and how his authority 

relates to the authority of the other Apostles. He makes this point repeatedly: his authority is from God, not 

men (Gal 1:1), anyone preaching a contrary gospel has gone astray (Gal 1:6 9), the Gospel he preaches is also 

from God, not men (Gal 1:10 12), he did not have to confer with the other apostles and leaders of the Church 

(Gal 1:16 17), he met with only a couple of the Apostles (Gal 1:18 20), and, when he did finally meet with the 

leaders of the Church as a group, they fully approved of the Gospel he had been teaching (Gal 2:1 10). He also 

mentions his role in correcting an error found in the actions of Cephas (Peter), which further shows his 

authority to preach the Gospel and his relationship with others in authority in the early Church (Gal 2:11 21). 

Therefore, if Paul had still been in Judea and Jerusalem at the time of the Council (the one after Herod's 

death), he surely would have added this to his thorough treatment of his place among those in leadership and 

authority in the Church. Since he does not mention this Council at all, he was not present at that Council. The 

famine had ended and Paul had departed, before this Council occurred. Again, this places the Council and 

Mary's visit in early 

A.D.

 29, after she had been in Ephesus closer to four years than to three years. 

    At that time, Paul was still called  Saul  (Acts 12:25) because he was still seen more as new convert to 

Christianity and less as an established Apostle and leader among the brethren. Paul did not have as much 

authority in the Church then as he later had, and so he was not a part of this Council. His authority reached its 

maturity at the subsequent Council (the one about 14 years after his conversion) when he explained to Peter 

and the other Apostles the Gospel message he had been preaching to the Gentiles and they gave their full 

approval (Gal 2:7 10). Only then did they understand that Paul  had been entrusted with the gospel to the 

uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised (Gal 2:7)  and only then 

did they  perceive the grace that was given  to the Apostle Saint Paul (Gal 2:9). 

    Thus, the Council and the Virgin Mary's visit to Jerusalem occurred after the famine had ended and after 

Paul with Barnabas had left Jerusalem and Judea. Since the famine most likely ended in early 

A.D.

 29, the 

Virgin Mary visited Jerusalem, at the time of this second Council of the Church, in early 

A.D.

 29. I speculate 

that the topics discussed at the Council may have included the recent persecution under Herod Agrippa I, how 

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