(4) Census of the People. Summoned by an edict of Augustus, which commanded that a census of the population of the whole Roman em pire should be taken, and that each person should be enrolled in the chief city of his family ot tribe, Mary and her husband went up to Bethle hem, the city of the Davidic family; and whilst there the child Jesus was born.
(5) Subsequent History. After this event the only circumstances in her history mentioned by the sacred historians are her appearance and offerings in the temple according to the law of Moses (Luke i sq.); her return with her hus band to Nazareth (Luke ii :39) ; their habit of annually visiting Jerusalem at the Feast of the Passover (verse 41) ; the appearance of the Magi, which seems to have occurred at one of these periodic visits (Matt. ii:1-12) ; the flight of the holy family into Egypt, and their return, after the death of Herod, to Nazareth (verses 13-23) ; the scene which occurred on another of those periodic visits, when, after having proceeded two days' journey on her way homeward, she dis covered that her son was not in the company, and, on returning to Jerusalem, found him sitting in the temple with the doctors of the law, 'both hearing them and asking them questions' (Luke ii :42-52) ; her appearance and conduct at the marriage feast in Cana of Galilee (John ii :1, sq.); her attempt in the synagogue at Capernaum to induce Jesus to desist from teaching (Matt. xii:46, sq.); her accompanying of her son ulien he went up to Jerusalem immediately before his crucifixion; her following him to Calvary; her being consigned by him while hanging on the cross to the care of his beloved apostle John, who from that time took her to reside in his house (John xix :25, sq.); and her associating with the disciples at Jerusalem after his ascen sion (Acts i :14).
(6) Traditions of Death, Etc. The tradi tions respecting the death of Mary differ mate rially from each other. There is a letter of the General Council of Ephesus in the fifth century, which states that she lived at Ephesus with St. John, and there died and was buried. Another epistle of the same age says she died at Jerusa lem, and was buried in Gethsemane. The legend
tells that three days after her interment, when the grave was opened (that Thomas the apostle might pay reverence to her remains), her body was not to be found, 'but only an exceeding fragrance,' whereupon it was concluded that it had been taken up to heaven. The translations of Enoch and Elijah, and the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ, took place while they were alive, and the facts are recorded by the inspira tion of God; but when the dead body of Mary was conveyed through the earth, and removed thence there were 110 witnesses, and no revela tion was ever made of the extraordinary and novel incident, which certainly has no parallel in Scripture. This miraculous event is appropriately called 'the Assumption.' It is said that Mary died in A. D. 63. The Canon of Scripture was closed in A. D. 96, thirty three years after her decease; which, however, is never alluded to by any of the apostles in their writings, nor by St. John, to whose care she was entrusted.
In the Roman Catholic church many facts are believed and doctrines asserted concerning the Virgin Mary, which not only are without any authority from Scripture, but many of which are diametrically opposed to its declarations.
It does not appear that Mary ever saw Christ after the resurrection; for she was not one of the 'chosen witnesses' specified in Scripture, as Mary Magdalene was. S. 1).
(7) Character. "Her faith and humility ex hibit themselves in her immediate surrender of herself to the Divine will, though ignorant how that was to be accomplished (Luke i :38) ; her energy and earnestness in her journey from Nazareth to Hebron (verse 39) ; her happy thank fulness in her song of joy (verse 48) ; her silent, musing thoughtfulness in her pondering over the shepherds' visit (ii :19), and in her keeping her Son s words in her heart (verse 51), though she could not fully understand their import. In a word, so far as Mary is portrayed to us in Scrip ture, she is, as we should have expected, the most tender, the most faithful, humble, patient and loving of women, but a woman still" (Smith, Dia.).