Surely Joseph left at daybreak following God’s warning. The family may have only been in Egypt a few months. Herod would only live a week or two more, though in that short time he brought grief beyond comprehension to Bethlehem and the surrounding area.

All the boys in the Bethlehem area under two were killed. Most likely, the age range was set by when the Magi had first seen Jupiter align with Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation of Leo, and the king star, in September, 3 B.C. Now, Herod was removing those born from that first sighting.