They may have... they may have... they may have...
Conjecture is not any good when it becomes a foundation because it sounds good.
Can any good [tov] come from Nazareth?
It's a Hebrew word play on Joseph and light because of the numeric value of good (tov), 17.
1. The first place tov appears is the description of the first light in Gen 1:4.
2. The foundation (yesod) of Israel is Joseph, who was 17 when he was sold into Egypt.
3. Joseph's blessing involves the separated one [nazir].
The vast depths of the Jewish knowledge base has existed since practically forever.
Furthermore, the end of Matthew chapter 2 reads plainly when the antecedent is Joseph. That is consistent with the account, because it is all about what Joseph was doing. I mention it because the theories about the name Nazareth [relating to netzer] are drummed in on that text, to force fit a reference (Isaiah, 11:1). Matthew said prophets, plural.
Joseph, dreams, Egypt, going down, coming up...
Matthew 2
19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.
21 And he [Joseph] arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
22 But when he [Joseph] heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he [Joseph] was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he [Joseph] turned aside into the parts of Galilee:
23 And he [Joseph] came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He [JOSEPH] shall be called a Nazarene [3480: Nazarite = "one separated"].
Why Nazareth? So, with all that we’ve learned about this town and these people, the question is: Why here?
The context is of Joseph taking the family to a village in the north, out of the way of (separated from) Judea. The journey of knowledge starts here, with Matthew's sources:
Gen 49:26. The blessings of your father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills; they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him who was separate [nazir] from his brothers:
~ Jacob
Deu 33:16. And for the precious things of the earth and its fullness, and for the good will of him who lived in the bush; let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him who was separated [nazir] from his brothers:
~ Moses
Separated from his brothers, from Judea, from Jews. It's a Messianic reference that routes through Joseph, the one who was separated from brothers.
bttt