The Divine Childhood 

The Twelfth Year  

    I believe that Jesus chose this particular year to stay behind and teach in the Temple of Jerusalem for a 

reason. Today among the Jews, a boy's 13th year is the time of his bar mitzvah, when he takes greater 

responsibility for his faith. But I believe that in ancient times a Jewish boy's 12th year was the time when he 

would begin to take a greater role in his faith. The number 12 has great significance in the history of the Jewish 

people, but the number 13, less so. In this way, Jesus followed the principles of the Jewish faith, a faith 

designed from its very core to prepare the way for Himself, the Messiah.  From His twelfth year, Jesus was 

always like a teacher among His companions. 

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