ss of the teaching of the new prophet was this time decisive.
A group of men and women, all characterized by the same spirit of
juvenile frankness and simple innocence, adhered to him, and said,
"Thou art the Messiah." As the Messiah was to be the son of David,
they naturally conceded him this title, which was synonymous with the
former. Jesus allowed it with pleasure to be given to him, although
it might cause him some embarrassment, his birth being well known. The
name which he preferred himself was that of "Son of Man," an
apparently humble title, but one which connected itself directly with
the Messianic hopes. This was the title by which he designated
himself,[1] and he used "The Son of Man" as synonymous with the
pronoun "I," which he avoided. But he was never thus addressed,
doubtless because the name in question would be fully applicable to
him only on the day of his future appearance.

[Footnote 1: This title occurs eighty-three times in the Gospels, and
always in the discourses of Jesus.]

His centre of action, at this epoch of his life, was the little town
of Capernaum, situated on the shore of the lake of Gennesareth. The
name of Capernaum, containing the word _caphar_, "village," seems to
designate a small town of the ancient character, in opposition to the
great towns built according to the Roman method, like Tiberias.[1]
That name was so little known that Josephus, in one passage of his
writings,[2] takes it for the name of a fountain, the fountain having
more celebrity than the village situated near it. Like Nazareth,
Capernaum had no history, and had in no way participated in the
profane movement favored by the Herods. Jesus was much attached to
this town, and made it a second home.[3] Soon after his return, he
attempted to commence his work at Nazareth, but without success.[4] He
could not perform any miracle there, according to the simple remark
of one of his biographers.[5] The knowledge which existed there about
his family, not an important one, injured his authority too much.
People could not regard as the son of David, one whose brother,
sister, and brother-in-law they saw every day, and it is remarkable
besides, that his family were strongly opposed to him, and plainly
refused to believe in his mission.[6] The Nazarenes, much more
violent, wished, it is said, to kill him by throwing him from a steep
rock.[7] Jesus aptly remarked that this treatment was the fate of all
great men, and applied to