1.The Family of Lazarus, Martha and Magdalen

The parents of Lazarus had in all fifteen children, of whom six died young. Of the nine that survived, only four were living at the time of Christ’s teaching. These four were: Lazarus; Martha, about two years younger; Mary, looked upon as a simpleton, two years younger than Martha; and Mary Magdalen, five years younger than the simpleton. The simpleton is not named in Scripture, not reckoned among the Lazarus family; but she is known to God. She was always put aside in her family, and lived altogether unknown....

Lazarus looked much older than Jesus; he appeared to me to be fully eight years His senior. Lazarus had large possessions, landed property, gardens, and many servants. Martha had her own house, and another sister named Mary, who lived entirely alone, had also her separate dwelling. Magdalen lived in her castle at Magdalum.

Lazarus was already long acquainted with the Holy Family. He had at an early period aided Joseph and Mary with large alms and, from first to last, did much for the Community. The purse that Judas carried and all the early expenses, he supplied out of his own wealth....

1.拉匝禄,玛尔大和玛达肋纳的家庭

拉匝禄的父母一共生了十五个孩子,六个夭折了,在幸存的九人中,只有四个活到基督传道宣讲时期。这四位是：拉匝禄，玛尔大(大约比拉匝禄小两岁)；智障玛利亚(玛尔大小两岁)；玛利亚.玛达肋纳(比智障玛利亚小五岁)。智障玛利亚没有在圣经中提及，也没有被列入拉匝肋家族；但她是天主所认识的。她总是被家人冷落，过着默默无闻的生活……

拉匝禄看起来比耶稣年长得多；在我看来，他比主大八岁。 拉匝禄拥有大量财产、土地、花园和许多仆人。玛尔大有自己的房子，另一个名叫玛利亚的妹妹（智障玛利亚），完全独自生活，也有她单独的住所。玛达肋纳住在她位于玛格达伦的城堡里。

拉匝禄很早就熟悉圣家。他早年，他曾慷慨地资助若瑟和玛利亚，而且，自始至终为村庄邻里做了很多善事。犹大携带的钱包和所有早期的开支，都是他用自己的财富供应的……

The father of Lazarus was named Zarah, or Zerah, and was of very noble Egyptian descent. He had dwelt in Syria, on the confines of Arabia, where he held a position under the Syrian king; but for services rendered in war, he received from the Roman emperor property near Jerusalem and in Galilee. He was like a prince,and was very rich. He had acquired still greater wealth by his wife Jezabel, a Jewess of the sect of the Pharisees.He became a Jew, and was pious and strict according to the Pharisaical laws. He owned part of the city on Mount Zion, on the side upon which the brook near the height on which the Temple stands, flows through the ravine.

拉匝禄的父亲名叫匝拉，或泽拉，是埃及贵族后裔。他住在靠近阿位伯的叙利亚在叙利亚国王手下供职；但由于在战争中的服役，罗马皇帝赐予他产业，这产业在耶路撒冷和加里肋亚附近。他像个领主，非常富有。他从他的妻子耶匝贝尔那里获得了更多的财富，耶匝贝尔是法利赛教派的犹太人。匝拉因此成为了犹太人，并且虔诚而严格地遵循法利赛人的律法。他拥有熙雍山上这座城市的一部分，在靠近圣殿高处的小溪流过峡谷的一侧。

But the greater part of this property, he had bequeathed to the Temple, retaining, however, in his family some ancient privilege on its account. This property was on the road by which the Apostles went up to the Cenacle, but the Cenacle itself formed no longer a part of it. Zarah's castle in Bethania was very large. It had numerous gardens, terraces, and fountains, and was surrounded by double ditches.The prophecies of Anna and Simeon were known to the family of Zarah, who were waiting for the Messiah. Even in Jesus’ youth, they were acquainted with the Holy Family, just as pious, noble people are wont to be with their humble, devout neighbors. (Vol. 1, pp. 334-335)

但是，他把这笔财产的大部分遗赠给了圣殿，然而，由于这个原因，他的家族还保留了一些古老的特权。这分产业是在宗徒们前往晚餐厅的路上，但晚餐厅本身不再是它的一部分。匝拉在伯达尼的城堡非常大。城堡有许多花园、露台和喷泉，周围环绕着双道壕沟。亚纳和西默盎的预言（路2：22-23）为等待默西亚的匝拉家族所知。即使在耶稣年轻的时候，他们也熟悉神圣家族，就像虔诚高贵的人习惯于与谦逊虔诚的邻人相处一样。 （第 1 卷，第 334-335 页）

2. Magdalen’s Childhood

Magdalen, the youngest child, was very beautiful and, even in her early years, tall and well-developed like a girl of more advanced age. She was full of frivolity and seductive art. Her parents died when she was only seven years old. She had no great love for them even from her earliest age, on account of their severe fasts. Even as a child, she was vain beyond expression, given to petty thefts, proud, self-willed, and a lover of pleasure. She was never faithful, but clung to whatever flattered her the most. She was, therefore, extravagant in her pity when her sensitive compassion was aroused, and kind and condescending to all that appealed to her senses by some external show. Her mother had had some share in Magdalen’s faulty education, and that sympathetic softness the child had inherited from her.