7 Things You Might Not Know About the Birth of Jesus
7 Things You Might Not Know About the Birth of Jesus
1. December 25 isn't actually Jesus' birthday. In fact, the Bible doesn't even indicate the time of the year that Jesus was born. It wasn't until the fourth century that the Church finally decided upon a Dec. 25 Christmas. In 2008, astrologers studying the appearance of the so-called Star of Bethlehem pinpointed a June 17 birthdate.
2. The Star of Bethlehem was real. The "star," however, was most likely an astrological conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter. Competing theories are that the star was a nova, or new star; a comet; or an aligning of Jupiter with the star Regulus.
3. Jesus probably wasn't born in a stable. The wooden crèche we're used to seeing as part of Nativity scenes is not at all accurate. Some, including the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, believe Jesus was born in a "cave-like place." Others say Jesus was born on the lower floor of a relative's house.
4. The Bible doesn't mention any animals being present at Jesus' birth. In his book Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives, Pope Benedict XVI confirms their absence from the manger scene: "In the gospels there is no mention of animals." People assume the presence of animals due to the fact that Mary "placed him in a manger," or feeding trough.
5. The number of wise men who visited Jesus is unknown. Though the Christmas carol "We Three Kings" leads you to think otherwise, the Bible actually makes no mention of the number of wise men who visited Jesus. The "Magi from the East" did, however, bring him three gifts: gold, and frankincense and myrrh.
6. The wise men may not have met Jesus as a newborn. Many scholars believe they arrived when Jesus was between one and two years old. When the wise men did come, the Bible says they visited Jesus at his family's house, not at the place of his birth.
7. The first nativity scene didn't appear until 1223. More than a millennium after Jesus' birth, St. Francis of Assisi received permission from Pope Honorious III to stage the first nativity. By the Late Middle Ages, nativity scenes could be seen throughout Europe.
Information compiled from numerous sources including:
11 Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About Jesus' Birth
By Jon-Michael Poff, BuzzFeed
https://www.buzzfeed.com/jonmichaelpoff/things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-jesus-birth?utm_term=.rn3g31yrQd#.ktL7GPLdnx
7 Things You Didn’t Know About Jesus’ Birth
by Rob Kerby, Beliefnet
http://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/galleries/7-things-you-didnt-know-about-jesus-birth.aspx
Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Jesus Christ
By Dave Anderson, Listland
https://www.listland.com/top-10-things-you-didnt-know-about-jesus-christ/
9 True Things You Never Knew About The Life Of Jesus
By Jake Vigliotti, Listverse
https://listverse.com/2014/01/09/10-true-things-you-never-knew-about-the-life-of-jesus/
7 Things You Didn't Know About Jesus
by Mary Fairchild, Thoughtco
https://www.thoughtco.com/things-you-didnt-know-about-jesus-4121354
The Real Nativity Story, Surprising Truths You May Not Know!
by John Ross Schroeder
https://www.ucg.org/the-good-news/the-real-nativity-story-surprising-truths-you-may-not-know
The Real Story of Christmas
By the staff of “The Week”
http://theweek.com/articles/469345/real-story-christmas