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By Root 1219 0

and Caspar in western traditions—emerged much later. So did the myth that one of them was black. That was the product of medieval imagination. The “Three Kings” must have come from the three known continents, medieval Christians reasoned, so that meant one of them was African. That meant he must have been black. This is how legends are born. The Bible does record their three gifts—gold, frankincense, and myrrh—the latter two aromatic herbs obtained from shrubs. Significantly, the Gospels later relate that myrrh was used to anoint Jesus’ dead body for burial.

The star the Magi followed has also sent the curious poring over astronomical records. Unlike comets, meteors, or most astronomical events, this was an unusual “star.” It moved through the sky until reaching Bethlehem, where it stood still in the sky. An appearance of Halley’s comet, often associated with Jesus’ birth, occurred in 12 BCE, too early to coordinate with the Nativity, unless the chronology really gets stretched. The Hale-Bopp comet, which attracted so much attention in 1997, was nowhere in sight. In 3 BCE, the planet Jupiter rose in conjunction with Venus, the “morning star,” and this might have created a blazing celestial event. Chinese astronomical records, kept very carefully for centuries, also indicate a supernova in 5 BCE, which is a possibility, since Jesus was born before Herod’s death in 4 BCE. So starry, starry nights don’t help much either in dating Jesus’ birth. And the “wise men’s” star remains another awkward, misfitting piece of the Nativity puzzle.

BIBLICAL VOICES

In the countryside close by there were shepherds out in the fields keeping guard over their sheep during the watches of the night. An angel of the Lord stood over them and the glory of the Lord shone round them. They were terrified, but the angel said, “Do not be afraid. Look, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:8-11 NJB)

Did Matthew’s “wise men” meet Luke’s shepherds?

Every Christmas créche, or manger scene, and every Nativity pageant ever celebrated, has one other key element: shepherds tending their flocks who are told by angels of the birth of Jesus. Matthew neglects this popular Christmas element that Luke includes in his birth story: the shepherds. In Luke, the shepherds go to Bethlehem and pay homage to the child, then leave, saying they plan to tell everyone about this wonderful event. Matthew’s wise men and Luke’s shepherds never cross paths. Then they all disappear from the Bible. Were they transformed somehow by this miraculous event? Did they join Jesus’ followers later?

Symbolically speaking, the announcement to these shepherds was a counterpoint to the homage paid by Matthew’s wise men. In New Testament times, shepherds ranked fairly low on the Social Register. Throughout his ministry, Jesus would appeal most directly to the outcast and poorest of Judean society, represented in Luke by the shepherds. It also was a pointed symbolic reminder that Jesus was coming as both shepherd to the flock of Israel and the sacrificial lamb that would be slaughtered to take away the sins of the world.

Did Jesus obey his parents?

According to Luke, Jesus began his ministry when he was about thirty years old. Three of the Gospels omit any mention of Jesus’ youth or early adulthood in Nazareth. Only Luke offers a fleeting glimpse of the twelve-year-old Jesus discussing the Law with the sages outside the Jerusalem Temple.

At that time, Nazareth was an insignificant farming village. Mary and Joseph are depicted as faithful Israelites who make the pilgrimage south to Jerusalem each year for Passover. During Passover feasts, Jerusalem was swollen with thousands of pilgrims and Roman soldiers intent on keeping order, as nationalistic, anti-Roman sentiments ran high in these days. In the midst of the crowds, Jesus and his parents are separated and Joseph and Mary assume their son is among the throng of travelers returning to Nazareth. After the boy is missing