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For depictions in painting and sculpture, see Nativity of Jesus in art. The Nativity of Jesus has been a major subject of Christian art since the 4th century For depictions in other media, see Nativity of Jesus in later culture. This article deals with depictions of the Nativity of Jesus outside the fields of painting and sculpture For liturgical celebrations, see Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve, December 24, is the day before Christmas Day, the celebrated birthday of Jesus. For the decoration, see Nativity Scene. A nativity scene may be used to describe any depiction of the Nativity of Jesus in art, but in the sense covered here also called a crib or manger in the
"Nativity story" redirects here. For the 2006 film, see The Nativity Story. Filming began on May 1, 2006 in Matera Italy and in Morocco. New Line Cinema released it on December 1, 2006 in the
"The Nativity" redirects here. For the 1978 television film, see The Nativity (television film). The Nativity is a 98-minute long 1978 Television film set around the Nativity of Jesus and based on the accounts in the canonical Gospels of Matthew
The Nativity by Petrus Christus, c. 1445.
The Nativity by Petrus Christus, c. Petrus Christus (c 1410/1420 – 1475/1476 was a Netherlandish painter active in Bruges from 1444 1445.

The Nativity of Jesus, or simply the Nativity, is the story of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth in the Gospels and various apocryphal accounts, a key element of traditional Christian mythology. Childbirth (also called labour, birth, partus or parturition) is the culmination of a Human Pregnancy or Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) This article is about the canonical books of the New Testament Christian mythology ( μῦθος (mythos in Greek is the body of traditional Narratives associated with Christianity.

Two different accounts of the birth of Jesus are given in the New Testament of the Bible, one in the Gospel of Matthew and one in the Gospel of Luke. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin The Gospel of Matthew (Gk Κατά Ματθαίον Ευαγγέλιον is one of the four Canonical gospels in the New Testament and is a Synoptic gospel The Gospel of Luke (Gk Κατά Λουκάν Ευαγγέλιον) is a synoptic Gospel, and is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels of the Other accounts of the birth of Jesus have also been preserved, forming part of the Life of the Virgin sequence, but have not been included in the Christian canon of the Bible. The Life of the Virgin, showing narrative scenes from the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus is a common subject for pictorial cycles in Christian art often complementing or The Gospel of Mark, believed by most critics to be the earliest of the canonical gospels, is silent on the nativity;[1] the Gospel of John, likewise, has no account of the birth. Content Authorship The gospel itself is anonymous but as early as Papias in the early 2nd century a text was attributed to Mark, a cousin Markan priority is the hypothesis that the Gospel of Mark was the first written of the three Synoptic Gospels, and that the two other synoptic evangelists Matthew Canonical is an Adjective derived from canon. Canon comes from the Greek word kanon, "rule" (perhaps originally from This article is about the canonical books of the New Testament [2]

The birth narratives of Matthew and Luke have some elements in common; both relate that Jesus of Nazareth was the child of Mary, who at the time of his conception was betrothed as the wife of Joseph, said to be a descendent of the Biblical King David. Joseph "of the House of David " ( Hebrew יוֹסֵף also known as Saint Joseph, Joseph the Betrothed, Joseph of Nazareth David, Arabic: داوود or داود dawud, "beloved" was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible His conception, preceded by an angelic annunciation, is presented as miraculous, in that he is conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, rather than by Joseph. In mainstream Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is one of the three entities of the Holy Trinity which make up the single substance [3] The Gospel of Matthew presents the birth as the fulfilment of prophecies made by the Prophets of Israel. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics.

Many modern scholars consider that the two Gospel accounts present two different and conflicting narratives, and view both stories as "pious fictions". [4] E. P. Sanders describes them as "the clearest cases of invention in the Gospels". Ed Parish Sanders (born 18 April 1937) is a New Testament Scholar, and is one of the principal proponents of the New Perspective on Paul [5]

The remembrance and re-enactment of the Nativity scene are central to the Christian celebration of Christmas, signifying the belief that Jesus of Nazareth is the "Christ" or Messiah promised in the Old Testament. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth This article is about the concept of a Messiah in religion notably in the Christian Islamic and Jewish traditions In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. In the Catholic Church and other Christian groups, the main religious celebration of Christmas is the Church service at midnight ("Heilige Nacht", "Midnight Mass") or on the morning of "Christmas Day" on the 25 December. The Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Roman Catholic Church. During the forty days leading up to Christmas, the Eastern Orthodox Church practices the Nativity Fast, while four Sundays before Christmas, the majority of Christian congregations (including the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, many Mainline churches, and Baptists) begin observing the liturgical season of Advent – both are seen as times of spiritual cleansing, recollection and renewal, in order to prepare for the celebration of the birth of Jesus at Christmas. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world The Nativity Fast, is a period abstinence and penance practiced by the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches, in preparation See also Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches for other uses see Mainline (disambiguation The mainline (also sometimes called Mainstream) or mainline Protestant denominations Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. Advent (from the Latin word la ''adventus'' meaning "coming" is a season of the Christian church, the period of expectant waiting and preparation for the

Contents

Biblical narratives


Gospel of Luke

Romanian icon of the Nativity.
Romanian icon of the Nativity. The Romanian Orthodox Church ( Biserica Ortodoxă Română in Romanian) is a Autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church An icon (from Greek εἰκών eikōn, "image" is a religious work of art most commonly a painting from Eastern Christianity.

In the Gospel of Luke account, Mary learns from the angel Gabriel that she will conceive and bear a child called Jesus. An angel is a Spiritual Supernatural being found in many Religions Although the nature of angels and the tasks given to them vary from tradition to tradition Gabriel ( Latin: Gabrielus; Greek:, Gabriēl; Arabic: جبريل Jibrīl or جبرائيل When she asks how this can be, since she is a virgin, he tells her that the Holy Spirit would "come upon her" and that "nothing will be impossible with God". In mainstream Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is one of the three entities of the Holy Trinity which make up the single substance She responds: "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word. "[6].

At the time that Mary is due to give birth, she and her husband Joseph travel from their home in Nazareth about 150 kilometres (90 miles) south to Joseph's ancestral home, Bethlehem, in order to register in a census. Joseph "of the House of David " ( Hebrew יוֹסֵף also known as Saint Joseph, Joseph the Betrothed, Joseph of Nazareth Nazareth (ˈnæzərəθ (נָצְרַת Hebrew Natz'rat or Natzeret, الناصرة an-Nāṣira or an-Naseriyye) is the capital and largest Bethlehem ( بيت لحم,, lit "House of Meat" Βηθλεέμ Bethleém בית לחם Beit Lehem, lit "House of Bread" is a The Census of Quirinius refers to a historical enrollment of the Roman Provinces of Syria and Iudaea for the purpose of taxation taken during the reign of Having found no place for themselves in the inn, when Mary gives birth to Jesus she places the newborn in a manger (feeding trough) [7]. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE)

An angel of the Lord visits the shepherds guarding their flocks in nearby fields and brings them "good news of great joy": "to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. " The angel tells them they will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger. The angel is joined by a "heavenly host" who say "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!" [8]. (The King James Version reads, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. ") [9] The shepherds hurry to the manger in Bethlehem where they find Jesus with Mary and Joseph. They repeat what they have been told by the angel, and then return to their flocks. [10].

Gospel of Matthew

In the Gospel of Matthew, the impending birth is announced to Joseph in a dream, in which he is instructed to name the child Jesus[11]. A star reveals the birth of Jesus to a number of magoi (magi, Greek μάγος, commonly translated as "wise man" but in this context probably meaning "astronomer" or "astrologer"[12]) who travel to Jerusalem from an unspecified country "in the east":

"In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, 'Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage. "Three Kings" or "Three Wise Men" redirects here ' When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born" (Matthew 2:1-4).

The statement that Herod was "frightened" by the magi's words implies that Herod did not know of the existence of the star or its significance. See also Star of Bethlehem (plant. The Star of Bethlehem, also called the Christmas Star, is a star in Christian tradition

Joseph is warned by an angel in a dream to flee Bethlehem. Rembrandt, 1645.
Joseph is warned by an angel in a dream to flee Bethlehem. Rembrandt, 1645. Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (July 15 1606 &ndash October 4 1669 was a Dutch painter and etcher.

Herod understands the phrase "King of the Jews" as a reference to the Messiah, since he asked his advisers where the Messiah was to be born. They answer Bethlehem, the birthplace of King David, and quote the prophet Micah: [13] "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage," a deceitful Herod tells the magi. David, Arabic: داوود or داود dawud, "beloved" was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible In Religion, a prophet (or prophetess) is a person who has encountered the Supernatural or the divine and serves as an intermediary The Book of Micah (Hebrew ספר מיכה is one of the books of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament, traditionally attributed to Micah the

As the magi travel to Bethlehem, the star "goes before" them and leads them to a house where they find Jesus. They present Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:9-11). Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 Frankincense or olibanum ( Arabic language: لبٌان, lubbān) is an aromatic Resin obtained from trees of the genus Myrrh is a reddish-brown Resinous material the dried sap of the tree Commiphora myrrha, native to Yemen, Somalia [14]

In a dream, the magi receive a divine warning of Herod's intent to kill the child, whom he sees as a rival. Consequently, they returne to their own country without telling Herod the result of their mission. An angel tells Joseph to flee with his family to Egypt. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Meanwhile, Herod orders that all male children of Bethlehem under the age of two to be killed, the so-called "Massacre of the Innocents" (Matthew 2:12-16). For the painting by Peter Paul Rubens see " Massacre of the Innocents (Rubens "

After Herod's death, the family settle in Nazareth, fulfilling, according to Matthew, a prophecy: "He will be called a Nazorean" (Matthew 2:23). Nazareth (ˈnæzərəθ (נָצְרַת Hebrew Natz'rat or Natzeret, الناصرة an-Nāṣira or an-Naseriyye) is the capital and largest The King James Version of the Gospel reads "He shall be called a Nazarene. " This is possibly a free reading of Isaiah 11:1 ("A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. ") - a prediction that a new ruler would emerge from the line of Jesse, father of David[15] - with the Hebrew netzer, for "branch," read as Nazōraios (Nazorean) in Greek. Jesse or Yishai ( meaning "God's gift" is the father of the Biblical David mentioned in the Books of Samuel of the Hebrew Bible. [16]

The Nativity as myth

Relief of Nativity, Cathedral St. Peter, Worms, Germany
Relief of Nativity, Cathedral St. Peter, Worms, Germany

Many modern scholars argue that the Gospels present two very different accounts[17]: the Gospel of Matthew relates the appearance of an angel, in a dream, to Joseph; the wise men from the east; the massacre of the innocents; and the flight to Egypt. Cathedral of St Peter (German Wormser Dom) is the principal church and chief building of Worms, Germany. The Gospel of Luke mentions none of these but describes the conception and birth of John the Baptist; the appearance of an angel to Mary; the worldwide census; the birth in a manger, and the choir of angels; none of these is mentioned by Matthew. [18] They also emphasize the apparent contradictions between the accounts, which explain the birth in Bethlehem in different ways (Luke says they lived in Nazareth and only moved to Bethlehem briefly for the census, Matthew implies that they lived in Bethlehem and only moved to Nazareth on their return from Egypt;[19]) give two different genealogies of Jesus,[20] and appears to use a contradictory time frame (Matthew's account places the birth during the reign of Herod the Great, who died in 4 BC, but Luke dates it to the census of Quirinius in 6 AD). The Census of Quirinius refers to a historical enrollment of the Roman Provinces of Syria and Iudaea for the purpose of taxation taken during the reign of [21]

As a result, many scholars see the nativity stories either as completely fictional accounts[22], or at least constructed from traditions which predate the Gospels. [23] Raymond Brown, for instance, who observes that "it is unlikely that either account is completely historical",[24] suggests that the account in Matthew is based on an earlier narrative patterned on traditions about the birth of Moses[25]. Raymond Edward Brown ( May 22, 1928 - August 8, 1998) was an American Roman Catholic Priest and Biblical Moses ( Latin: Moyses,; Greek: grc Mωυσής in both the Septuagint and the New Testament; Arabic: ar موسىٰ

Historical Circumstances

Date of birth

See also: Census of Quirinius, Chronology of Jesus, and Anno Domini

The nativity accounts in the New Testament gospels of Matthew and Luke do not mention a date or time of year for the birth of Jesus. The Census of Quirinius refers to a historical enrollment of the Roman Provinces of Syria and Iudaea for the purpose of taxation taken during the reign of Introduction The chronology of Jesus is linked to a number of Jewish festivals In Western Christianity, it has been traditionally celebrated on December 25 as Christmas (in the liturgical season of Christmastide), a date that can be traced as early as 330 among Roman Christians. Western Christianity is a term used to cover the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church, the Churches of the Anglican Communion, the Lutheran Church The liturgical year, also known as the Christian year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches which determines when Christmastide (also Christmas or the Christmas season) is one of the seasons of the Liturgical year of most Christian churches Events By Place Roman Empire May 11 — Constantine I refounds Byzantium, renames it New Rome Before then, and still today in Eastern Christianity, Jesus' birth was generally celebrated on January 6/7 (late at night on January 6th) as part of the feast of Theophany,[26] also known as Epiphany, which commemorated not only Jesus' birth but also his baptism by John in the Jordan River and possibly additional events in Jesus' life. Families of churches Eastern Christians have a shared tradition but they became divided ( Schism) during the early centuries of Christianity in disputes about Events 1066 - Harold Godwinson is crowned King of England. 1205 - Philip of Swabia becomes King Events 1325 - Alfonso IV becomes King of Portugal. 1558 - France takes Calais, the last continental Theophany, from the Greek, theophaneia (meaning "appearance/showing of God" refers to the appearance of a Deity to a human or to a divine disclosure Epiphany ( Greek for "to manifest" or "to show" is a Christian Feast day which celebrates the "shining forth" or revelation of In Christianity, baptism ( Greek, "immersing" "performing Ablutions " is the ritual act with the use of water by which one is admitted Saint John the Baptist ( heb. Jochanan ben Sacharja, arab. يحيى Yaḥyā or يوحنا Yūḥanna, aram. This article is about the Jordan River and its valley in western Asia Some scholars have speculated that the date of the celebration was moved in an attempt to replace the Roman festival of Saturnalia. Saturnalia is the feast with which the Romans commemorated the dedication of the temple of the god Saturn [27] Some scholars note that Luke's descriptions of shepherds' activities at the time of Jesus' birth suggest a spring or summer date. [28] The theory that December 25 was the birthdate of Jesus was popularized by Sextus Julius Africanus in Chronographiai (AD 221). Sextus Julius Africanus was a Christian traveller and Historian of the early 3rd century AD

Matthew places Jesus' birth under the reign of Herod the Great, who died in 4 BC. Herod (הוֹרְדוֹס Horodos, Greek: Herōdes) also known as Herod I or Herod the Great (73 BC – 4 BC in Jericho Matthew also recorded that Herod had all the male children in Bethlehem two years old and younger executed (Matthew 2:16, see Slaughter of the Innocents), based on a prophecy relayed to him by the magi that a new King of the Jews had been born in the town. For the painting by Peter Paul Rubens see " Massacre of the Innocents (Rubens " "Three Kings" or "Three Wise Men" redirects here The order's instruction of "two and under", along with the inference that it took Herod time to realize that the magi were not about to deliver the child to him, implies a birth no later than 6-4 BC. Luke describes the birth as occurring during the census of Quirinius in 6 AD, described by the historian Josephus. The Census of Quirinius refers to a historical enrollment of the Roman Provinces of Syria and Iudaea for the purpose of taxation taken during the reign of Josephus (AD 37 – c 100 also known as Yosef Ben Matityahu (Joseph son of Matthias and after he became a Roman citizen, as Titus Flavius Josephus Most scholars consider Luke to be mistaken,[29] though some writers still attempt to reconcile his account with the details given by Josephus. [30]

Location

Grotto of the Nativity in the Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem — where it is believed Jesus was born.
Grotto of the Nativity in the Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem — where it is believed Jesus was born. Church_of_the_nativity_bethjpg|thumb|200px|View of The Church of the Nativity from Manger Square]]The Church of the Nativity ( كنيسة المهد) in Bethlehem

Both Matthew and Luke stated that Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1, Luke 2:4). Bethlehem ( بيت لحم,, lit "House of Meat" Βηθλεέμ Bethleém בית לחם Beit Lehem, lit "House of Bread" is a According to Luke, Joseph and Mary had traveled to register for the Census of Quirinius, because it was the town of Joseph’s ancestors, the birthplace of David. The Census of Quirinius refers to a historical enrollment of the Roman Provinces of Syria and Iudaea for the purpose of taxation taken during the reign of David, Arabic: داوود or داود dawud, "beloved" was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible Luke also stated that Mary gave birth to Jesus and laid him in a manger “because there was no place for them in the inn. "

Luke does not tell us exactly where Jesus was born. [31] The Greek word kataluma may be translated as either “inn” or “guestroom”, and some scholars have speculated that Joseph and Mary may have sought to stay with relatives, rather than in an inn, only to find the house full (whereupon they resorted to the shelter of a room with a manger).

Although in Western art the manger is usually depicted as being in a man-made free standing structure, many biblical scholars conjecture that, as in Byzantine art, the manger was probably positioned in a cave carved in the side of a hill - as this was the typical location of stables in classical Palestine. Byzantine art is the term commonly used to describe the artistic products of the Byzantine Empire from about the 4th century until the Fall of Constantinople In the second century, both the Protoevangelium of James and Justin Martyr stated specifically that Jesus had been born in a cave. The Gospel of James, also sometimes known as the Infancy Gospel of James or the Protoevangelium of James, is an apocryphal Gospel probably written about Saint Justin Martyr (also Justin the Martyr, Justin of Caesarea, Justin the Philosopher, Latin Iustinus Martyr or Flavius [32] The Church of the Nativity, built by St. Helena, contains the cave-manger site traditionally venerated as the birthplace of Jesus. Church_of_the_nativity_bethjpg|thumb|200px|View of The Church of the Nativity from Manger Square]]The Church of the Nativity ( كنيسة المهد) in Bethlehem Saint Helena (Flavia Iulia Helena Augusta also known as Saint Helen, Helena Augusta or Helena of Constantinople (c The Greek word used for manger, (phatne), is found four times in the Gospel of Luke (and only in Luke): Luke 2:7, Luke 2:12, Luke 2:16, Luke 13:15. The first three accounts are in the Nativity story while the last is in Jesus' words to synagogue leaders: "You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him?" Here, the consistency with language would be reason enough to hold to the traditional view: after his birth, Jesus was laid in a feeding trough within a structure set aside for animals.

Paternity

The earliest source on Jesus's paternity (or rather, early beliefs and traditions about his paternity) is the letters of St Paul, written some time between c. 50 and 65 CE. Paul addresses Jesus's paternity only twice, in Galatians 4 and Romans 1. In both cases he says that Jesus was born "under the Law" (i. e. , a Jew, and therefore of a Jewish father - Galatians 4:4), of the line of David (which could only be traced through the male line), but "declared to be the Son of God" through his resurrection from the dead (Romans 1:4).

The Gospels are all removed by at least a generation from the time of Jesus. Mark, the earliest of them, makes no mention at all of Jesus's father Joseph, but casts doubt on the idea of descent from David: "How can he [the Messiah] be his [David’s] son?’” (Mark 12:35–37). The famous birth narratives appear only in the later Gospels of Matthew and Luke, and the high amount of supernatural storytelling they contain - appearance of angels, supernatural guiding stars, etc - makes them of little value as factual records.

In first century Judea, betrothal was a binding contract that might take place while the couple, and in particular the girl, was prepubescent. Betrothal is a formal state of engagement to be married. Historically betrothal was a formal Contract, blessed or officiated by a religious authority The contract was for life, but under some circumstances could be broken by a formal divorce. After the ceremony of betrothal, the young bride would remain in her father's house for a year or more until she had reached sufficient maturity. At this time the husband would take the bride into his own home, accompanied by public celebration.

A medieval depiction of the betrothal of Mary and Joseph from the Nuremberg Chronicle.
A medieval depiction of the betrothal of Mary and Joseph from the Nuremberg Chronicle. The Nuremberg Chronicle, written in Latin by Hartmann Schedel, with a version in German translation by Georg Alt is one of the best documented early printed books

Mary, although formally betrothed and therefore contracted to Joseph, became pregnant "before they came together", which could be interpreted as either before they had sexual intercourse together or before they lived together as husband and wife.

That Mary was a virgin at the time of the conception of Jesus is indicated by her statement recorded in Luke 1:34, when she responds to the news of the impending birth with the words "How shall this be, as I know not a man?" The theology of most Christian Churches accepts the virgin birth on this statement. The virgin birth of Jesus is a religious Tenet of Christianity and Islam which holds that Mary miraculously conceived Jesus while Matthew's gospel indicates that Mary and Joseph did not have sex until after Jesus was born, the passage stating that he took her into his home "but knew her not before she had brought forth her first-born son" (Matthew 1:25). The term Immaculate Conception refers not to Jesus' conception but to Mary's. For dogmatic context see Roman Catholic Mariology. For artistic depictions see Roman Catholic Marian art.

This verse is generally accepted by Protestants as implying only that Mary and Joseph did not have sex until after Jesus was born. The majority of Christians, in particular the Eastern Orthodox, Coptic Christians, Armenian Apostolic Church and the Catholic Church, argue that the passage is less explicit in the Greek and indicates that Joseph never had sex with Mary, supporting the belief in the perpetual virginity of Mary. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world History of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria Apostolic foundation Egypt is identified in the Bible as the place of refuge that the The Armenian Apostolic Church (Հայաստանեայց Առաքելական Եկեղեցի Hayasdaneaytz Arakelagan The Perpetual Virginity of Mary, a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church and also of the Eastern Orthodox Church and Oriental Orthodoxy, which David Hill, a Presbyterian, acknowledges that the wording does not absolutely deny perpetual virginity, but argues that had been the belief during the 1st century, then Matthew would have stated it. Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity The Genealogy of Jesus as detailed in both Matthew and Luke's Gospels are traced to Joseph, in each case indicating him as a surrogate father. The genealogy of Jesus through Joseph is given by two passages from the Gospels, Matthew and Luke. However the genealogy in the oldest surviving copy of the old Syriac version of the Gospel of Matthew - the Sinaitic Palimpsest - is often interpreted as indicating that Joseph was the father of Jesus. The Sinaitic Palimpsest of Saint Catherine's Monastery Mount Sinai is a late 4th century Manuscript of 358 pages containing a translation of the four

Role of Joseph

The exact meaning of Matthew's description of Joseph as a "just man" is much discussed; the Greek term is dikaios, and it has variously been translated as just, righteous, upright, and of good character. Most of the ancient commentators of the Bible interpreted it as meaning that Joseph was law abiding, and as such decided to divorce Mary in keeping with Mosaic Law when he found her pregnant by another, but, tempering righteousness by mercy, he intended to keep the situation private (Matthew 1:19). term " Torah " ( Hebrew: תּוֹרָה "teaching" or "instruction" sometimes translated as "Law" most commonly refers to Mercy ( Middle English, from Anglo-French merci, from Medieval Latin merced-, merces, from Latin, "price

Philippe de Champaigne's The Dream of Saint Joseph painted around 1636
Philippe de Champaigne's The Dream of Saint Joseph painted around 1636

A second view, first put forward by Clement of Alexandria, and held by many modern Christians is that Joseph's righteousness is his mercy itself, with the decision to ensure Mary was not shamed being proof of his righteousness rather than an exception to it. Philippe de Champaigne ( 26 May 1602 - 12 August 1674) was a Baroque era painter of the French school. Saint Clement of Alexandria (born Titus Flavius Clemens) (c150 - 211/216 was the first notable member of the Church of Alexandria, and one of its most A third view is based on the idea that Joseph didn't yet know the origin of Mary's pregnancy, which is more in keeping with the Gospel of Luke, leading to the view that Joseph's righteousness is pious acceptance of Mary's story.

Joseph's original intent, though, was to divorce Mary once he had discovered her pregnancy, though some scholars and most older translations have expressed this more euphemistically since Joseph, a man having just been described as righteous, undergoing divorce would imply that divorce was righteous. Divorce or dissolution of marriage is the termination of a Marriage. Especially in the nineteenth century a number of scholars tried to read alternate meanings into the term, with one proposal being that it merely meant that the couple would split while legally remaining married. However recent discoveries have found that legal avenues for divorce certainly existed at the time in question. One of the clearest pieces of evidence is a divorce record from 111, entirely coincidentally between a couple named Mary and Joseph, which was found among the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Dead Sea Scrolls consist of roughly 1000 documents including texts from the Hebrew Bible, discovered between 1947 and 1979 in eleven Caves The Greek word here translated as divorce is aphiemi, and the only other time it appears is in 1Corinthians 7:11 where Paul uses it to describe the legal separation of a man and wife, and thus almost all modern translators today feel that divorce is what is being described, although doctrinal reasons cause some to use other wording. Paul the apostle (שאול התרסי Šaʾul HaTarsi, meaning " Saul of Tarsus " Σαούλ Saul and Σαῦλος Saulos and

Guido Reni's Joseph with the Infant Jesus, about 1635.
Guido Reni's Joseph with the Infant Jesus, about 1635. Guido Reni ( 4 November 1575 &ndash 18 August 1642) was a prominent Italian painter of high- Baroque style

Rabbinic lawfrom the period allows two different options for divorce that is due to adultery:

Joseph is explained as choosing to put Mary away privately rather than publicly divorce her, which most scholars believe means that Joseph had taken the second of the two divorce options.

In the first of several dream sequences in Matthew, an angel visits Joseph to dissuade him, and explain what has happened. An angel is a Spiritual Supernatural being found in many Religions Although the nature of angels and the tasks given to them vary from tradition to tradition The angel is described in a manner much more like early Jewish descriptions, as in the Pentateuch, merely as a pure functionary with no individuality, unlike the more esoteric descriptions that arose nearer Matthew's own time, under Hellenic influence, such as described in the Book of Enoch. term " Torah " ( Hebrew: תּוֹרָה "teaching" or "instruction" sometimes translated as "Law" most commonly refers to The Book of Enoch is any of several works that attribute themselves to Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah and son of Jared ( Joseph carries out the angel's instructions exactly, rather than arguing with them, which appears to be a common theme in the Gospel - rapid and unquestioning obedience is treated by Matthew as an important virtue.

Matthew does not describe how Mary came to be pregnant, which Schweizer thinks implies that Matthew's audience were already well aware of the story of the Virgin Birth - there were several virgin birth stories in the Jewish tradition and so the idea of virgin births was generally accepted by the population. The virgin birth of Jesus is a religious Tenet of Christianity and Islam which holds that Mary miraculously conceived Jesus while Matthew mentions the paternity of the Holy Ghost very quickly, even before any of the characters in his narrative are aware of this fact, which Brown argues is because Matthew does not want the reader to ever consider alternate scenarios as to how Mary could have become pregnant. In mainstream Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is one of the three entities of the Holy Trinity which make up the single substance

Visitors

The three Magi before Herod, France, early 15th century.
The three Magi before Herod, France, early 15th century.
Main article: Biblical magi

The Magi bear gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. "Three Kings" or "Three Wise Men" redirects here "Three Kings" or "Three Wise Men" redirects here Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 Frankincense or olibanum ( Arabic language: لبٌان, lubbān) is an aromatic Resin obtained from trees of the genus Myrrh is a reddish-brown Resinous material the dried sap of the tree Commiphora myrrha, native to Yemen, Somalia Though traditionally described as wise men or kings, the Matthew Gospel account actually refers to magoi, or astrologers.

Neither the names of the magi nor their number are specified, but – because the gifts described are three in number – a tradition arose that there were three magi: Balthasar, Melchior, and Caspar. Balthasar is a Greek version of the Babylonian name Belshazzar, meaning "May Bel protect his life. " This was the name given to Daniel by the chief eunuch of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon (Daniel 1:7),[33] as well as to a king of Babylon (Daniel 5:7). Babylon was a City-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which can be found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq Melchior means "The king is my light" in Aramaic. Aramaic is a Semitic language with Caspar is a Latinized version of Gondophares, a Parthian (i. Parthia ( Middle Persian: اشکانیان Ashkâniân) was an Iranian civilization situated in the northeastern part of modern Iran e. Persian) name. In free retellings of the Nativity events, the magi are sometimes called "kings" because of prophecies that kings will pay homage to Jerusalem (Isaiah 60:3) and a king (Psalm 72:11).

The Nativity by Caravaggio, 1609. The angel’s parchment reads “Gloria in Excelsis Deo (Luke 2:14)”.
The Nativity by Caravaggio, 1609. Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, usually just known as Caravaggio, (28 September 1571 – 18 July 1610 was an Italian Artist active in Rome The angel’s parchment reads “Gloria in Excelsis Deo (Luke 2:14)”. " Gloria in excelsis Deo " ( Latin for "Glory to God in the highest" is the title and beginning of a hymn known also as the Greater Doxology

The Magi were said to be following a mysterious star, commonly known as the Star of Bethlehem, that had suddenly appeared in the sky, believing it to announce the birth of the king of the Jews (Matthew 2:2). See also Star of Bethlehem (plant. The Star of Bethlehem, also called the Christmas Star, is a star in Christian tradition

On the other hand, Luke's account does not mention the Magi, instead having Jesus being visited by local shepherds, who had been informed in the night by an angel who said "Do not be afraid; for see — I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. The Adoration of the shepherds, in Christian iconography is a scene in which Shepherds are near witnesses to the birth of Jesus, at his birthplace typically depicted This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger. "(Luke 2:10-12) After this an innumerable company of angels appeared with the herald saying "Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men. " The shepherds went quickly to Bethlehem, finding the sign to be as the angel foretold, and subsequently publicised what they had witnessed throughout the area.

Emmanuel

Main article: Emmanuel

In Matthew "an angel of the Lord" appears to Mary's betrothed husband Joseph in a dream and tells him: "she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins". Immanuel is also a town in Israel near Ariel. For other articles please see Emanuel (disambiguation The Gospel of Matthew (Gk Κατά Ματθαίον Ευαγγέλιον is one of the four Canonical gospels in the New Testament and is a Synoptic gospel The text continues with the comment: "All this happened to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 'Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel, which being interpreted is God with us'". [34]. Some 5-6th century manuscripts of the Gospel according to Matthew read "Isaiah the prophet" instead of merely "the prophet" (e. The Gospel of Matthew (Gk Κατά Ματθαίον Ευαγγέλιον is one of the four Canonical gospels in the New Testament and is a Synoptic gospel The Book of Isaiah ( Hebrew: Sefer Y'sha'yah ספר ישעיה is a book of the Bible traditionally attributed to the Prophet Isaiah, who lived g. D), but this does not have the support of other important witnesses (see Nestle26).

An angel announces the birth of Jesus to Mary. Fra Angelico, early 15th century.
An angel announces the birth of Jesus to Mary. Fra Angelico, early 15th century. Fra Angelico (c 1395 &ndash February 18 1455) born Guido di Pietro, was an Early Italian Renaissance painter referred to in Vasari

Rather than using the Masoretic text which forms the basis of most modern Christian Old Testament translations, Matthew's quotation is taken from the Septuagint. The Masoretic Text ( MT) is the Hebrew text of the Jewish Bible ( Tanakh) In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. The Gospel of Matthew (Gk Κατά Ματθαίον Ευαγγέλιον is one of the four Canonical gospels in the New Testament and is a Synoptic gospel The Septuagint (ˈsɛptuədʒɪnt or simply " LXX " is the Koine Greek version of the Hebrew Bible, translated in stages between the The verb кαλεω kaleō (to call) is used by both Isaiah and Gabriel; but whilst the former employs the third person plural (they shall call), the latter has the second person singular you shall call. Gabriel himself therefore is not applying Isaiah's prophecy to Joseph, but his purpose is to invite him to assume legal paternity of the son to be born of Mary by naming him. It is the following comment that explains Mary's conception by the Holy Spirit, Joseph's vocation as the child's legal father, and the child's own vocation as the Saviour of his people as indicated by the name Jesus, in the light of Isaiah's prophecy that henceforth "God is with us". Howewer, this understanding of this passage tends to be regarded as Christian apologetics, because almost all Jewish sources are certain that "Immanuel" was intended as a name, not a mere title. Christian apologetics is a field of Christian theology that aims to present a rational basis for the Christian faith, defend the faith against objections

Scholars have other concerns with Matthew's reference to Isaiah. France, for instance, believes that it is far more likely that Isaiah is referring to the more immediate future, particularly as the text can be considered to be past tense - implying that the saviour in question was already conceived when Isaiah was writing. The past tense is a Verb tense expressing action activity state or being in the past of the current moment (in an Absolute tense system or prior Matthew also appears to have adjusted the meaning slightly, but in a significant way -although Matthew uses the Greek term parthenos, usually translated virgin, Isaiah uses the Hebrew word almah, which more accurately translates as young woman. [35]

The purpose of the quotation is better understood by looking at the context in which it is used in Isaiah. Isaiah is in the process of promising that God can save Israel from the immediate threat of the Assyrians, but that if the Jews continue to sin, the Assyrian empire will be the instrument of God's vengeance. The Assyrians are an Ethnic group whose origins lie in what is today Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria. Hence, in the eyes of scholars such as Carter, Matthew is using the situation as an allegory for the time in which he was writing; if followed, Immanuel would lead to salvation from the Roman empire, but if rebuffed, Rome will be the instrument of punishment against the Jewish people.

See also

References

  1. ^ Brown, R., et al. The Nativity of Jesus has been a major subject of Christian art since the 4th century This article deals with depictions of the Nativity of Jesus outside the fields of painting and sculpture The Adoration of the shepherds, in Christian iconography is a scene in which Shepherds are near witnesses to the birth of Jesus, at his birthplace typically depicted The Adoration of the Magi is the name traditionally given to the Christian subject in the Nativity of Jesus in art in which the three Magi, represented as kings "Three Kings" or "Three Wise Men" redirects here A nativity scene may be used to describe any depiction of the Nativity of Jesus in art, but in the sense covered here also called a crib or manger in the Raymond Edward Brown ( May 22, 1928 - August 8, 1998) was an American Roman Catholic Priest and Biblical The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, 1990.
  2. ^ John Dominic Crossan, Richard G. Watts, Who Is Jesus?: Answers to Your Questions About the Historical Jesus, (Westminster John Knox Press, 1999), page 12.
  3. ^ Larry W. Hurtado, Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity, (Eerdmans, 2005), page 318; Raymond E. Brown, The Birth of the Messiah, (Doubleday, 1997), page 32-37.
  4. ^ Geza Vermes, The Nativity: History and Legend, London, Penguin, 2006, p22
  5. ^ E. P. Sanders, The Historical Figure of Jesus, 1993, p. 85
  6. ^ (Luke 1:31-38)
  7. ^ Luke 2:1-7
  8. ^ Luke 2:10-14
  9. ^ The variant readings reflect the use of different Greek manuscripts.
  10. ^ Luke 2:16-20
  11. ^ Matthew 2:21
  12. ^ Raymond Edward Brown, An Adult Christ at Christmas: Essays on the Three Biblical Christmas Stories, Liturgical Press (1988), page 11; Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, Eerdmans (2000), page 844.
  13. ^ Matthew 2:4-6, Micah 5:2-4.
  14. ^ These gifts are mentioned in the Septuagint, the Koine Greek version of the Old Testament (Isaiah 60:1-7). The Septuagint (ˈsɛptuədʒɪnt or simply " LXX " is the Koine Greek version of the Hebrew Bible, translated in stages between the
  15. ^ Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, (Broadman and Holman, 2007), page 268.
  16. ^ Miller, Fred P. , "Isaiah's Use of the word 'Branch' or Nazarene".
  17. ^ Raymond E. Brown, The Birth of the Messiah, Anchor Bible (1999), page 36.
  18. ^ Richard G. Watts, John Dominic Crossan, Who Is Jesus?: Answers to Your Questions about the Historical Jesus, pages 11-12.
  19. ^ Geza Vermes, The Nativity: History and Legend, London, Penguin, 2006, page 64.
  20. ^ Tom Wright, Luke for Everyone, page 39
  21. ^ Geza Vermes, The Nativity: History and Legend, London, Penguin, 2006, page 96.
  22. ^ E. P. Sanders, The Historical Figure of Jesus, 1993, p. 85; Geza Vermes, The Nativity: History and Legend, London, Penguin, 2006, p22
  23. ^ Larry W. Hurtado, Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity, page 319.
  24. ^ Raymond E. Brown, The Birth of the Messiah, page 36.
  25. ^ Raymond E. Brown, The Birth of the Messiah, page 104-121.
  26. ^ Erwin Fahlbusch and Geoffrey William Bromiley, The Encyclopedia of Christianity. Grand Rapids, Mich. ; Leiden, Netherlands: Wm. B. Eerdmans; Brill, 1999–2003, 1:454–55
  27. ^ Erwin Fahlbusch and Geoffrey William Bromiley, The Encyclopedia of Christianity [Grand Rapids, Mich. ; Leiden, Netherlands: Wm. B. Eerdmans; Brill, 1999–2003], 1:454–55
  28. ^ Porterm J. R. Jesus Christ: The Jesus of History, the Christ of Faith. Oxford University Press, 1999. Pg. 70 ISBN 0-19-521429-3
  29. ^ Géza Vermes, The Nativity: History and Legend, London, Penguin 2006, p19
  30. ^ Archer, Gleason L. Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI © 1982 p. 366; Frederick Fyvie Bruce, The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? (1943; republished Eerdman, 2003), page 87-88.
  31. ^ Raymond E. Brown, The Birth of the Messiah, page 401.
  32. ^ Protoevangelium 18; Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho; cf. Origen, Contra Celsum 1. Contra Celsus, or (in correct classical Latin Contra Celsum, is the title of a major work by the Church Father Origen of Alexandria, refuting the anti-Christian 2.
  33. ^ Josephus, Flavius, Antiquities of the Jews, 10. 189
  34. ^ Matthew 1:23. Compare to Isaiah 7:14.
  35. ^ Raymond E. Brown, Mary in the New Testament, Paulist Press (1978), page 92

Further reading

External links

Birth of Jesus: The Nativity
Life of Jesus: The Nativity
Preceded by
Mary visits Elizabeth
   New Testament   
Events
Followed by
Adoration of the Shepherds
A gospel harmony is an attempt to merge or harmonize the Canonical gospels into a single gospel account a famous ancient example being the Diatesseron. The Visitation is the visit of the Blessed Virgin Mary with Saint Elizabeth as recorded in the Gospel of Luke. Saint Elizabeth, also spelled Elisabeth or Elisheva ( Hebrew אֱלִישֶׁבַע / אֱלִישָׁבַע "My God The Adoration of the shepherds, in Christian iconography is a scene in which Shepherds are near witnesses to the birth of Jesus, at his birthplace typically depicted
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