Most modern Christmas nativity scenes depict the baby Jesus and his parents in the manger surrounded by barn animals, shepherds, angels, and Three Kings bearing expensive gifts. The problem is that this is not supported by the Bible.
The
shepherds were told by a choir of angels to visit the Βρέφος (baby,
infant, unborn, newborn) Jesus in a φάτνῃ (a manger, crib, animal
feeding trough). This happened probably on or near the night of the birth. Luke
2: 8-20.
The magi Μάγος
(wise man, magician, sorcerer, seer, teacher, sage, priest, astrologer;
these men were probably Persians because they were from the East), who
are not numbered and are not called kings, visited the Παιδίον
(young child) in an Οικιαν (house). They were warned by an angel not to
return to King Herod and went home by a different route. Enraged, Herod ordered
the massacre of all boys in the Bethlehem region who were two years old and under kατὰ τὸν χρόνον ὃν ἠκρίβωσεν παρὰ τῶν μάγων
(according to the time frame he had learned from the magi). Because of Herod’s
response, the visit may have been as late as two years after the birth. Matthew
2:1-18.
There are
many later additions to the Christmas story and tradition. Let the Bible
speak for itself and listen to it.
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