Myths and Truths About Christmas by Donna Beccia Carick

We’re familiar with the story of the birth of Yeshua (Hebrew name for Jesus), but do we know the REAL story? How much of what we learned is not in the Biblical account?

Luke says, in his gospel, that he interviewed eyewitnesses, so he could write an accurate account of what happened. Then he proceeded to tell the story of what he had learned from the eyewitnesses. Luke reported that a census had been ordered by Emperor Augustus, and each person must register in his home town. Yosef (Hebrew name for Joseph) and his wife-to-be, Miryam (Hebrew name for Mary) had to travel to Bethlehem, his home town, to obey the emperor’s edict.

Per Luke’s account (Luke 2:6), Yosef and Miryam arrived into town awhile before the birth took place. This does not match with the legend that the couple arrived into Bethlehem just in time to give birth. A census can take some time to complete, so there probably was not a singular date on the calendar for the census to be taken. Perhaps the couple had the option to choose a convenient time to visit Bethlehem, and so they coincided their trip with being in town with their extended family during the time of the birth.

According to historical accounts outside of the Bible, Yosef was a professional carpenter working with his father, a successful building contractor who did projects for King Herod. Yosef was a “royal” from the bloodline of King David, and would have been well known in Bethlehem and the surrounding areas. Middle Eastern hospitality would dictate that people would open their homes to travelers and strangers, but these were not even strangers. They were coming into a town where they had family and friends.

What about the “inn?” Some Bible translations say that there was no room for them in the inn. The word “inn,” in the Greek text of the Bible is “kataluma.” This word does not mean “inn.” It means the “guest quarters.” Middle Eastern homes usually had two or three rooms. One room was for the animals, at one side of the house, while the other rooms were the main living quarters and the guest quarters. The body heat of the animals kept the house warm at night. The animals entered at ground level, but the family went up a few steps to the main living quarters. The family kept feeding troughs (called “mangers”) on the floor inside the living quarters, right next to the animals. When the animals got hungry or thirsty at night, they could simply stand up, reach their heads into the living quarters, grab some food or water, and go back to sleep. The guest quarters were specifically for visitors and travelers.

The word “kataluma” was used in another place in the Scriptures, when Yeshua (English name is Jesus) wanted to locate a place to eat the Passover meal with his disciples. In that instance, “kataluma” was translated as the “upper room.” Sometimes, guest rooms were built on the second floor, above the main living quarters.

The nativity account says that Yosef and Miryam were turned away because there was no room for them in the guest quarters. Yet, it also says that the newborn baby was laid in a manger. Could it be that the baby was born in the main living quarters, instead of the guest room? Could it be that he was laid in a manger right next to the animals? That would be the warmest place in the house!

Here’s another possibility. Mangers were also used outside the home. If so, where would this nativity manger have been? There was a place in the shepherds’ fields in Bethlehem which was called the “Tower of the Flock.” This was a structure built of stone, and the first floor was used as a birthing place for the temple lambs. This Tower of the Flock had a carved area in the limestone rock, called a manger. This is where the lambs were routinely laid after they were newly born, and where they were wrapped in swaddling clothes to keep them from nervously thrashing around. Could it be that Yosef and Miryam went to the Tower of the Flock, since there was no room for them in the guest quarters? Yosef’s descendants owned these fields, and Yosef had a right to use the property.

Here’s something else to ponder. According to the laws of Moses, a woman was considered “ritually unclean” if she had an “issue of blood”, that is, menstruation or blood passed from giving birth. It was customary for the woman to live apart from the rest of the family until she had fulfilled the specific number of days of separation. Then she would have a ritual bath to become clean, and return to living with the family. In the case of giving birth to a male child, she must wait 33 days, until the “days of her purification” were complete. Was it likely that Miryam would have given birth to Yeshua, and stayed in the family’s home? Or, would it be more likely for her to give birth isolated from the family, to fulfill the laws of Moses? Maybe the guest quarters and the living quarters were full, but the couple was probably not sent out to a cold stable. They may have gone to the family’s field, to the Tower of the Flock, to give birth away from the family — not because they were rejected, but because it was according to the laws and customs of the day.

What about Bethlehem? This was the city where the lambs were raised to be used for animal sacrifices in the holy Temple. The shepherds of Bethlehem were specifically trained to raise the lambs per temple specifications. The prophet Micah had written that the Messiah was going to be born in Bethlehem. These temple shepherds certainly knew about this prophecy, and were expecting the Messiah to be born there someday.

Bethlehem, in Hebrew, is “Beit Lechem,” which means “House of Bread.” Bethlehem was also called the “City of David”, because David was born there. David was a shepherd boy before he became king. Interestingly, Yeshua was known as the “Good Shepherd” and the “King of Kings.” Yeshua was also called the “Bread of Life” and the “Lamb of God.” So, the Bread of Life was born in the House of Bread, and the Lamb of God was born in the city where the lambs were raised for temple sacrifices! Coincidence? Absolutely not!

Luke tells us that the shepherds were watching their flocks at night. This is an important detail. Normally, the sheep would be put in their pens at night, EXCEPT during the lambing season, which was typically in the Spring or Fall. It was definitely not in winter. Yosef and Miryam wouldn’t be traveling to a census in winter time, when the roads were treacherous, so Spring or Fall makes much more sense.

Throughout most of the world, lambs are birthed in the spring. However, in Israel and surrounding countries, there is a specific breed of sheep, the fat-tailed Awassi, that gives birth in the Fall and the Spring. Yeshua was not born in winter, but could it have been the Fall or Spring?

There are some conflicting documents written in the second century that mention the timing of Yeshua’s birth. Clement of Alexandria said it was April 20 or May 20. Hippolytus said the birth was in Nisan, the first month of the Hebrew calendar, which is a spring month. A Hebrew story of the second century, called “Story of Simon Peter,” explains the contrast between Jews and Christians. In this story, the author say that Jews worshipped on the Sabbath (Saturday), but Christians worshipped on Sunday; that Jews celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread, while Christians celebrated the resurrection of Yeshua (which happens during the Feast of Unleavened Bread); and that Jews celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles, while Christians celebrated the birth of Yeshua instead. This text implies that the Christian community celebrated Yeshua’s birth during the Feast of Tabernacles, which was in THE FALL.

The first day of the Feast of Tabernacles is a likely possibility for Yeshua’s birth. After all, didn’t the gospel of John say that Yeshua came into the world to “tabernacle” among us? Also, the Feast of Tabernacles is a seven-day period of rejoicing followed by a solemn eighth day, which is a celebration of the Torah, God’s written word – and according to the Hebrew Bible, male infants must be circumcised on the eighth day of life, as a sign of the covenant God made with Abraham. Isn’t is an interesting parallel if Yeshua was fulfilling the Torah on the “Solemn Eighth Day” of the Feast of Tabernacles? Yeshua was called “the living Word”, and the eighth day of Tabernacles is a celebration of the written Word.

What about the Magi? Who were they? Where did they come from? When did they arrive? Luke’s account never mentions them, but the gospel of Matthew does. Matthew says that the Magi saw a star, which prompted them to travel from the East to Bethlehem. Once they arrived, they went to King Herod to inquire about a king who was to be born. King Herod had no idea about any spectacular star, perhaps because this star was not visible in Jerusalem where he lived.

Where was “the East?” According to the Israelites, “the East” referred to Babylon. In 586 BC, the Jerusalem temple had been destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar, and the Israelites were exiled to Babylon. The prophet Daniel was one of those exiles. Daniel was considered the “chief of the wise men,” also known as “magi.” These wise men were consulted by the king of Persia whenever he needed spiritual wisdom.

These magi not only knew the prophecies of the Bible, but they were expert astronomers, who studied and interpreted the stars and signs in the heavens. These Magi who traveled to Bethlehem had seen something in the constellations and planets that signaled that a king was coming. With our modern software programs, we can backtrack to any date in history, and view exactly what the line-up of stars looked like. This software confirms that something spectacular showed up in the sky in 3 BC and again in 2 BC. Jupiter is the largest planet, and was considered the “King.” Regulus is the brightest star, and is considered the “king star.” First, the Magi saw Jupiter and Regulus come into close alignment, called a conjunction. Jupiter circled over Regulus, three different times, which was an extremely rare occurrence. To the Magi, it looked like the King Planet was “crowning” the King Star! This must be a signal that a king was coming.

In addition, Jupiter and Regulus appeared to be lining up with the planet Venus, considered the “mother planet.” Then, they moved into the constellation of Leo. Leo was the lion — the “Lion of Judah” — that the Scriptures foretold would be coming. There were far too many signs in the heavens, so the Magi strapped up their camels and headed toward Bethlehem, since they knew that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem.

These signs in the heavens first appeared in 2 BC, in the Fall, on the Feast of Trumpets! This is the Jewish holy day which celebrates the coming of the Messiah. These signs in the heavens appeared a second time in the next Spring. Could this have been the “Star of Bethlehem?” The Magi would have seen the planets seem to line up, one on top of the other, as if pointing right over Bethlehem.

How many Magi visited Bethlehem? The legend says there were three kings, but the Bible gives no indication of a set number. However, the Magi brought three gifts, and that’s where the number three comes into the story. The gifts were gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Interestingly, according the Jewish wedding customs, when a groom came to the bride’s house to escort her to the wedding, he was dressed in a gold crown, and his clothing was perfumed with frankincense and myrrh. The gifts of the Magi were prophetic! They foreshadowed the idea that Yeshua is going to marry his bride, the New Jerusalem (see Revelation 21:2).

According to Matthew’s account, when the Magi arrived in Bethlehem, Yeshua was now a “young child”, probably one to two years of age, and they visited his house. This explains why Herod decided to slaughter all the baby boys that were two years old and younger. Herod wanted to get rid of this promised king, so he wouldn’t take over Herod’s throne.

What does the word “Yeshua” mean? It is the Hebrew word for “salvation.” The individual letters in the Hebrew word are Yod, Shin, Vav, and Ayin. The Hebrew pictograph of the letter Yod is a hand. The pictograph for Shin is teeth. Shin was often used by itself to represent “The Almighty” or “The Judge.” The pictograph for Vav is a nail or peg. The pictograph for Ayin is an eye, meaning “Look!” or “Behold!” Put these letters together, and the message is “Behold the nails in the hands of the Almighty, the Judge.” This is Yeshua, the promised Messiah of Israel.

There are so many instances in the Scriptures when an exact date is given for specific events. Yet, why is the date of the birth of Yeshua hidden from us? Perhaps it is because births were not celebrated in that culture! They celebrated one’s death, commemorating a life well lived and completed. It is Yeshua’s death and resurrection that are supposed to be celebrated.

So, what is the truth about Christmas? Yeshua was born in Bethlehem while his parents were in town awhile, visiting family. He was probably born in the Fall, and could very likely have been born in the Tower of the Flock. Shepherds visited him at the birth site, while the Magi showed up at Yeshua’s house when he was a young child.

Deuteronomy 4:2 says that we should never add or subtract anything from the holy Scriptures. Yet, we have added so much to the story of Yeshua’s birth — a sudden surprise birth on a cold winter night, a hotel who turned the couple away, three Magi who showed up at a stable, and more fables. And we have taken so much away by diluting and polluting the story with tinsel, trees, mistletoe, yule logs, Santa, reindeer, gift-giving, and other distractions. Celebrating the birthday of Yeshua was not part of the culture of that day. If we are going to celebrate Christmas anyway, let’s remember that Yeshua’s birth is the main event. Let’s keep Yeshua in the center of the story, and the center of our hearts, where He belongs.

—— Donna Beccia Carick is co-leader of Shalom Yeshua Ministries, at 430 Washington Avenue, Evansville, Indiana. She can be contacted by email, at donna@shalomyeshua.org.

All images from Pixabay.com

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