What makes Bethlehem so unique, aside from being Yeshuas birthplace, is the fact that the lambs born and raised in Bethlehem were used for the temple sacrifices, according to rabbinic writings. In the same way Yeshuas birth changes the calendar not only of Israel but of the whole world and now we measure time with before Yeshua and after Yeshua, The Magi Clue: For about three centuries after the death of Joshua, anarchical conditions loomed as a result of lack of leadership and constant harassment by hostile neighbors. Some scholars regarded the injunction to have the lamb roasted as a distinction from ancient pagan spring festival rites, when meat was eaten either uncooked or half-broiled. They saw it at the time of Yeshuas birth and they journeyed from their country to look for him and honour him. It is defined as a stall where animals are kept, and in Luke 13:15 it is translated that way. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. I am trying to find evidence in the Talmud and Mishah but it is long and difficult. At the same time, Mish. Unlike humans, sheep have a season for giving birth. However, the other evidence provided here is strong; and I believe the case for confirming Migdal Edar as the birthplace of Jesus is compelling. At the time of the Feast of Passover the lambs to be sacrificed had to be one year old and without blemish, this means they were born on or around the Passover season. And yet Jewish tradition may here prove both illustrative and helpful. He proclaimed, It is finished, and then passed away. Did Jacob fully understand all of these things? The beautiful small church is absolutely breath taking and was cleverly designed by Italian architect Antonio Barluzzi. Where were the sheep raised for Temple sacrifices? But he did understand that God was all-powerful and that He was good, holy, and righteous. A baby was not unusual in first-century Israel. I believe that Jacob trusted in God for redemption and that he knew God would eventually make all things right, including the removal of death and heartache. [10] Micah 4:8 composite translation, also uses definitions from Strongs Exhaustive Concordance. Yeshua also pronounced these same words once His blood was spilled. When Habib was explaining the many intricate steps of the sheeps life I was astounded by the parallelism to Jesus Christ. The term is derived from the traditions of Abrahamic religion where a lamb is a highly valued possession. I was raised on a sheep farm and tended sheep for 15 years. So the December birth date is, at the very least, doubtful. This unique ritual included the slaughtering of the lamb on the afternoon of the 14th of Nisan (Leviticus 23:5). How old did sheep have to be to be used for sacrifices? Because of the planets involved and their position in the sky they deduced that a Righteous King would be born in Judea. Where were the sheep raised for Temple sacrifices? Rather odd since there must be livestock for the altar: daily sacrifices and unintentional sin offerings. And why are these items a sign, given to the shepherds by the angel as they tended their flocks in the field? What was the tower of the flock in the Bible? Both are component parts of the same festival, the festival of Passover. WebThe reason of their bringing oxen, and sheep, and doves into the temple, was to supply those that came afar off, and could not bring their sacrifices with them, with such sacrifices as It was not just any stable in Bethlehem. The place these special Temple sheep used for delivery of their lambs was the tower of the flock, How do I choose between my boyfriend and my best friend? The census required families to travel back to their fathers town of origin. These bands helped to provide comfort to the child, the tight bands replicating the feeling of the womb. It involves a veiled prophecy in Genesis, and it has to do with the first mention in Scripture of the term Migdal Edar, at the time of Rachels death. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture was taken from The Scriptures, The Magi, who were astronomers from the east saw a special star in the sky. In the writings of Hippolytus, early church father (ca. The Bible repeatedly emphasized this facet of Passover, And this day shall be for you a memorial (Exodus 12:14); And Moses said to the people: remember this day in which you come out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage (Exodus 13:3); You shall remember what Adonai your God did to Pharaoh (Deuteronomy 7:18); that you may remember the day when you come out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life (Deuteronomy 16:3). A sacrificial lamb is a metaphorical reference to a person or animal sacrificed for the common good. God commands that burnt offerings (animal sacrifices) must be a permanent statute for the Jewish people to perform in order to receive forgiveness of sins (iniquity). And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. In this sheltered building/cave the priests would bring in the ewes which were about to lamb for protection. Such sheep were kept in the environs of Jerusalem including Bethlehem which lies just five miles south of that city. In a sense, John the Baptist was the first of several things: First Christian, first Christian witness, first Christian preacher, first Christian prophet, and first Christian martyr. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Personally, I lean towards Him being born closer to September but, it is really an endless argument with each side presenting their evidence. Joseph belonged to the family of David, which is why they were in Bethlehem that night. Ewe sheep come into estrus or heat cycle beginning in the fall season (in North America in Oct/Nov) when the days begin to shorten. The first month, on the first day of the month. WebThe bawling of sheep rang across the fields of Bethlehem. Passover sacrifice And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told by the shepherds. Every firstborn male lamb from the area around Bethlehem was considered holy, set aside for sacrifice in Jerusalem. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS. The Renewed Covenant is the Covenant of newness, it never gets old. and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar. in the temple a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger? To be a sign, it would have to be distinctive, understandable, and unique. Mangers in 1st century Israel were made of stone as it was more abundant than wood. The shepherds did not have to search every stable in Bethlehem. My Jewish Learning is a not-for-profit and relies on your help. There was no need for the angel to give the shepherds directions to the place of Jesus birth they already knew exactly where to find him! Posted March 25, 2010. Edersheims book was the result of a seven year effort. A Talmudic passage (dating from the period of the Second Temple [515 BCE 70 CE]) describes the Temple ritual on the 14th of Nisan. My first book, The Last Shofar! The Lamb in the Manger 7 Why are shepherds banned from the temple in the Bible? The shepherds in charge of these special lambs were from the tribe of Levi. Cody Buresh 15 Looking back over the experiences of this trip I am extremely grateful and amazed that this group of Wabash men have had the opportunities to go on many adventures such as: staying on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, visiting the city of Jericho, having the privilege to tour the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and many other mind-baffling occurrences. Excerpted with permission from Every Persons Guide to Passover (Jason Aronson, Inc). In it he states: That the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem was a settled conviction. The same Mishnaic passage also leads us to infer, that these flocks lay out all the year-round since they are spoken of as in the fields thirty days before Passoverthat is, in the month of February, when in Palestine [Israel] the average rainfall is nearly greatest. (765) 361-6100, Civil Rights Road Trip: Selma and Tuskegee, Juthani 15 Seeing New Sides to Old Dispute, Morrison 14 Torn Between Beauty, Ugliness, Story of Bethlehem Sheep More than Legend. Dont know about the Middle East; I never bred and raised sheep there. When the shepherds heard the spectacular announcement by the multitude of heavenly host praising God, they knew exactly where to go to find the baby, wrapped in swaddling cloths, just like the newborn Temple lambs. This reference to Passover stresses the classical message of the festivalthe humble origin of the Jewish people, the covenant with Abraham, Gods intervention in Egypt, the fulfillment of Gods promises, and the reaffirmation of faith. Throughout the day we gained a plethora of information about Bethlehem during biblical times and also the current situation from our visit at Bethlehem University. They were born on or around Passover. Yeshua was born around the Passover season. In fact the shepherds may have been on the same land that Boaz redeemed for Naomi and passed on to his son Jesse, Davids father. The shekalim 7:7 of the Mishnah does not suggest that Migdal-Eder was used as a permanent location for sacrificial lambs. Their job was to raise animals that were healthy and without blemish and pure enough for the temple sacrifices as stated in the Eternals instructions in the book of Leviticus. Again, it is the day that everything becomes new and everything else becomes old. This Migdal Edar was not the watchtower for the ordinary flocks which pastured on the barren sheep ground beyond Bethlehem, but lay close to the town, on the road to Jerusalem. As a nation, Israel began its history by putting lambs blood on the doorposts and lintels of each house. We do it on December 25th merely because it is a centuries old, entrenched tradition and we use this time to bring the good news and of the Nativity story in Matthew and Luke. A LAMB BORN IN BETHLEHEM NAZARENE NOTES The Temple of God is the only place where the Jewish people are allowed to offer animal sacrifices to God. Ill let you research this subject out. All of this thanks to THE LAMB BORN IN BETHLEHEM! He resurrected on the Feast of First-fruits when Israel offered the first fruits of the land to the Eternal. There also were many spaces within the ceiling to allow the natural light to illuminate the room representing the star light and also the light of the heavenly host. Edersheim also referenced the Targum (The Targum is an Aramaic translation of the Hebrew Bible (Tanak), which was written during Israels seventy-year captivity in Babylon. The birth of Messiah would not cause Joseph to break the law of the Eternal by being outside of Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles. The word in Hebrew means repetition, which means that it was memorized material. Thus, Jewish tradition in some dim manner apprehended the first revelation of the Messiah from that Migdal Eder, where shepherds watched the Temple-flocks all the year-round. Of the deep symbolic significance of such a coincidence, it is needless to speak. An earlier verse in the book of Micah tells us exactly where to expect His birth: And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom [the Messiah shall bring the Kingdom] shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem [Mary the mother of Jesus]. (Micah 4:8, KJV). This phenomenon took place during the springtime, around the time of the Passover. Every firstborn male lamb from the area around Bethlehem was considered holy, set aside for sacrifice in Jerusalem. Generations of hereditary shepherds tended the sacred flocks. Once the lambs were of age, the shepherds would take them to Jerusalem for the temple sacrifices. Many of Bethlehem's sheep were raised for sacrifice at the Temple. An analysis of bones found in an ancient This part of the sign was not enough on its own because any new-born baby would be wrapped in swaddling cloths. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Ibelieve he was making a statement which, among other things, pointed to a particular place in Bethlehem as the birthplace of Christ. What makes Bethlehem so unique, aside from being Yeshuas birthplace, is the fact that the lambs born and raised in Bethlehem were used for the temple sacrifices, according to rabbinic writings. Your email address will not be published. Understanding how Passover was celebrated in biblical times. We see from the New Testament Scripture that Jesus was, indeed, born in Bethlehem. According to Rabbi Abraham Bloch, the main distinction between the Hag HaPesach and Hag HaMatzot lies in the historical area that each seeks to reflect. The Rabbis Forgot, Where Was Herods Temple? Although it is not known for certain, I can offer some thoughts which I believe have merit. Ephrath means ash heap and place of fruitfulness, and seems to refer to Isaiah 61:3, which mentions beauty from ashes . The shepherds in charge of these special lambs were from the tribe of Levi. And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour. Leviticus 22:27 is pretty clear: When an ox, sheep or goat is born, it must stay with its mother for seven days; from day eight and on, it will be accepted as a burned sacrifice to God. And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachels grave unto this day. Oh yeah, some circulate that the special shepherds were priests. WebIt is likely that the shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem were raising lambs in the very fields that King David, as a boy watched over his sheep and composed Psalms to honor his God. A statue of Hippolytus in Rome today still mentions April as the month of Yehsuas birth [This date varies from year to year as the Hebrew months are based on the moon. Lets look at two passages in Genesis (Genesis 35:521 and Genesis 48:7): And they journeyed: and the terror of the God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. By the way, I grew up on a sheep farm and shepherded them for 15 years. Crawfordsville, IN 47933 Passover again assumed its prime function as a religious festival. When we first entered the cave there was another group of tourists within. Just try to leave out the pagan trappings! The daily Temple sacrifice required two unblemished sheep from Bethlehem. However, based on biblical record (, Migdal Eder was not the watchtower for the ordinary flocks. Surrounding the town of Bethlehem grazed flocks of sheep tended by shepherds trained by the Levitical priesthood to provide the lambs for temple sacrifices. We dont tell people that Christ was born on THIS actual day, but rather that, we celebrate the fact that He WAS born. Critique and Rebuttal. It would have to be a Spring Festival as everything would have to be in order. Paganism spread throughout Israel and Judea and reduced the number of Jews who made the annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem. In Proverbs 14:4, in the Septuagint [Greek translation of the Old Testament], the word means a stall or a crib. What, then, was the stall or manger referred to in the New Testament; and what kind of animals were fed or housed there? Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. The Sadducees, in charge of Temple sacrifices, also owned the Bethlehem fields and the lambs raised there. When they were ready, they were taken to Jerusalem to Being Christmas season now, mid December, I keep hearing the old saying that December could not have been Christs birthday because the shepherds were out tending their flock in the Bible, implying it was too cold to be around December 25.
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