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WHEN WAS
THE FIRST CHRISTMAS?
In what year was Jesus born?
Modern research has succeeded in establishing the dates of our Lord's life with considerable accuracy.
Buy cheap THE FIRST CHRISTMAS term paper
It was Dionysius Exiguus, a monk who died in 556, who fixed the birth of our Lord Jesus Christmas the center of the history of mankind; using such historical information as was available to him, he placed our Lord's birth in the year 75 after the foundation of Rome and made the following year 1 A.D. This computation, although it is a few years too late, is the one still used in most of the world for dating purposes.
We know from the Gospels that Jesus was born "in the days of Herod the king (Mt. 1; cf Lk 15). We now, know, from information given by he Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, that Herod died in the year 750 after the foundation of Rome. Therefore, the date of Christ's birth must be brought forward at least by four years from that worked out by Dionysius. Moreover, Herod's death did not occur immediately after the birth of our Lord to these four years must be added, therefore, the time that elapsed between Christ's birth and Herod's death. In this connection we should remember that Herod left Jerusalem due to an illness which proved fatal and he must have been away about six months; whereas when the Magi visited Herod he was still in the Holy City. Therefore, Jesus was born at least six months before Herod's death.
In addition to this we have to take into account what age Jesus would have been when Herod, still in Jerusalem (cf. Mt ), ordered the killing of the Holy Innocents. Presuming hat by ordering the slaughter of all children under the age of two Herod was confident that Jesus would be included, the child cannot have been more that two he must have been less more or less one year old.
Therefore, the date of Christ's birth assigned by Dionysius must be brought forward by four years due to the mistake in fixing the start of the Christian era in relation to the foundation of Rome; by an additional year which would be Jesus' age when the Innocents were killed, since Herod would have erred on the "generous side" to make sure he caught the Child in his net; and by further six months, being the period of time Herod's illness lasted. The net result of this is that the very latest date for the birth of Christ was 748 from the foundation of Rome, which s the equivalent of year 6 before the Christian era.
Nor can we bring the date forward very much from 748 from the foundation of Rome, because St. Luke tells us that Jesus was about thirty years old when he was baptized by John in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar (cf. Lk 1-1-) which, as we shall see later would correspond to 780 or 781 (7-8 A.D.). Accordingly, Jesus would have been - years old when he received baptism from John and began his public ministry, an age which fits in with the information given in Lk. .
Jesus was probably born between 8 and 6 B.C.
Summing up, therefore Jesus was probably born in the year 748 (6 B.C.) or at the very earliest 746 (8 B.C.0 [from The Navarre Bible {Gospel of St. Mark), English translation (Dublin Four Courts Press, 185), pp. 47-48].
Why is the Birth of Our Lord celebrated on December 5?
Traces of the Christmas festival are first found for certain in the year 86, and with probability even earlier, the first written record is in the Roman chronicle for the year 54, that is, in the Deposition Martyrum contained therein of 5-6. From Rome the custom spread to the East in the same century. This rapid extension was probably connected with the Arian disorders, which naturally evoked from the orthodox party an enhanced worship of God the Son as consubstantial with the Father. As the actual date of our Lord's birth is unknown, some think that the choice of December 5 was an attempt to provide a Christian counterpart to the birthday of the supreme deity of the Roman Empire, the undefeated Sun (Natalis Solis Invicti), on December 5, which from the time of the Emperor Aurelian (70-5) was an imperial pagan feast, being highly honored by the numerous adherents of the Mithras cult. It is preferable perhaps to attribute the choice to natural and symbolic reasons, for it is appropriate that the day of the increasing light (winter solstice) should also be celebrated as the birthday of the "Sun of Justice."
It was only after the introduction of Christmas that a liturgical period of preparation for it, that is. Advent (from adventus, the coming of the Lord) could be celebrated. In Gaul and Spain, where, on the model of the Eastern practice, the Nativity was commemorated on the feast of the Epiphany, a three weeks' period of preparation is found as early as the third century, whereas in Rome a preparatory period for Christmas does not make its appearance until the sixth century. While Gaul, however, at a later period had five Sundays in Advent, there were only four in the area of the Roman Rite. From the eleventh century onwards the Roman practice mostly prevailed. [From L. Eisenhofer and J. Lechner, the Liturgy of the Roman Rite (Freiburg Nelson-Herder, 161), pp 0-1]
THE CAVE OF BETHLEHEM
By Dennis O'Shea
The following article provides some data about scene of the Nativity. Whether Jesus was born in a stable or a cave does not affect his being our Savior, but it is worthwhile to consider what the early Christmas believed regarding this matter.
The Evangelist (St. Luke) does not state that the Saviour was born in a cave. His mention of the manger naturally indicates a stable of some sort, but he does not use the word "cave." How, then, do we know that the Saviour was born in this cave? The tradition of the first and second centuries has supplemented the Gospel on the point, and that tells us that the manger was in a cave, a fact of inestimable interest.
St. Justin Martyr wrote down the tradition as he heard it, and he was a native of Palestine. He was born t Neapolis, the ancient Sichem, within forty miles of Bethlehem, early in the second century, and was thus a number of the generation that succeeded the Apostles. He is a witness to the belief of the early Christmas who lived at Bethlehem itself. He wrote, "Since Joseph could not find any lodging in the village, he took up his quarters in a certain cave near the village and it was while they were there that Mary gave birth to the Christ and laid Him in a Manger."
In the next century the erudite Origen founded a school of Christian studies in Caesarea, and visited the holy places. He states that everyone knew the cave in which the Lord was born. He wrote, "With respect to the Birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, if anyone desires, after the prophecy of Micheas and after the history recorded in the Gospels by the Disciples of Jesus, to have additional evidence from other sources, let him know that in conformity with the narrative in the Gospel regarding his Birth, there is shown at Bethlehem the cave where He was born, and the manger in the cave where He was wrapped in swaddling clothes. And this sight is greatly talked of in surrounding places, even among the enemies of the faith, it being said that in this cave was born that Jesus who is worshipped and reverenced by the Christians.
Few of the holy places of Palestine have in their favor such an ancient and authentic tradition as the Cave of Bethlehem. IN 1 A.D. the Emperor Hardian attempted to desecrate the holy places by building over them shrines to the pagan gods. Fortunately, this action served to mark them for the future generations. St. Jerome, the greatest Scriptural scholar of all, lived in Bethlehem for 4 years, from 86 to 40. He wrote, "From the time of Hadrian to the reign kof Constantine, a period of 180 years, the spot which had witnessed the Resurrection was occupied by a figure of Jupiter, while on the rock where the Cross has stood, a marble worship. The original persecutors, indeed, supposed that by polluting our holy places they would deprive us of our faith in the Passion and in venerable spot in the whole world of which the psalmist sings. "The truth hath sprung out of the earth, 'was overshadowed by a grove of Tammuz, that is, of Adonis; and in the very cave where the infant Christ had uttered his earliest cry, lamentation was made for the paramour of Venus."
But in the year 0, St. Helena Augusta indignantly pulled down the temple of Adonis, and erected in its place the Church of the Nativity. Eusebius, the historian, who was a personal friend of Emperor Constantine, wrote of Constantine's mother, St. Helena, "For without delay, she dedicated two churches tot he God whom she adored, one at the cave which had been the scene of the Saviors' birth, the other on the mount of His Ascension. For He who was 'God with us' had submitted to be born in a cave kof the earth, and the place of His Nativity was called Bethlehem by the Hebrews. Accordingly the pious empress honored with more memorials the scene of her travail who bore this heavenly Child, and beautified the sacred cave with all possible splendor."
That Church of St. Helena, the Basilica of the Nativity, still stands, although it has suffered much through the centuries both from ravages and restoration. The holy cave is in the crypt, below the floor of the sanctuary. The roof of the cave was removed to give place to the supports needed to sustain the weight of the building above. Nowadays two fights lead down to it, one of sixteen steps and the other of thirteen. The original walls and floors remain, now protected by slabs of marble. Into this marble is set a silver star with the inscription in Latin. "Here of the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ was born."
The limestone caves of Palestines have figured largely in the history of the country. It was to one of them that Lot and his daughters fled upon the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham bought a cave in Hebron as a burial place for Sara and, in the course of time, Abraham himself, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Lia were buried there too.
When David fled from the jealousy of Saul, he and his men lived first in the caves of Adullam, and afterwards in the caves of Engaddi. As a boy in Bethlehem he wold, of course, have been familiar with the caves of the district. Did the future king ever visit the cave in which the Son of David would be born long afterwards?
It was in a cave of Horeb that the prophet Elias hid from the wrath of Queen Jezebel. To the present day there are caves under houses in Nazareth and Bethlehem. During most of his 4 years in Bethlehem, St. Jerome lived and studied in a cave close to that cave which was the cradle of the Christian faith. He wrote, "I, too, miserable sinner that I am, have been accounted worthy to kiss the manager in which the travailing Virgin gave birth tot he infant Lord."
It seems clear from the remarks of Origen, quoted above, that the manger was still in the cave when he visited it. St. Jerome saw it too, for he spoke of his privilege of kissing it. Apparently it was later removed, for her wrote sadly, "Alas! Through a feeling of veneration for Christ, we have taken away the manger of clay to substitute for it one of silver. But how much more precious to me is that which has been removed. Silver and gold are the goods of the gentiles, this creche of clay is of much more value for the Christian faith."
What was the nature of the manger? From St. Jerome's description it does not seem to have been made of wood, but of potter's clay. In Palestine this is cheaper, more abundant, and easier to work. The manger was a kind of trough in which folder was placed. Unfortunately, it was stored away so safely ion the troubled times that now it cannot be found. But some relics of the manager remain. In the year 640 the Arab armies of the Caliph Omar were in Palestine and had captured Jerusalem. The long night of Moslem rule had fallen upon the Holy Land. During the reign of Pope Theodore I (64-64), a native of Jerusalem, some relics from the cave were brought to Rome safety. These were five boards of sycamore wood that had been the supports of the manger. They are preserved in St. Mary Major, and are now enclosed in an urn of silver and crystal, surmounted by a gift figure of the Holy Child.
What was in the manger? Not have, for this, as we understand it, was not made in Palestine. It is customary in Bible land now to cut or pull grass and other fodder plants, and give them to livestock. Women, with large back loads of such fodder, or donkeys similarly laden, may be seen any morning at the gates or in the market places of the cities.
Large areas are sown in barely, vetch, clover, madick and other forage plants, to be cut and given to domestic animals in the spring and early summer. It is clear that it was also the custom in Bible days to cut grass for this purpose. But it is not customary to dry such cut grasses to be stored up as winter fodder, and there is no evidence that the Hebrews had such a custom. In fact, it would be out of place, as the winter is their season of green grass. Stall-fled animals have cut grass mixed with their barley.
Barley straw was the usual provender used in the stables of Solomon. "Will the wild ass bray when he hath grass? Or will the ox low when he standeth before a full manger? asks Job. The Hebrew teben is the same as the Arabic tibn, which is the straw of wheat and barley cut by the threshing machine into pieces from half to two inches long, and more or less split and torn, and mixed with chaff. It is the universal accompaniment to the provender of domestic herbivorous animals. It is usually mixed with barley, and takes the place of hay.
Tradition has it that there were an ox and an ass in the cave. Isaias had said, "The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib." It has been suggested that this text has given rise to the tradition, that the cave was a stable, the natural place for such animals. The ass belonged to Joseph, the ox to some other traveler. One of the old Latin hymns (De Nativitate Domini) sings of the ox and the ass as warming the newly born Saviour with their breath. In Christian art, from the sixth century tot he sixteenth, there is no picture of the cave without these two animals.
CHRISTMAS EVE
By St. Bernard of Clairvaux
St. Bernard (100-115) was probably the greatest figure of his century. He has come down to us as the "mellifluous doctor" because of the beauty and piety that distinguish his writings. The following homily is taken from his Nativity Sermons in a translation published by Scepter Ltd., Dublin.
Jesus Is Born All Creation Rejoices
1. A voice of gladness has resounded in our land; in the dwellings of sinners a voice of joy and salvation has been heard. The good news has been announced, news of consolation, news full of rejoicing, worthy of all acceptance. Rejoice and give praise, O you mountains; all you trees of the forest applaud before the face of the Lord, for now He is coming. Hear, you heavens; and you, earth, give ear. Let the whole of creation be astounded and give praise; but you, man, above all others. For Jesus Christ, the Son of God is born in Bethlehem of Juda. Who is so hard of heart that his soul does not soften at this news? What sweeter message could be proclaimed? What more delightful event could be announced? Has anything like this ever been heard before, has the world ever received such tidings? Jesus Christ, the Son of God is born in Bethlehem of Juda. Only a few words about the Word who for us became little but words full of heavenly sweetness. Our affection strives to pour our more abundantly its cup of tender delight, but can find no adequate expression. For such is the beauty of this message that if one iota is changed it begins to lose its flavour. Jesus Christ, the Son of God is born in Bethlehem of Juda. O nativity spotless in sanctity, worthy of all honor in the world; loved by men for the great benefit it bestows on them unfathomable even to the angels for the depths of the sacred mystery it contains; altogether wonderful for the singular excellence of such a novelty, for it is an event the like of which was never seen before nor will ever have an imitation again. The only birth ever free from pain, a birth, which did not stain, but rather consecrated, the temple of that virginal womb. O birth far above nature but for the benefit of nature; surpassing nature by excellence of its great miracle, but restoring nature by the power of its mystery. Who shall worthily proclaim this new birth? An angel announces it the power of the Most High casts a shadow; the Spirit supervenes; a virgin believes; by her faith a virgin conceives; a virgin brings forth a child; she remains a virgin who can pretend not to be astounded? The Son of the Most High is born God begotten of God before all time. The Word is born a child. It is only right that we should be astounded.
Jesus, Our Salvation
. This birth has not been fruitless; it is not in vain that Majesty has condescend to such an event. Jesus Christ, the Son of God is born in Bethlehem of Juda. You, who are mere dust, awaken and give praise. Behold the Lord draws near, bringing to us salvation, perfumed ointments Christ, the Anointed, cannot come; without glory the Son of God cannot come; for He Himself is salvation, and anointment, and glory, according to what is written A wise son is the glory of his father. Happy the soul which, on tasting the fruit of salvation, is carried along and advances always in the perfume of those ointments that it may see His glory, the glory as it were of the Only-Begotten of the Father. Take courage, you who are lost, for to seek and save that which was lost Jesus new comes. Return to health, you who are sick, for with the ointment of His mercy Christ comes to heal all the contrite of heart. Rejoice all you who are ambitious for great things, for the Son of God descends on you to make you co-heirs of His own Kingdom. Thus I pray "Heal me O Lord," and I shall be healed; "save me," and I shall be saved; "glorify me," and I shall be made glorious. Then indeed my soul shall bless the Lord and all that is within me shall bless His holy Name, when He shall forgive all my iniquities, when He shall heal all my infirmities, when he shall satisfy my ambitions with good things. It is as if I had already tasted this triple gift of mercy, health and satisfaction when I hear that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is born. Otherwise why do we call His name Jesus? Is it not because He shall save his people from their sins? Or why has He willed to be called Christ, the Anointed? It is not through Him that the yoke shall purify at the presence of the oil? Why has the Son of God become man but in order to make all men sons of God? Who then shall resist His will? Jesus forgives us who then shall condemn us? Christ heals us who shall do us hurt? The Son of God raises us up who shall put us down?
. Jesus is born let the man whose sinful conscience merits eternal damnation rejoice, for Jesus pity exceeds all crimes, however great their number or enormity. Christ is born let the man who is tormented by ingrained vices therefore rejoice. For no spiritual illness, however inveterate, can stand its ground before Christ's healing ointment. The Son of God is born let him whose habit it is to desire great thing rejoice, for the giver of great is it hand. Thus, brethren, is the Heir let who has given us even His own Son how could He not give us all other a most trustworthy witness The Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us. The Only-Begotten of God willed to have brothers; willed the small-mindedness of human frailty should in no way doubt this, He first became a brother to men; He became a man. So if men think this incredible, their very eyes will prevent them from denying it.
Adornments of Poverty and Humility
4. Jesus Christ is born in Bethlehem of Juda. Consider the great humiliation of this. It is not in the royal city of Jerusalem that He is born, but in Bethlehem, the least among thousands of villages in Juda. O Bethlehem; so very small but for but for ever magnified by the Lord magnified by Him who was so great and who within your walls became so small. Rejoice, Bethlehem, through all your streets let a festive most precious stable and the glory of that manger? Your name is now celebrated allover the wide world, and all generations of men call you blessed. Everywhere, O city of God, glorious things are said of you hath founded her. Everywhere, I repeat, it is preached, everywhere it Juda Nor is it without good reason that the words of Juda are added, which remind us of that promise made to our fathers The scepter, it says, shall not be taken away from Juda, nor a ruler from his high, till he come that is to be sent and he shall be the expectation of nations. For although salvation comes from the Jews, yet that salvation extends to every corner of the earth. Juda, it is said, thee shall they brethren praise. Thy hands be on the necks of thy enemies. These and other things, itself, we see fulfilled in Christ. He is the lion of the tribe of Juda, of whom it is said Juda is a lion's whelp to the prey, my son, thou art gone up. A mighty captor is Christ, who before the child knows to call his father and his mother; the strength of Damascus and the spoils of Samaria shall be taken away. A mighty captor is Christ who, ascending on high, led captivity itself captive; not that He derived any benefit for Himself; rather, on the contrary, He generously distributed gifts to men. These, then, and other similar prophecies fulfilled in Christ, of whom they were spoken, are brought to mind when we hear Bethlehem of Juda. We have therefore no need whatsoever to ask whether anything good can come our Bethlehem.
5. The important for us is that we should learn from all this the manner in which He, who willed to be born in Bethlehem, wishes to be received. There were perhaps some who thought that a noble palace should be sought in which the King of glory might be gloriously received. But it was not for such glory that He came from His royal throne. Length of days is in her right hand and in her left hand riches and glory. In heaven He possessed an eternal plenitude of all these things, but in and super abounded, but man did not recognize its value. It was because of His desire for his commodity that the Son of God came down to take it for Himself, and through His esteem for it, to show us also its value. It was because of His desire for this commodity that the Son of God came down to take it for Himself, and, through His esteem for it, to show us also its value. Ador, then, O Sion, thy bridal couch, but with poverty, with humility. These are the ornaments, which please Him; and, as Mary can testify, these are the silks in which Helikes to be clothed. Sacrifice to your God the abominations of the Egyptians.
Eucharist and Confession
6. Consider lastly that it is in Bethlehem of Juda that He is born; and think how you also may make of yourself a Bethlehem means "the house of bread"; Juda means "confession." Therefore you, if you fill your soul with the food of God's word; if faithfully, though unworthily, and with all the devotion of which you are capable, you receive that Bread which came down from heaven and gives life to the world, that is, the Body of the Lord Jesus, so that the glorified flesh of the Resurrection may renew and strengthen the old wineskin which is your body, which thus renewed will be able to hold the wine in if.Finally you live by faith and if you never have to admit with tears that you have forgotten to eat your bread then you will have become a Bethlehem, worthy indeed to receive the Lord into you. Only take care also that Juda, confession, be not lacking. Le Juda then, be your sanctification adorning yourself with confession and justice, this being the rules most pleasing to Christ on those who serve Him. The Apostles comments, these two things to you very briefly. With the heart, he says, we believe unto justice; but, with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. Justice in your heart is as important as bread in your house. Justice is as bread, for Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice; for they shall have their fill. Let justice, their forth be in you heart, that justice which comes of faith, for these alone finds glory with God. And in your mouth let there be confession unto salvation; thus with confidence may you receive him who is born in Bethlehem of Juda, Jesus Christ the Son of God.
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