TAKE THE MYTH OUT OF THE NATIVITY STORY TO SEE THE TRUE LIGHT!

Inaccurate Nativity Scene, But At Least They Are Under The Stars! 

This morning, I went on a futile search to find a Christmas movie that focuses on the “Christ” in Christmas that doesn’t fuel the MYTHS that Yahshua was born in a smelly cave, or a barn, was laid in a manger or food trough with animals looking on, and had three Wise Men as witnesses. So, as my gift to all of my brethren in Yahshua this Chanukah and Christmas, I would like to shed some real light on the Nativity story of Yahshua’s humble birth in Bethlehem of Judea. I pray that this article will bless you this Holiday Season and bring you the indescribable joy that only Yahshua can bring as we look back through the mists of time to see what happened one dark night in the affluent little suburb of Jerusalem called Bethlehem - and afterward - when the Magi or Wise Men arrived nearly a year later.

  

Sign of the Woman Clothed With The Sun At Time of 
Christ's Birth, Sept. 11, 3 BC, Click On Image To Enlarge

It is likely that Yahshua was born around the time that the Sign of the Woman Clothed with the Sun appeared in the heavens over Jerusalem on September 11th, 3 BC. See the above illustration to see what this sign looked like, and the Star Gospel meaning surrounding it. This was Rosh Hashanah, or the Feast of Trumpets that year, and on that day the Messiah planet Jupiter was in conjunction with Regulus, the King Star in the constellation of Leo, the Lion of Judah. At this time, the Sun of Righteousness spoken of in Malachi 4:2 - which is a reference to Yahshua as the King of the pure white Light of Righteousness was represented by our Sun, which was in Virgo the Virgin’s womb. This was a sign that the Sun of Righteousness - the only true Light of the World that lights all the other lamps or lights of the world found in His disciples - was about to be born. See the Illustration above!

It is fairly certain that our Messiah was conceived  by God the Father and His Spirit in Miriam's womb at the time of the Jewish Festival of Light known as the Feast of Chanukah, which usually falls in December, and this is 9 months before the Feast of Trumpets, or the length of human gestation. Counting from the first day of Chanukah, which is on the 25th day of the 9th Jewish month of Kislev, Yahshua would have reached full gestation around the Day of Atonement of Yom Teruah. 

The Day of Atonement is only 5 days before the Feast of Sukkot or Tabernacles, which usually falls in the month of September. For a detailed breakdown of the prophetic truths found in the timing of Yahshua’s Fetal Development, please see my article “The Prophetic Ties Between Yahshua’s Fetal Development And The Jewish Feasts” by clicking the title to activate the embedded link, which will open the article in a new browser tab. According to the English versions of the Greek translations of the New Testament, the newborn baby that was Yahshua was laid in a manger: 

Luke 2:6-7 ~ “So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger (i.e. Sukkah/Booth), because there was no room for them in the inn (i.e. guest room).”

This Bible passage presents two words that may have been translated incorrectly.  The first one is the Greek word translated as “inn” in Luke's Gospel. This word is “kataluma” which can mean “inn,” but could also be referring to a guest room in a home. The only other time the word kataluma is used in the New Testament is in reference to the furnished upper room where Yahshua ate the Last Supper with His disciples. Now, since Joseph traveled to Bethlehem to take the Roman census, it means he was born there and likely had family still living there. So, in the case of the nativity story, the word kataluma is very likely referring to a family guest room, and not a room in an inn.

The second word that may have been translated incorrectly is the Greek word “patne” that is translated as “manger”.  In the Greek translation of the Old Testament known as the Septuagint, which can be dated to the First Century BC, the Greek word “patne” used for “manger” in the Greek New Testament was used to refer to the outdoors Sukkot Festival booths mentioned in the same translation. This strongly suggests that the “manger” that Yahshua was laid in was probably not a “feeding trough”, but an outdoor Sukkot festival booth or sukkah! As the Feast of Sukkot approached, these booths were gaily decorated with fruits, flowers and tree branches as symbols of joy, providence, life and hope, and the open-air design of these booths usually provided a clear view of the night sky. So the shepherds that came to see Yahshua saw Joseph and Mary tending each other and their newborn baby, who was wrapped in swaddling to protect his tender new body from harm as he lay in this gaily decorated outdoor booth under a night sky filled with stars: 

Luke 2:8-16 ~ “Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, 

 “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 

“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
(or toward men of goodwill! {NU Text})

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger (i.e. sukkah/booth).”

According to some Bible historians, the shepherds that came to be witnesses to Yahshua’s birth that were grazing their sheep near Bethlehem cared for the sheep that gave birth to the lambs that were to be used in the Jerusalem Temple sacrifices. So when the lambs were born, they were immediately wrapped in swaddling to keep them from getting blemished. This was done because all animals used in temple sacrifices had to be without blemish. So the spiritual significance of finding Yahshua wrapped in swaddling must have made a lasting impression on these shepherds.

These shepherds were called by an Angel in the heavens as they were tending their flocks by night, indicating that it was not winter, which is generally too cold and wet to allow livestock to graze out in the open at night. Also, contrary to popular belief, the Scriptures tell us that the Magi or Wise Men - who came to recognize Yahshua as the promised Messiah and King of the Jews - did not arrive on the scene until well after Christ had been born. Furthermore, we are never told how many Wise Men there were. But there is no doubt that, because these men had come from the ancient kingdom of Parthia that replaced Babylon to worship the King of kings, they had to be members of the rich priestly caste that was once presided over by the Prophet Daniel in the court of the King of Babylon. Furthermore, these court priests were well-versed in the Science of Sacred Astronomy, and they followed a star that they saw as the herald of the coming of the Messiah. 

Jupiter as Depiction of Yahshua as the
Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53

This star, which is called "the Star of Bethlehem", was not simply a conjunction between two bright celestial objects, such as the planets Jupiter and Venus, since conjunctions only last a day for two. The Wise Men followed this star for months, not just a few days! So it had to be something other than a conjunction, and was very likely one star or one star like object like a planet. In my books, I have proposed that the very slow moving planet Jupiter, which is already a very bright "wandering star" or planet, may have been supernaturally brightened at the time of Yahshua's birth in 3 BC due to a collision with another celestial body such as a large asteroid or comet. In fact, the planet Jupiter signifies Yahshua as the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53, or the Son of Man who came to die for our sins. Furthermore, this planet stays in one Zodiac Sign for nearly a whole year before it moves on to the next constellation on the Sun's path or Ecliptic. This is because Jupiter does a slow retrograde circular "dance" in the constellation it is in over a one year period. So, over the course of approximately 12 years, Jupiter will visit each of the Twelve Zodiac Signs for almost a year. 

At the time of Yahshua's birth in 3 BC, Jupiter was moving through the constellation Leo, which signifies the Lion of Judah, whom Yahshua rightly is. However, this planet or wandering star that the Wise Men followed may have also interacted with the very bright star Sirius in Canis Major in some way. This is because Sirius - which is the brightest star in the night sky - actually represents the physical location of Jerusalem and Bethlehem as holy unto God! I discovered this while working on my book "The Language of God in History", when I was exploring the dynamics of the amazing Christ Angle, which can be found at the intersection of the Jubilee Passage from the Queen's Chamber with the Ascending Passage inside the Great Pyramid at Giza in Egypt. 

Following the lead of many other Christian and Messianic Scholars who wrote about this before me, I have determined that this amazing Pyramid, which is the largest and most internally complex of the three large pyramids located at Giza, is a symbol not only for the Bride of Christ and the New Jerusalem, but also contains chambers that are tied to the Temple to Yahweh that was built in Jerusalem at least a thousand years after the Great Pyramid was constructed, as well as a fascinating and accurate timeline marked off in Pyramid Inches along the entire length of the Ascending Passage in the pyramid. This timeline is dated to this present era, indicating that we are in the last of the Last Days before Christ's Physical Return from Heaven. Here are some illustrations from that book showing the amazing star correlations to the three places that are Sacred to God and Israel due to the covenants that were cut there between the two parties:

Canis Minor, Canis Major and Orion Superimposed over Egypt and
Israel showing the Christ Angle and Winter Triangle Star Correlation

The Christ Angle Star and Land Correlation Shown on an Equal Projection Map

The three stars targeted by the Christ Angle are Al Nitak, Procyon and Sirius. Al Nitak is in Orion's Belt, which is tied directly to the Great Pyramid at Giza, and signifies the Passover Covenant cut with Israel in nearby Goshen in Egypt. Procyon in Canis Minor is tied to the Mountain called Jabal Al Lawz in Saudi Arabia that some scholars believe is the real Mount Sinai. This is likely to be the mountain where Moses received the Commandments or Laws of God, especially because it has a blackened apex that appears to have been scorched by fire. Finally, the double star Sirius in Canis Major signifies Jerusalem and Bethlehem, where Yahshua cut a New Covenant with Israel and all mankind. Procyon and Sirius are recognized by Astronomers as two of the three stars that form the Winter Triangle, which also includes the bright red star Betelgeuse in Orion's shoulder, although Al Nitak in Orion's Belt is also very bright. 

The Winter Triangle and Orion's Belt were apparently held sacred by some ancient people, as I later found out when I learned about the Ecuador Artifacts in 2010. Among these Sacred Astronomy-related artifacts that were found in Ecuador, South America, there were several that showed what is called the Winter Triangle, an asterism in the form of a triangle of bright stars visible at night in the winter. In my books "The Language of God in History" and "The Language of God in Prophecy", I showed how several of these artifacts may be tied to the biblical antediluvian patriarch and Flood hero named Noah. Here is one of them:

Winter Triangle Star Map Artifact found in Ecuador
as Seen in Normal Light and Under Black Light.

When the rich Wise Men that followed these stars to find the King of the Jews arrived in Jerusalem before their meeting with the puppet King Herod, they must have caused quite a commotion. This is because they surely arrived there with an entire entourage of servants and soldiers that protected them on their long journey from the East on camels, or on horseback. Not only that, but just imagine the stir it must have caused when these Wise Men and their large travelling party arrived in the town of Bethlehem to visit the young toddler Yahshua with His mother Miriam in a house, and not in a barn or cave: 

Matthew 2:4-11 ~ “When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 

‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’” [Micah 5:2]  

Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”

The gifts that the Wise Men brought to present to Yahshua were very costly ones that were ordinarily reserved as gifts for kings and other notable personages. Although these gifts were symbolically tied to Yahshua's Ministry, death, resurrection, and status as the King of kings, they also were likely given to provide for Him. When these gifts were presented, whatever economic status that Joseph and Mary (i.e. Miriam) had previously enjoyed was suddenly elevated greatly. In essence, they were given the means to provide Yahshua and His future siblings with a comfortable home and a good education. So, contrary to popular belief, Yahshua was likely not humbly raised in poverty, but in comfort due to the gifts of the Wise Men.

Another myth that is frequently perpetuated in Bible-based movies and documentaries is the idea that the common people wore dull, drab, and ragged clothing. This is not true at all! In fact, nearly every Jewish woman in Judea was skilled as a seamstress, and from an early age, young girls were taught how to mend clothing, make cushions and blankets, and decorate all of it with detailed and colorful embroidery. As shown in the illustration below, floral and geometric patterns were stitched onto the collars, sleeves and hems of most male and female apparel, belts, pouches, veils and head coverings, just as they are today - although the examples in the photo below were likely embroidered by machine. This means that Joseph, Mary, and the shepherds that came to see them were likely wearing robes and head coverings that were colorfully and gaily embroidered - regardless of the quality of the fabric - which may have been slightly coarse or rough if the owners were poor.

Examples of Middle-Eastern Style Embroidered Women's Dresses
That Look Much As They Did Thousands of Years Ago

Before closing this background investigation of the Nativity story, I would like to direct you to a previous article I wrote that explains Yahshua’s likely conception during the week of Chanukah, which led to His birth around the time of the Feast of Sukkot or Tabernacles nine months later. In addition, the article shows how the visit of the Magi or Wise Men may also have occurred during the Chanukah that fell a year after Christ was born. Here is the title and link to it:

Yahshua’s First Advent 
Ties to Chanukah and Christmas

http://pillarofenoch.blogspot.com/2010/12/yahshuas-first-advent-ties-to-chanukah.html

Written With Love From

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RELATED ARTICLES 

FOR FURTHER READING

DON'T LET ANYONE DETER YOU FROM
CELEBRATING YAHSHUA'S INCARNATION!

http://pillarofenoch.blogspot.com/2014/11/dont-let-anyone-deter-you-from.html 

The Divine Timing Of The Celestial Signs At

Christ’s Birth and Their Ties to Sukkot or 

Tabernacles, Chanukah and Christmas

http://www.pillar-of-enoch.com/essays/Birth-of-Christ.html

Where Is Christ In Christmas? 

Rethinking A Secularized Christian 

Holiday From A Messianic Perspective

http://pillar-of-enoch.com/essays/Christ-In-Christmas.html

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Was The Star Of Bethlehem Really A Star, And Was Christ Really Born In A Barn?


Overview: In this article, Bible Scholar Helena Lehman of Pillar of Enoch Ministry reveals the myths surrounding the traditional Nativity Story, what is actually said about it in the Gospels, and what is left unsaid, but carefully implied in the mysterious story of the Magi, and the magical Star of Bethlehem.

___________________________

December 9, 2007: Over the years, there has been much speculation surrounding Christ’s birth, from whether it occurred in a cave, or barn, to whether it occurred in winter or autumn, and whether the Star of Bethlehem was a supernatural event, or a natural phenomena, or both.

In the traditional view, though the location of the Nativity was a humble barn in Bethlehem, there was quite an array of guests in attendance. Besides Joseph, Mary, and a few barnyard animals, the newborn Christ was gazed upon by a group of shepherds with their flocks, a caravan containing three Wise Men, their entire entourage, and a whole legion of angels - all who served as living witnesses of the most miraculous event in history. What isn’t said is that everyone in that tiny Jerusalem suburb called Bethlehem would likely have seen, heard, and joined all these personages arriving in their small town out of curiosity, if nothing else.

In fact, upon closer scrutiny of the biblical narratives in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, a decidedly different version of the legendary events surrounding Christ’s birth emerges. Matthews’s Gospel, for example, explicitly states that Christ was a young child when the Magi found his whereabouts. Furthermore, we are told that Mary was residing in a house with Christ by this time. It therefore clearly suggests that the Wise Men arrived quite awhile after Luke’s account of Christ being laid in a manger. In addition, Matthew never gives the number of Magi present. He only tells us that this unnumbered group of dignitaries from the East worshipped Christ, and presented him with the three precious gifts. What is left unsaid, but is no doubt implied, is that these three gifts were traditionally given as tribute to newly coronated kings in Mesopotamia, and the Middle East at that time.

Over the centuries since Christ’s birth, many scholars have postulated that the Magi may have been Zoroastrians from Persia, and that the mysterious star that hovered over Bethlehem when Christ was born was a miraculous, supernatural phenomenon - and not an ordinary star. These suppositions, however, make no sense when carefully scrutinized. First of all, why would Zoroastrian dignitaries from a rival culture and religion care about the birth of a Jewish king, especially since Judea was merely a vassal kingdom under Rome’s control at that time? Furthermore, why would the Magi want to worship this king like a god, and present him with costly gifts if they had no Jewish hope in the coming of a great king and Messiah, like most Jews of that time period did?

Faced with these discrepancies, some skeptics dismiss the Nativity story as a myth. But if we strip away all the legends surrounding the biblical narratives of Christ’s birth, we can entertain more plausible assumptions about just who the Magi were, and what they were doing in Bethlehem. First of all, since virtually no one would care about the birth of a Jewish king except a Jew, or a rival to his throne, we must assume that the Magi were either Jews, or Zoroastrian converts to Judaism. Secondly, since Zoroastrian Magi were well acquainted with the mystical Astronomy of the day called Astrology, we can assume that the star they followed was a real star, and not a supernatural one.

But by far the most amazing revelation hidden in the study of the events surrounding the Nativity is what the Magi understood about the Zodiac. They would have known, for example, that the supposedly Pagan Zodiac had originally been viewed as a Bible written in the stars - whose author was God alone. Furthermore, in order to identify the time of Christ’s birth, the Magi would have had to be able to correctly interpret the special story behind each symbol of the 48 constellations in that ancient Zodiac.

Since the Holy Spirit was obviously guiding the Magi when they found Christ in Bethlehem, it would make sense that they would have understood the Zodiac through that same Spirit of God. As shown in my Language of God Book Series (at: http://pillar-of-enoch.com/graphics/Anti-Peace-Sign_4-Horsemen_Article-Pix.pdf), if the Zodiac story is viewed through Judeo-Christian eyes, the primary heroes in this ancient 48-chapter storybook are not the Greco-Roman pantheon found in Classical literature, but the Bible heroes who prefigured Christ, as well as Christ Himself in both His First and Second Advent roles!

The events surrounding the birth of Christ, the celestial signs that appeared at that time, and the amazing Gospel story behind all 48 constellations of the Zodiac are the subject of my book: “The Language of God in the Universe” (at: http://pillar-of-enoch.com/Language_of_God_in_the_Universe/). It is part of a four volume series about the allegorical Language of God, a hidden language that God uses to communicate with mankind that is found in nature, and all Biblical symbols. In fact, every book in this exhaustively researched, illustrated, reference library is filled with facts showing the amazing connection between the themes and prophecies in the Bible, and the Zodiac story.

For anyone with an interest in Ancient History, Comparative Religion, Bible Prophecy, Astronomy, Astrology, and the hidden meanings behind biblical symbols, there is no other reference work on the market today that even approached this set in depth of scope, or detail. And right now, for a limited time, this entire, amazing reference set can be purchased for a huge savings off the cover price of each book at my Pillar of Enoch Ministry Web site at http://pillar-of-enoch.com/. When placing your order, keep in mind that, for guaranteed Christmas delivery, books must be ordered by December 15th, 2007.

In addition to the books, I also offer two free articles surrounding Christ’s Birth in the free Articles section of my web site at http://pillar-of-enoch.com/essays/. The article entitled “Where Is Christ In Christmas?” is about the spiritual meaning behind the traditional symbols of Christmas, and its connection to Chanukah, and the other article entitled “The Divine Timing Of The Celestial Signs At Christ’s Birth” deals specifically with the timing of, and meanings behind the amazing celestial events surrounding Christ’s birth.

I hope you will take some time out this holiday season to feed your soul with the many wonderful spiritual truths hidden behind the symbols surrounding Christmas, and the timing of Christ’s birth, and I invite you to purchase my books to learn even more about the wonderful spiritual secrets that God alone has hidden in every star, and constellation.

Have a Happy Chanukah, and a very Merry Christmas!