When Messiahs presence comes, everything that was before is old everything now is new. When the [Second] Temple was destroyed [in 70 CE], all sacrifice eventually ceased, and only the Samaritans continued to bring the offering in their own community. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roasted with fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it (Exodus12:8). Generations of hereditary shepherds tended the sacred flocks. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Once they would know to purchase the libation and meal offering, this would be out of pocket expense, they would then abandon the animal. And yes, no mention is made specifically of Bethlehem here, as Alfred Edershiem mentions in his book and which I quote. The heat cycle averages about 17 days and she is fertile or receptive to the ram during that period for only 24 to 36 hours. The census required families to travel back to their fathers town of origin. Generations of hereditary shepherds tended the sacred flocks. When Habib was explaining the many intricate steps of the sheeps life I was astounded by the parallelism to Jesus Christ. They were Levitical shepherds (shepherd-priests). Thank you Habib. 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. Actually its Mishnah Shekalim/Sheqalim 7:4 that youre referencing. Migdal Eder was a tower used from ancient times by the Levitical shepherds to protect their sheep and lambs from enemies and from wild beasts. The shepherds did not have to search every stable in Bethlehem. The idea was to restore the livestock to its owner. When we first entered the cave there was another group of tourists within. A blood sacrifice is required by God, as presented in Leviticus: For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul (Leviticus 17:11). The construction of the magnificent Temple in Jerusalemlent new significance to the festival of Passover. The beginning of the Hebrew year is in springtime on the first day of the month of Nissan. Where were the sheep raised for Temple sacrifices? This greatly confuses the issue. According to the Mishnah Baba Kama, they banned livestock. 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. To be called a Lamb of God means that God gave Jesus to be killed like a lamb for our sins so we could live forever. The majority of Old Testament passages that mention lamb refer to a sacrifice (85 out of 96). 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. And the power of Messiahs presence is to make everything new. The hills around Bethlehem were home to the hundreds of lambs used in ritual worship at the Temple. I doubt lambs were born in Adar. The name Beit Lechem means House of Bread and Ephrathah fruitful. Howard Hewitt; France, The Gospel of Matthew, New International Commentary on the New Testament And why are these items a sign, given to the shepherds by the angel as they tended their flocks in the field? Bethlehem most probably had a population of fewer than a thousand people, perhaps only a few hundred in Yeshuas day. WebJohn's ministry was foretold by Malachi.trueJesus' baptism was unique.trueJesus' first recorded miracle occurred in Cana.trueOxen, sheep, and doves were used in the Temple sacrifices.trueNicodemus was a scholar and a ruler of the Jews.trueNicodemus readily accepted Jesus as the Messiah.falseJesus' work was to save only Jews.falseThe WebThe bawling of sheep rang across the fields of Bethlehem. Here they kept a place that was ceremonially clean for the ewes to lamb. When they were ready, they were taken to Jerusalem to This I rejoice anytime the name and Truth of Yeshua is lifted up and proclaimed, even if it is on December 25. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. On that night, the Israelites were ordered to eat the paschal lamb, and several restrictive rules were added to this feast. The angel announced that this newborn child was YHVH the Messiah (Isa 53:1; Christ the Lord)the Savior (Luke 2:8 cp. It was important that the sheep that was to be sacrificed did not possess any blemishes (broken legs, or injuries). The daily Temple sacrifice required two unblemished sheep from Bethlehem. [7] The Micah prophesy starts in Micah 4:6 and continues through 5:5; see explanations and structure in the Companion Bible. It was prophesied that he would be a descendant of David, the shepherd king who was also born in Bethlehem around a thousand years prior to Yeshua (for more information see THE BIRTH OF YESHUA ) And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also. One sacrificed in the morning and one in the evening as a continual sacrifice before the Eternal. Just try to leave out the pagan trappings! Luke has the most complete account of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, as recorded in Chapter 2: And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and linage of David) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. (Genesis 35:521), And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when yet there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath; the same is Bethlehem. (Genesis 48:7, KJV). 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. 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. And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Ben-oni: but his father called him Benjamin. Equally so, was the belief that He was to be revealed from Migdal Eder, the tower of the flock. ThisMigdal Eder was not the watchtower for the ordinary flockswhich pastured on the barren sheep ground beyond Bethlehem, but lay close to the town, on the road to Jerusalem. Rachel and Jacob would one dayweep no more, as both would share eternal life in the presence of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. PROCLAIMING THE MESSAGE OF YESHUA THE MESSIAH. It was in this special manger, Migdal Eder, that Jesus was born after Mary and Joseph could not find other lodging. [3] From all accounts it appears that Bethlehem was a special place for raising sheep, unlike other areas where they were raised in the wilderness. 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. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. . It is also widely known that the word Bethlehem means house of bread. This too may be a referenceto Jesus, as He stated during the Seder (Last Supper) with His Disciples that He is the bread which is broken for each of us (Luke 22:19); and He had previously said that He is the true bread which came down from heaven (John 6:3233) and that He is the bread of life (John 6:35). Some scholars believe that it is more likely that Yeshua was born in the autumn festival of the Feast of Tabernacles but there is a problem with this theory because all males had to be in Jerusalem for this Festival, as specified in the Torah. Why is it important that he would be born at this time? If this was so then, it makes no sense that they would be outcasts since they were doing a service and raising product for Temple service and service for the people. On this day the calendar changes, the old calendar is gone and a new one begins. 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. A look at the evolution of the four questions. It all fits together, for thats the place where sacrificial lambs were born! In this case, I believe the road map supports my position that Jesus was actually born at a place called Migdal Edar (Heb. They were born on or around Passover. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". 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. Every part of their lives revolves around the Temple. Some of you here know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem-Ephrathah not Bethlehem (there were two). The priest passed the basin to his fellow priest, and he to his fellow, each receiving a full basin and giving back an empty one. When the ewes were ready to deliver, the shepherds moved them inside a manger. The place these special Temple sheep used for delivery of their lambs was the tower of the flock, located close to the road between Bethlehem and Jerusalem. In Hebrew, the name of the tower is Migdal Eder. Swaddling helps prevent her from flailing her arms and legs, which can trigger her startle reflex and potentially cause her to wake up. Both goats and sheep are acceptable for sacrifice, according to Jewish law. 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. 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. The cave provided protection from the natural predators ready to snatch the newborns away. 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. The Mishnah states it is because livestock eats crops. 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. A passage in the Mishnah leads to the conclusion, that the flocks, which pastured there, were destined for Temple-sacrifices, and, accordingly, thatthe shepherds, who watched over them, were not ordinary shepherds. With the destruction of the Temple, the offering of the paschal came to an end. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". WebA small Alaska Native camp existed in Sheep Camp during the winter of 1897 98. I checked the elevation of Bethlehem and its 2,556 feet or close to half a mile in elevation. With regards to shepherds in the field and what Luke 2 says about that, no mention is made of lambs in this biblical passage or in Mish. Why is it that most of us have never heard of Migdal Edar, let alone in referenceto the birth of Jesus? Once the other group left the cave Habib informed us that there is much more to the story of the shepherds. The latter were under the ban of Rabbinism, on account of their necessary isolation from religious ordinances, and their manner of life, which rendered strict legal observance unlikely, if not absolutely impossible. Crawfordsville, IN 47933 Of the deep symbolic significance of such a coincidence, it is needless to speak. And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him. He resurrected on the Feast of First-fruits when Israel offered the first fruits of the land to the Eternal. But the New Testament does not state the exact place in Bethlehem where Jesus was born. In the year 720 BCE, King Hezekiah set out to restore the ancient covenant. You reference the Gemara, etc. Dont know about the Middle East; I never bred and raised sheep there. But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.[1]. Kuehls Temple, Where Was Herods Temple? . The weather was not cooperating today. Pig smell is the worst! But you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls. [10] Micah 4:8 composite translation, also uses definitions from Strongs Exhaustive Concordance. A Talmudic passage (dating from the period of the Second Temple [515 BCE 70 CE]) describes the Temple ritual on the 14th of Nisan. Comprised of the Mishnah and the Gemara, it contains the opinions of thousands of rabbis from different periods in Jewish history. He proclaimed, It is finished, and then passed away. It is a Holy Day but there is no command for the males to be in Jerusalem on this day therefore, Yoseph (Joseph) could be in Bethlehem. Which is correct poinsettia or poinsettia? New-born lambs were put in a manger after swaddling them to keep them from being trampled and to keep them calm. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. The renewal of the covenant was to be formalized by a national celebration of Passover, with the paschal lamb ritual as the highlight of the celebration. Only cattle, sheep, goats, pigeons and doves can be offered as sacrifices. Interestingly, the smearing of blood on the doorposts did not become a part of the Passover pageantry. It was important that the lambs that were to be sacrificed did not have any blemishes (broken legs, or injuries). So an event as important as his birth would have to coincide with a Festival as well. Copyright by Institute for Scripture Research. 4 We were therefore buried with Him through immersion into death, that as Messiah was raised from the dead by the esteem of the Father, so also we should walk in newness of life. The tower of the flock was built of stones, does not exist today and archaeology has not found its ruins as of yet. He is, indeed, the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.. GOD CONTINUE TO HAVE FAVOR,GRACE AND PEACE UPON YOUR LIFE,AS YOU DO HIS WILL. As we have seen many times,bits and pieces from Scripture, taken together, often provide a road map. Why are shepherds banned from the temple in the Bible? December would have been too cold and probably too rainy for the shepherds to be out at night watching their flocks. Gestation period for a ewe is about 5 months. Summary: There was a place just outside of the town of Bethlehem, but still within the region commonly known as Bethlehem, where Passover lambs were kept by specially trained and purified shepherds.