It's thought that sheep born there were used as sacrifice animals in the Jewish Temple in near-by Jerusalem. There's a theory that Jesus might have been born a couple of miles outside of Bethlehem - and was actually born in the company of the shepherds!Ī couple of miles outside Bethlehem there was a special watch tower called the Migdal Eder, which means 'The Tower of the Flock'. We don't know the names of the angels or how many there were of them, but in the Bible it says that there are millions of angels - so it would have been an amazing experience! If you'd like to know more about angels, go to whychristmas?com's sister site whyangels?com.
This is only the second time in the whole Bible that a group of angels rather than one angel had appeared to people, so this proved that they had a very important message to give to them. The words of the hosts of angels is very similar to the words sung during a sacrifice service in the temple when there were three blasts of the temple trumpets.
The angel's words to them told them of Jesus and his amazing birth and how they could recognise him in a very crowded town. The shepherds were quietly getting on with their own business when suddenly an angel appeared to them. They often had lambs in the autumn and winter, rather than in the spring which most sheep in western countries these days. The type of sheep the shepherds would have been raising were 'fat tailed' (or broad tailed) sheep. The History behind the Shepherds and Angels in the Christmas StoryĪt that time, many people think that sheep farmers were generally seen as having low or little value by other people. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told them. But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart. All who heard it wondered at the things which were spoken to them by the shepherds. When they saw it, they made known the saying which was spoken to them about this child. They came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby was lying in the feeding trough.
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, good will toward humankind.”Īnd it happened that when the angels went away from them into the sky, the shepherds said one to another, “Let us go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” This is the sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a feeding trough.” For there is born to you, this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people. And look, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. There were shepherds in the same country staying in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock.
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