Since Benedict XVI states that these animals were not present at birth in Bethlehem, the role of the donkey and the ox, which were always placed in strategic places to give warmth to the child God, must change completely.
Pope Benedict XVI Removes the Donkey and the Ox
The Pope affirms that, as the Bible affirms, Jesus was born in Bethlehem at a certain time and that his mother was a virgin chosen by God.
According to Benedict XVI, neither the ox nor the donkey is mentioned in the Gospels. Since the area where Jesus was born was a place where animals sheltered and ate, the explanation for their presence is later.
The book states that “Christian iconography picked up on this motif very early on” and “filled the gap”. As a result, tradition decided to include these animals in the manger and added the idea that the breath of these living creatures served to warm the newborn.
There is no evidence that his birthplace was Bethlehem
Catholics around the world will welcome the Pope’s book, but scholars who have examined and traced the earthly travels of Jesus of Nazareth agree that the man widely believed to be the son of God was born in Nazareth.
Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, because his parents could not find lodging in the town’s inns.
Micah’s prophecies of the eighth century B.C., which foretold the birth of Israel’s savior in that locality and as a descendant of King David, are related to this composition, which is much later than the historical facts.
Christ as Savior
The Gospels were written out of faith in Jesus as the Son of God, according to the historians who have studied them, both canonical and apocryphal. This composition has nothing to do with biography.
In his book Jesus, Historical Approach, the renowned priest José Antonio Pagola states that it is very likely that Jesus was born in his hometown, Nazareth and that the “official” Gospels of Mark and John refer to Jesus as “the one from Nazareth”.
Importantly, the Gospels themselves support the ancient practice of using the birthplace almost as a surname.
Book of Isaiah
Foretold in the book of Isaiah is the birth of the child who will save Israel and the fact that his mother will be a virgin.
These prophecies helped shape the New Testament accounts, but they do not invalidate faith or belief in the person of Jesus, according to Catholic scholars and many Christians who are also aware of these facts.
With information from InfoBae.com