Review - The Bible Miniseries Part 3

While the audience anticipated the continuation of the previous weeks story, instead of beginning with King Solomon, the story jumped ahead several hundred years. The prophet Jeremiah tells the current king that the city will fall to the Babylonian Ruler. Once again, the Jews are led into captivity and forced under the yoke of a foreign and pagan leader.

Once in Babylon, Daniel rises to power and interrupts the king's prophetic dream. The unfortunate part is that the entire dream was not covered, just the golden head. The audience got to see the familiar story of the three tossed into the inferno and rescued by an angel as well as Daniel in the lions den. It also showed how the king went insane.

In the end, they returned home. The best part of this segment was the beautiful customs. The worst part was the bloody violence, the killing of the Israelite king's sons and the hint of Jewish people eating each other during the siege.

Skip forward five hundred years to a small village in Galilee. Enter Mary and Joseph. While correctly shown they were each told by an angel about the events unfolding, incorrectly shown was 'where' they were informed.

The gross part of this segment was King Herod, particularly the leech scene, which could have been deleted and no one would have missed it.

Continue to the traditional birth scene with the shepherds, the three wise men and the huge star in the sky. Missed, the heavenly chorus in the fields.

Historically, and this has been proven, there were actually a number of planetary conjunctions and no huge bright star in the night sky. The Romans were very excited about it and thought it predicted their own current leader. Also, NO WHERE in the Bible does it say there were only three wise men. Three gifts, yes. It is more than likely, given the time, that there were a number of magi who traveled to see the new born king and huge caravan. Also, the Bible very clearly says Mary and Joseph were in a house. Not a stable.

Fast forward to John the Baptist. He's in the river and we have the famous scene depicted in the Bible. Missed, the dove descending and God saying, 'This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.'

Forty days in the desert, the temptation by the devil, which was beautifully done. What is missed here by most, even when they read it, is that Jesus really did have a choice. He knew what would happen to him and he could have said, 'No way.' Instead, he rebukes the evil one and begins his ministry.

Next scene, in the boat with Peter fishing, with so many fish the poor fishermen doesn't know what to do. 

'Why Not Question' : Christmas - Myth and Truth

The blogger of 'Why Not Question' celebrates Christmas as a nice family holiday but has removed much of the religious significance it once held.

Why?

Because the blogger understands the truths about how the holiday truly came to pass and the traditions it has encompassed over the years.

Myth : Christ was born on Christmas day.
Truth : The shepherds were in the fields with the sheep. This only happens during lambing season. More than likely Jesus was born sometime in the fall. Estimations by Biblical experts places the birth sometime in September. December would be much too cold for the shepherds and the sheep. Sheep are very fragile and die easily from the elements.

Speculation : Christmas was invented by a certain religious group in order to entice the pagans into the church by embracing the Solstice.

Myth: There were only three wise men and they were present at Jesus' birth.
Truth: The Bible never gives a specific number. It simply says Magi and tells about the three gifts given. The Bible specifically says Mary and Joseph were in a house - NOT the stable. It also says that Harod killed all male children under two years old and indicates that a great deal of time had passed between the birth and Magi's arrival.

Myth: A huge star was present.
Truth: There were a series of astronomical conjunctions and that caused quite a stir in Rome. The Jewish people were the only ones who had no such knowledge, they didn't pay any attention to the stars,emphasized by Harod having to call the religious leaders to find out what the Magi were talking about.

There are quite a number of other myths and truths mixed in with Jesus' birth and Biblical scholars are researching to find out what really was going on historically. It doesn't detract from the savior's birth. Instead, it adds to the current Christian's understanding of what truly happened and brings the Word of God to life far more accurately - destroying the mythos that has sprung up over the centuries.

Christians should celebrate the truths coming to light because each new historical fact proves Jesus was born, is a real person, and not a myth.