Some scholars regarded the injunction to have the lamb roasted as a distinction from ancient pagan spring festival rites, when meat was eaten either uncooked or half-broiled. Story of Bethlehem Sheep More than Legend Immersion Learning He was born in the very birthplace where tens of thousands of lambs, which had been sacrificed to prefigure Him, the Lamb of the Eternal. Pronunced: TORE-uh, Origin: Hebrew, the Five Books of Moses. Furthermore, the lambs were slaughtered by the Israelites, privately by each family, and the priests poured the blood on the base of the altar. I think shepherds could have been out in December with their flocks as far as that aspect of the nativity story. How so? Once the other group left the cave Habib informed us that there is much more to the story of the shepherds. Daily Sacrifices In The Temple of Jesus was not born behind an inn, in a smelly stable where the donkeys and other animals of travelers were kept. If theres snow on the ground, they will be in the barn not because its cold but because they cant get to the grass, and the hay is in the barn. [4] When the ewes were ready to deliver, the shepherds moved them inside a manger. The Jerusalem Post This is a big problem with God and, consequently, with man. Thus, Jewish tradition in some dim manner apprehended the first revelation of the Messiah from that Migdal Eder, where shepherds watched the Temple-flocks all the year-round. I rejoice anytime the name and Truth of Yeshua is lifted up and proclaimed, even if it is on December 25. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. In the Bible we find several other names for Bethlehem, includingEphratah (Micah 5:2) andEphrath (Genesis 35:16, 19; 48:7). WebIt is likely that the shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem were raising lambs in the very fields that King David, as a boy watched over his sheep and composed Psalms to honor his God. [8] In Micah, after the prophecy of the coming Messiah Who In that day will reign over them in Mount Zion from now on, even forever, referring to the Kingdom of God and the Lords rule of the Earth, there is this prophecy of the first appearance of the Lord:[9], And you, Migdal Eder [tower of the flock], hill of the daughter of Zion, to you it shall happen and shall come, the first [or beginning] dominion, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.[10]. Where were the sheep raised for Temple sacrifices? Animal Sacrifice Powered Ancient Jerusalem's Economy You never know, a seed that was planted in someones heart on December 25 may just yield fruit for the kingdom of Elohim! The Rest of the Story: Shepherds Abiding in the Field. When Messiahs presence comes, everything that was before is old everything now is new. Is there a logical place where God would choose to have His Son born, one which would be described by the angel to the shepherds in the country as being . The principal feature of the feast of unleavened bread is stated in the Bible: Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. The unleavened bread commemorated the speed with which the Jews had to leave Egypt and thus became symbolic of Israelite redemption. But you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls. This tower of the flock mentioned in Micah 4:8 is in Hebrew Migdal Edar and literally means watch tower of the flock. Consequently, the Old Testament tells us that the Messiah, Jesus, would be born at Migdal Edar, in Bethlehem. When the Magi from Persia came to Jerusalem in search of the Jewish Messiah, they called upon King Herod as a courtesy and inquired of him where the Messiah was to be born. Not true. I believe that Jesus was born on Nisan 1, (April 1st) 6 BC. The daily Temple sacrifice required two unblemished sheep from Bethlehem. PROCLAIMING THE MESSAGE OF YESHUA THE MESSIAH. The Talmud (Pesachim 64b) similarly records: King Agrippa once wished to take a census of the hosts of Israel. Here they kept a place that was ceremonially clean for the ewes to lamb. 21 And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar[Heb. The Season Clue: God commands that burnt offerings (animal sacrifices) must be a permanent statute for the Jewish people to perform in order to receive forgiveness of sins (iniquity). They attended other tasks not related to the incense or sacrificial service. The Jewish religious authorities gave their answer from an Old Testament passage from Micah: But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he [Messiah; Jesus] come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting (Micah 5:2, KJV). It was extremely important that he did not have any imperfections (blemishes). The first month, on the first day of the month. 1 Where were the sheep raised for Temple sacrifices? My position is that they went to where the newborn lambs were typically wrapped in swaddling clothes in the manger in the Tower of the Flock (Migdal Edar), not far from where they were tending the sheep which birthed the lambs used for sacrifice in the Temple. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Yeshua was born around the Passover season. The Hag HaPesach reenacts the events of the 14th of Nisan (the pre-exodus period), and the Hag HaMatzot marks the actual departure from Egypt of the Israelites, which was concluded with the crossing of the Red Sea (exodus period). He was the Eternals First-fruit, the First of many to be resurrected. The angel gives the shepherds a sign with two parts: 1) wrapped in swaddling cloths