Archaeology and the Bible. Dr. Eliat Mazar was a 3rd generation, University of Jerusalem Professor of Archaeology. The first woman. And to find David's Palace, she read scriptures and examined the city walls to find David's Palace.
How would we prove the Heavenly Host showed up to worship and rejoice, announcing the birth of the Messiah?
One of the wonders of Christ's birth is the Shepherd's field. All the Angelic Host showed up to rejoice and proclaim the Glory of God.
1 Samuel 25:2
He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats
When we find Samuel's funeral has descriptions useful today. Samuel proclaimed God's plan and this provides more information.
Jacob was described as an exceedingly rich man because he:
Genesis 30:43
Jacob possessed large flocks, maidservants and menservants,
and camels and asses
In the case of the rich man Nabal we find statistics:1 Samuel 25:2
He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats
So how many shepherds were there for 20,000 Sheep?
We know how many acres there are and how many sheep based on rainfall... what about Shepherds?
Now, we find out about the Shepherds.
We don't know the number of the Shepherds.
This explains the social status of the Shepherds.
Shepherding - It depends on this: how profitable has ranching been? Rain again. The New Testament records about 100 to 1. But we can see Bethlehem might fall in the category of 1 to 1000 sheep because Bethlehem doesn't have many hiding places for sheep.
We know some families have small flocks and the children shepherd. While other Biblical families only Shepherd.
The 1596 A.D. Ottoman Tax Record and Census
Indicates Bethlehem's population of 1,435 - the 13th largest village. Populations didn't change much until this last century in most of Israel. Vintage Photography of Israel is very interesting
1400 Bethlehem people. Women do Shepherd like Rachael and Leah. Moses's Wife.
1400 people. Aged people. Children. Farmers. An easy terrain.
About 4 to 9 human births a month. Herod would find 40 innocents.
Labor force would be about 500.
Sufficient small farming. And Household chores for gathering, cooking and cleaning.
And then you'd have farmers, lots of Farming in Israel on the terraces of hills.
So guessing... 250 shepherd. Then you'd have day Shepherds and more Night Time Safety from Predators Shepherds.
The guess would be 150 night time Shepherds looking over a large, easy field. Spread out in military precision with some usual campfires.
Now easier to construct, the Shepherd's field of Bethlehem has been preserved for 2,000 years.
The entire field could hear.
This does not say:
The Shepherds of Jesse, of the western forkthe Shepherds of Obed, the Shepherds of Boaz, the southeastern streamthe Shepherds of Salmon, the Shepherds of Nahshon, the rocky northern branchthe Shepherds of Amminadab, the Shepherds of Ram, the lower portion near the fork in the streamthe Shepherds of Hezron, the Shepherds of Perez, the upper fieldthe Shepherds of Judah, 34 the Shepherds of Jacob!Hear O Israel, The Lord Thy God is ONE!
The Shepherds Heard. The One Voice and the Multitude of Heaven.
We have solid facts.
If we want to know more about the Shepherds - all we have to do is look to the facts.
Today in Bethlehem, Israel, we know the grazing was 30,000 Hectare Acres.
48.66 Square Miles
And this land is available and set aside today as the Shepherd's Field.
Then we find the number of sheep is going to be entirely up to the amount of rainfall.
Isaiah 7 tells us times are good for crops. So in a normal year, the number of sheep per acre is 1.5 sheep. So 20,000 sheep.
Do we know in the Bible this is an acceptable, relevant number of sheep? Yes. There were very large herds of sheep.
Job 42:12
12 So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.
1 Kings 8:63
63 Solomon offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to the Lord: twenty-two thousand cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the Israelites dedicated the Temple of the Lord.
Luke 2:9-20
9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!”
15 When the angels went away from them into Heaven,
The shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.
20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Revelation 5:11
Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and
the elders
the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads
and
thousands of thousands
Revelation 7:9
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.
How many
Sheep?
How many Shepherds?
Psalm 50:10
For every beast of the forest is
Mine,
the cattle on a thousand hills.
The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof,
the world and those who dwell therein,
2 for He has founded it upon the seas
and
established it upon the rivers.
3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in His Holy Place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully.
5 He will receive Blessing from the Lord
and
righteousness
from the God of His salvation.
6 Such is the generation of those
who seek Him,
who seek
the face of the God of Jacob.
Selah
7 Lift up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is this King of Glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle!
9 Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that
The King of Glory
may come in.
10 Who is this King of Glory?
The Lord of Hosts,
He is the King of glory!
Selah
Abba, Father,
Very much a work of the Lord.
When
Events
coincide
Giving Thanks
We remember
John Wesley said, “The Work of God
continues
His workers go home”
Coinciding
John Wesley never left the Anglican Church
and The Anglican Church
never left
The Roman Catholic Church.
One God,
One Plan
As we think of the Sacrifice
of Jesus Christ
His Love
as
He Forgave
We realize
a Thousand Years
are a Day to You.
And Give You Thanks
for
our
Salvation.
God of Light
You are in all things
You are Light of the world
Light of mankind
Light of Heaven
In all Things, You Create
You have given us Jesus Christ
Holy is
the Highest Name
Above
all others
Your Kingdom come
Your Good Will be done
we pray for more
on earth
just as it is in Heaven.
Give us This Day
Our Daily Bread.
Jesus the Living Bread.
Forgive us our Trespasses
as
we forgive those
who Trespass
Against us.
Lead us not into temptation
Deliver us from Evil.
For Thine
is the
Kingdom
and
the Power
and
the Glory.
Giving Thanks!!!
For the new grandchild
sometime
in early June!
WORLDWIDE
PEACE
IN
Our
Amen in Jesus Christ
John 21
Thank you, Jesus, our Lord Christ
Bless the Lord Jesus
Thank You, Jesus
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