7. High Priest) of the Roman religion. This phenomenon took place during the springtime. In conclusion, Yeshua was born as the lamb of God in spring, during lambing season, ready for Pesach. “A baby born in the same place that the Passover lambs were born, swaddled like a passover lamb, pointing to the fact that Messiah was the lamb of God who would take over the sins of the world.” Watch him break it all down below: One sacrificed in the morning and one in the evening as a continual sacrifice before the Eternal. ( Log Out /  Their job was to raise animals that were healthy and without blemish and pure enough for the temple sacrifices as stated in the Eternal’s instructions in the. They had to make sure nothing happened to the sacrificial lambs.3 These were the men who came to witness the birth of the lamb of God. All of this thanks to THE LAMB BORN IN BETHLEHEM! ( Log Out /  They were Levitical shepherds (shepherd-priests). Mishnah, Tract Shekalim, VII.4. Micah 4:8, But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. The truth is this: Jesus was born in a cave used for the birthing of sacrificial lambs. On the ground floor, a room was designated for the delivery and protection of these special lambs. In another Lebanese flock, the average gestation length for single-born lambs was 151.2 days (Fox et al., 1971) while, at the American University Farm in Lebanon, it was found to be 152.6 days (McLeroy and Kurdian, 1958). The angel gives the shepherds a sign with two parts: A baby was not unusual in first-century Israel. Suffice it to say that it was in the Springtime]. Used by permission. A BIBLE prophecy predicting the end of days is feared to come true after the first ‘red heifer in 2,000 years’ was born in Israel. It would have to be a Spring Festival as everything would have to be in order. This tower in Bethlehem is also part of a prophecy by Micah (מִיכָה): And you, O tower of the flock (Hebrew: Migdal Eder), hill of the daughter of Zion, to you shall it come, the former dominion shall come, kingship for the daughter of Jerusalem. What makes Bethlehem so unique, aside from being Yeshua’s birthplace, is the fact that the lambs born and raised in Bethlehem were used for the temple sacrifices, according to rabbinic writings. This, of course, plays in really well with the tradition among the Latter-day Saints that Jesus was born in April. Whether or not Jesus was born on December 25th, the claim that sheep were not being grazed at this time of year is false. Migdal Eder was a tower used from ancient times by the Levitical shepherds to protect their sheep and lambs from enemies and wild beasts. The word “Nisan”, means new beginning. What makes Bethlehem so unique, aside from being Yeshua’s birthplace, is the fact that the lambs born and raised in Bethlehem were used for the temple sacrifices, according to rabbinic writings. Why did they say ? He was born in the very birthplace where tens of thousands of lambs, which had been sacrificed to prefigure Him. I like what may have been John’s nickname for Jesus for we have recorded in John 1:29 when John saw Jesus he said, “Behold the Lamb of God.” This Lamb, Jesus, who was once born at Migdal Eder, the tower of the flock, became the sacrificial Lamb of God for Israel. Howard Hewitt; France, “The Gospel of Matthew,” New International Commentary on the New Testament. Sheep are short day/long night breeders meaning they breed late summer/early fall and consequently their lambs are born in the winter and spring. He was the Eternal’s Frist-fruit, the First of many to be resurrected. Augustus (Latin title: Imperator Caesar Divi Filius Augustus, i.e. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture was taken from The Scriptures, This Christmas a new story related to be the birth of Jesus was brought to my attention. The New Covenant is the Covenant of newness, it never gets old. Jesus was not born behind an inn, in a smelly stable where the donkeys and other animals of travelers were kept. The name «Beit Lechem» means ‘House of Bread’. They were not there when Yeshua was born but around two years later they found him and his parents living in a house. The tower of the flock being a tower built of stones does not exist today and archaeology has not found its ruins as of yet. Copyright by Institute for Scripture Research. Howard Hewitt; France, “The Gospel of Matthew,” New International Commentary on the New Testament Every firstborn male lamb from the area around Bethlehem was considered holy, set aside for sacrifice in Jerusalem. According to the story, many of the lambs to be offered at the temple in Jerusalem came from nearby Bethlehem. Unlike humans, sheep have a season for giving birth. Lambs were also needed during Passover and other festivals. However, based on biblical record, Migdal Eder was not the watchtower for the ordinary flocks. Sheep can be housed for lambing or are more commonly brought to a field close to the farmyard where the shepherd can keep an eye on them.1, Cattle found all the way from Jerusalem to Migdal Eder, and in the same vicinity in all directions, are considered, if male, as whole-offerings, and if female as peace-offerings. Luke 2:8-12. Yeshua also said these words once His blood was spilled. Instead, sheep from subtropical and tropical areas tend to breed earlier, and drop lambs in the winter, or even breed and drop lambs year round. “There is one manuscript left that actually gives us two different dates,” Cahn said. At the time of the Feast of Passover the lambs to be sacrificed had to be one year old and without blemish. And you shall rejoice in all the good that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the sojourner who is among you. The Holy days of Israel. It was not to be one just born, but one that had lived a year, yet was still a lamb. ( Log Out /  was the second part of the sign and that made this baby unique because new-born babies were not normally put in a manger [feeding trough]. Exodus 12:3,5-7. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight. Joseph belonged to the family of David, which is why they were in Bethlehem that night. When Messiah’s presence comes, everything that was before is old everything now is new. One main reason is that sheep are seasonal breeders meaning that their ‘estrus cycle’, the time period when they are receptive to mate’ is determined by photo-period or length of the day/night. [Alfred Edersheim – The Life and Times of Jesus Messiah (1899)]. But, as you move geographically closer to the equator, the days don’t shorten as dramatically. Herod inquired of the wise men from the east when they had first seen the "star" which heralded his birth and asked them to report back to him when they had found the child. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. It was a place fit for the Lamb of the Eternal to be born. Actually, scientists now know that these ancient astronomers saw a series of  conjunctions involving Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, Regulus (the brightest star in the constellation of Leo), Mercury and Mars. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. The Magi, who were astronomers from the east saw a ‘special star’ in the sky. And so on that day, God brought the lamb of God into his house, Jerusalem. However, based on biblical record, Micah 4:8, and other evidence we must conclude that it was not the stable of an inn where donkeys and other animals were kept. He was also Pontifex Maximus (i.e. Sheep products Sheep in Palestine and vicinity have always been valuable because … (Courtesy Gil Lewinsky) After a journey as dramatic as anything in the Bible, the first Jacob’s Sheep born in the land of Israel in over two millennia made their auspicious appearance last month in the Jordan Valley. The lambing season in first-century Israel, due to the existing breed of sheep then, occurred from late March to mid-April. 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. In the Old Testament, Abel, the second son of Adam and Eve, became a shepherd. Why is it important that he would be born at this time? In fact, the statue of Hippolytus in Rome today still mentions April 2 as the month of Christ’s birth. So an event as important as his birth would have to coincide with a Festival as well. They saw it at the time of Yeshua’s birth and they journeyed from their country to look for him and honour him. Shepherds would typically only watch flocks at night during the lambing season. When was Yeshua really born? 4 We were therefore buried with Him through immersion into death, that as Messiah was raised from the dead by the esteem of the Father, so also we should walk in newness of life. 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. They forgot to put the Whiteout.” However, the date of Yeshua’s birth was well-known before the Romans claimed that Mithras, the sun-god, was actually Jesus (Yeshua). What they saw was not a star but a rare phenomenon that happens every 6000 years and it pointed them to Israel and to Yeshua. Migdal Eder, the Tower of the Flock, was the place where lambs destined for the Temple were born and raised. 2 “This month is the beginning of months for you, it is the first month of the year for you. Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. They were not there when Yeshua was born but around two years later they found him and his parents living in a house. (Youtube), Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, Article about The Mishkan Clue (checked on 3.1.2015), 1 UK Agriculture:http://www.ukagriculture.com/livestock/sheep_lambing.cfm (checked on 25.12.2014), 3 Rabbi M. Short, Migdal Eder (checked on 2.1.2015), 4 Jonathan Cahn, Messianic Rabbi reveals the date of Christ’s birth, 6 NSW Board of Jewish education, the 3 pilgrim festivals (checked on 2.1.2015). The census required families to travel back to their father’s town of origin. The New Covenant is the Covenant of newness, it never gets old. The census required families to travel back to their father’s town of origin. Darren Carty reports. The lambs due to be born soon in the village of Halat Makhoul may not survive these chilly nights. After a journey as dramatic as anything in the Bible, the first Jacob’s Sheep born in the land of Israel in over two millennia made their auspicious appearance last month in the Jordan Valley. Summary: There was a place just outside of the town of Bethlehem, but still within the region commonly known as Bethlehem, where Passover lambs were kept by specially trained and purified shepherds. In the springtime, when the lambs are born, there’s grass for about two weeks, so they can feed their sheep. The Lamb is born. 34:14) . Our, The Eternal commands us to begin the year and everything on the first day of the month of Nissan. The lambing season in first-century Israel, due to the existing breed of sheep then, occurred from late March to mid-April. Awassi sheep on the Syrian steppe. The birth of Yeshua was foretold to take place in Bethlehem by the prophet Micah, Bethlehem was a small Jewish town 6 miles or 9.6 kilometres from Jerusalem. Once the sheep’s blood was completely spilled for all of the sins, the priest would return to the people and proclaim, “It is finished” or “it is accomplished”. This success is perhaps no surprise when you consider the history of sheep farming in Israel. The birth of Messiah would not cause Joseph to break the law of the Eternal by being outside of Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles. Sources: On this day the calendar changes, the old calendar is gone and a new one begins. These strips ensured that the child was warm and that his limbs would grow straight. Yeshua was born "in the days of Herod the king" (Matthew 2:1). It was prophesied that he would be a descendant of David, the shepherd king who was also born in Bethlehem around a thousand years prior to Yeshua (see THE BIRTH OF YESHUA for more information) Once the lambs were of age (one-year-old), the shepherds would take them to Jerusalem for the temple sacrifices. Rabbi Jehudah says: “If they are fit for Passover-offerings they may be used for such purpose, providing Passover is not more than thirty days off.” So while he was born in spring, Yeshua was not born during Pesach or any of the three feasts, on which all Jewish men had to be in Jerusalem (Deut. emperor Caesar the exalted son of a god) lived from the 23rd of September 63 B.C. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The lambing season runs between February and April, and experts say a ewe giving birth at the end of September is virtually unheard of. The central events of Jesus while on this earth all took place on Hebrew Holy days. – He sent the Set-Apart Spirit on «Shavout» (Pentecost), So an event as important as his birth would have to coincide with a Festival as well. Mangers in 1st century Israel were made of stone as it was more abundant than wood. Of the deep symbolic significance of such a coincidence, it is needless to speak. He changes the ‘calendar’ of our lives. Here they kept a place that was ceremonially clean for the ewes to lamb. Shepherds would typically only watch flocks at night during the lambing season. The lamb has to be a year old — but lambs from 12-24 months are called year-old lambs. Hebrews 4:14-16) was born during the life of the fake son and priest of some god. The new lambs would, according to some sources, be wrapped in special swaddling clothes once certified. The Lord’s incarnation brought God down to man. (Courtesy Gil Lewinsky) 4 Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Email. If the lambs were one year old at the time they were sacrificed during Passover that means they would have been born at around the same time a year before, that is, in the Spring, during the lambing season. How did they know about Yeshua? In fact, it couldn’t be, since lambs are born in December/January. Lambs are usually born in spring, in a time period of about one month (mid march – april), and during that season, the sheep can not be kept in a pen at night because it would be too crowded for birth: Unlike most other farm animals, sheep are seasonal breeders and lamb in the spring months when the weather is warming and ample supplies of grass are available. A passage in the Mishnah leads to the conclusion, that the flocks, which pastured there, were destined for Temple-sacrifices, and, accordingly, that the shepherds, who watched over them, were not ordinary shepherds. ( Log Out /  1:29) Where else would we expect the Lamb of God to come into the world, but in the very place that the Passover lambs came were born? Since these lambs were special and could not be hurt or damaged in order to be pure for the sacrifice, the shepherds who kept them were specifically trained for this task. – He resurrected on the Feast of First-fruits – when Israel offered the first fruits of the land to the Eternal. Breeding occurs naturally in October to November, and lambs are dropped in March and April. The latter were under the ban of Rabbinism, on account of their necessary isolation from religious ordinances, and their manner of life, which rendered strict legal observance unlikely, if not absolutely impossible. Again , it is the day that everything becomes new and everything else becomes old. So the first of the fruits of the ground celebrate the rising of the Messiah from the ground: And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, O Lord, have given me. At the time of the Feast of Passover the lambs to be sacrificed had to be one year old and without blemish. Who were the shepherds of Bethlehem that greeted Yeshua at the time of his birth? Every important event in Yeshua’s life corresponds to a Festival of the Eternal: – He died on Passover – when the sacrificial lambs were sacrificed. The lambs were born in this “Tower of the Flock” known as. – He resurrected on the Feast of First-fruits – when Israel offered the first fruits of the land to the Eternal. When Habib was explaining the many intricate steps of the sheep’s life I was astounded by the parallelism to Jesus Christ. He was born in Bethlehem, at the birthing place of the sacrificial lambs that were offered in the Temple in Jerusalem which Micah 4:8 calls the “tower of the flock.” The Sheep and Shepherds of the Fields at Migdal Edar Every important event in Yeshua’s life corresponds to a Festival of the Eternal: The daily Temple sacrifice required two unblemished sheep from Bethlehem. When the kid is born the back legs come out first. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. After the lamb was born it was wrapped in swaddling clothes to keep it protected without spot or blemish (as the scripture required a perfect lamb), and then this lamb would be laid in a manger until it had calmed down and to protect it from being trampled. Some scholars believe that it is more likely that Yeshua was born in the autumn festival of the Feast of Tabernacles but there is a problem with this theory because all males had to be in Jerusalem for this Festival, as specified in the Torah. And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. there were shepherds living out in the fields. Once the sheep’s blood was completely spilled for all of the sins the priest would return to the people and proclaim, “It is finished”. The Romans would not have called for a census during winter as it would have been very hard for the people to travel long distances in the cold and rain. The precious flock of 119 Jacob's Sheep, a rare breed experts believe originated in Israel, finally returned in November after a journey of 2,000 years. The Festivals of the Eternal Clue [see THE MASTER PLAN OF YAHWEH for more information] And the power of Messiah’s presence is to make everything new. It will also explain a first part of why I think Yeshua really is the sacrificial Pesach lamb, i.e. On this day everything begins. The clues to the possible season of Yeshua’s birth are based on teachings by Jonathan Cahn. This 10th day of the first month, Nisan, is when the all Israelite families would take a lamb into their house. Our Elohim יהוה is an Elohim of order. The new-born Lamb of the Eternal was like-wise swaddled and put in a manger. The same Mishnaic passage also leads us to infer, that these flocks lay out all the year-round since they are spoken of as in the fields thirty days before Passover–that is, in the month of February, when in Palestine [Israel] the average rainfall is nearly greatest. What were the lambs born in Bethlehem used for? The Eternal commands us to begin the year and everything on the first day of the month of Nissan, In the writings of Hippolytus, early church father (ca. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Why is it important that he would be born at this time? Shepherds would typically only watch flocks at night during the lambing season. And you shall set it down before the Lord your God and worship before the Lord your God. The lambs were born in this “Tower of the Flock” known as «Migdal Eder» under the watchful eye of the shepherds priests who would then inspect and either certify them for use as sacrifices in the temple or designate them to be released for common use. The Romans would not have called for a census during winter as it would have been very hard for the people to travel long distances in the cold and rain. December would have been too cold and probably too rainy for the shepherds to be out at night watching their flocks. Micah 5:2, Furthermore, an article about the messianic rabbi Jonathan Cahn’s search for the real birth date of Yeshua:4. 26:10-11, Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, Was Jesus born on the 25th of december? Who better than these shepherd-priests to welcome the “Lamb of the Eternal” pinpoints where exactly Messiah was born. Joseph belonged to the family of David, which is why they were in Bethlehem that night. The shepherds in charge of these special lambs were from the tribe of Levi. The shepherds in charge of these special lambs were from the tribe of Levi. In the writings of Hippolytus, early church father (ca. Their job was to raise animals that were healthy and without blemish and pure enough for the temple sacrifices as stated in the Eternal’s instructions in the book of Leviticus. – He died on Passover – when the sacrificial lambs were sacrificed Generations of hereditary shepherds tended the sacred flocks. The beginning of the Hebrew year is in springtime on the first day of the month of Nissan. He was the ruling Roman emperor at the time of Yeshua’s birth. When Messiah’s presence comes, everything that was before is old everything now is new. to the 19th of August 14 A.D. They were Levitical shepherds (shepherd-priests). It was important that the lambs that were to be sacrificed did not have any blemishes (broken legs, or injuries). www.LumoProject.com (FotoSketcher filter). After the lamb was born it was wrapped in swaddling clothes to keep it protected without spot or blemish (as the scripture required a perfect lamb), and then this lamb would be laid in a manger until it had calmed down and to protect it from being trampled. – He sent the Set-Apart Spirit on «Shavout» (Pentecost)  6. Typically, «Migdal Eder», at Bethlehem is the perfect place for Yeshua the Messiah to be born. It was prophesied that he would be a descendant of David, the shepherd king who was also born in Bethlehem around a thousand years prior to Yeshua (. His writings are among the first that refer to Dec. 25 as the birth of Christ. They saw it at the time of Yeshua’s birth and they journeyed from their country to look for him and honour him. Lambs are born during the winter for various reasons. Through revelation cousin John prophesied of Yeshua, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (Jn. The name «, I am the living bread which came down out of the heaven, (Painting by Simon Dewey with Fotosketcher Filter), Bethlehem had a population of fewer than a thousand people, perhaps only a few hundred in Yeshua’s day. Here they kept a place that was ceremonially clean for the ewes to lamb. The tower of the flock being a tower built of stones does not exist today and archaeology has not found its ruins as of yet. the lamb of God. The law of Moses required every lamb that was … It is the new year, everything starts anew. “These special lambs came from a unique flock that was designated for sacrifice at the temple in Jerusalem.” (bibletruth.org) And the shepherds weren’t any old shepherds. The Magi, who were astronomers from the east saw a ‘special star’ in the sky. It was a place fit for the Lamb of the Eternal to be born. When Yeshua was born, the gospel of Matthew plainly says, Herod was still king, and very much alive. So the December birth date is, at the very least, doubtful. 170-235 afetr Yeshua), we find that he mentions the date of the birth of Yeshua as the 25th of December. They were special too, trained by priests to inspect the newly born lambs who were destined for sacrifice. John 3:17; 5:25) and High Priest (e.g. Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household. But because one page of Hippolytus’ writings still mentions springtime as the proper birth date, some historians have speculated that his writings were later doctored to reflect the new Dec. 25 date with the caveat that the one reference to spring somehow got past the censors. In fact, sheep are still grazed there at this time of year. First His birth, then His death etc… Ewes were brought there to give birth to the lambs. Of the deep symbolic significance of such a coincidence, it is needless to speak. Yeshua is the Lamb of the Eternal so, who better than the shepherds to welcome him at birth. December would have been too cold and probably too rainy for the shepherds to be out at night watching their flocks. Suffice it to say that it was in the Springtime]. 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. The real son of God (e.g. The time of the year when shepherds and their sheep could enter and stay in these crop fields was the fall after the harvest, when farmers invited the shepherds into their fields with their flocks so that the sheep can “clean” their fields by eating the straw. The clues to the possible season of Yeshua’s birth are based on teachings by Jonathan Cahn. Does the father-and-son partnership of Ken and Richard Mathews have the highest prolificacy flock in the country? Every firstborn male lamb from the area around Bethlehem was considered holy, set aside for sacrifice in Jerusalem. As a quick summary: Yeshua then stayed in Jerusalem until he died on Pesach, and resurrected on the feast of first fruits (ביכורים, Bikkurim). nor may the residents, whose tents were destroyed yet again by the army. Once the lambs were of age (one-year-old), the shepherds would take them to Jerusalem for the temple sacrifices. The Scriptures tell us that the shepherds were outside watching the sheep at night, The following are clues that will help us pinpoint when Yeshua was born. The lambing season in first-century Israel, due to the existing breed of sheep then, occurred from late March to mid-April. Lambs are usually born in spring, in a time period of about one month (mid march – april), and during that season, the sheep can not be kept in a pen … He changes the ‘calendar’ of our lives. Migdal Eder was a tower used from ancient times by the Levitical shepherds to protect their sheep and lambs from enemies and wild beasts. So, it must be in the springtime because spring is when the lambs are born and since Jesus was the lamb of God, that’s when he would have been born, too, is in the spring. 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. Yeshua, who was the fulfilment of the foreshadowing of the sacrificial lambs, also died during the Passover so it follows that he would have been born around the same season in springtime.