Theos-Talk Archives (August 1996 Message tl00050)

Alan wrote
>On the historicity angle, it is interesting that Eastern Orthodox icons always depict the
>nativity of Jesus in a cave, not a stable.

Correct. Scholars recognices that Justin wrote his Apology under 140, when gospels were not
written in our present form. So,  some details, such as the local of Jesus nativity, was not a
consensus beteween christians. Observe that even Justin recognice slaying of children by
Herod, and the Jesus lived under Pilate, so refutes the belief stated by HPB that Jesus lived
one century before.

http://ccel.wheaton.edu/fathers, file ECF01.TXT
THE SECOND APOLOGY OF JUSTIN FOR THE CHRISTIANS ADDRESSED TO THE
ROMAN SENATE CHAP. LXXVIII.
<Jesus born in a cave>
And Joseph, the spouse of Mary, who wished at first to put away his betrothed Mary,
supposing her to be pregnant by intercourse with a man, i.e., from fornication, was
commanded in a vision not to put away his wife; and the angel who appeared to him told him
that what is in her womb is of the Holy Ghost. Then he was afraid, and did not put her away;
but on the occasion of the first census which was taken in Judeea, under Cyrenius, he went
up from Nazareth, where he lived, to Bethlehem, to which he belonged, to be enrolled; for his
family was of the tribe of Judah, which then inhabited that region. Then along with Mary he is
ordered to proceed into Egypt, and remain there with the Child until another revelation warn
them to return into Judeea. But when the Child was born in Bethlehem, since Joseph could
not find a lodging in that village, he took up his quarters in a certain cave near the village;
and while they were there

<Herod slayed childrem in Bethlehem>
Mary brought forth the Christ and placed Him in a manger, and here the Magi who came
from Arabia found Him. I have repeated to you," I continued, "what Isaiah foretold about the
sign which foreshadowed the cave; but for the sake of those who have come with us to-day, I
shall again remind you of the passage." Then I repeated the passage from Isaiah which I
have already written, adding that, by means of those words, those who presided over the
mysteries of Mithras were stirred up by the devil to say that in a place, called among them a
cave, they were initiated by him.(5) "So Herod, when the Magifrom Arabia did not return to
him, as he had asked them to do, but had departed by another way to their own country,
according to the commands laid on them; and when Joseph, with Mary and the Child, had
now gone into Egypt, as it was revealed to them to do; as he did not know the Child whom
the Magi had gone to worship, ordered simply the whole of the children then in Bethlehem to
be massacred.

<these facts fulfill the prophets>
And Jeremiah prophesied that this would happen, speaking by the Holy Ghost thus: 'A voice
was heard in Ramah, lamentation and much wailing, Rachel weeping for her children; and
she would not be comforted, because they are not.'(1) Therefore, on account of the voice
which would be heard from Ramah, i.e., from Arabia(for there is in Arabia at this very time a
place called Rama), wailing would come on the place where Rachel the wife of Jacob called
lsrael, the holy patriarch, has been buried, i.e., on Bethlehem; while the women weep for
their own slaughtered children, and have no consolation by reason of what has happened
to them.

Abrantes