where were the sheep raised for temple sacrifices

Who were the shepherds of Bethlehem that greeted Yeshua at the time of his birth? Ewes were brought there to give birth to the lambs. Both were used, depending on the sacrifice. At the time of the Feast of Passover the lambs to be sacrificed had to be one year old and without blemish, this means they were born on or around the Passover season. Equally so, was the belief that He was to be revealed from Migdal Eder, the tower of the flock. ThisMigdal Eder was not the watchtower for the ordinary flockswhich pastured on the barren sheep ground beyond Bethlehem, but lay close to the town, on the road to Jerusalem. It is a Holy Day but there is no command for the males to be in Jerusalem on this day therefore, Yoseph (Joseph) could be in Bethlehem. Did Jacob fully understand all of these things? When we first entered the cave there was another group of tourists within. 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. As a nation, Israel began its history by putting lambs blood on the doorposts and lintels of each house. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. And the power of Messiahs presence is to make everything new. Jesus Birth Traditional vs Actual Site, Jesus Birth The Significance of Migdal Edar, Where Was Herods Temple? The Bethlehem sheep stayed in the fields at night under the guard of shepherds, rather than being moved into a sheepfold, as was typical. Of the deep symbolic significance of such a coincidence, it is needless to speak. And Jacob set up a pillar of stone: and he poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon. Migdal Eder, the Tower of the Flock, was the place where lambs destined for the Temple were born and raised. What were the lambs born in Bethlehem used for? A look at the evolution of the four questions. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. The Bible repeatedly emphasized this facet of Passover, And this day shall be for you a memorial (Exodus 12:14); And Moses said to the people: remember this day in which you come out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage (Exodus 13:3); You shall remember what Adonai your God did to Pharaoh (Deuteronomy 7:18); that you may remember the day when you come out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life (Deuteronomy 16:3). A passage in the Mishnah leads to the conclusion, that the flocks, which pastured there, were destined for Temple-sacrifices, and, accordingly, thatthe shepherds, who watched over them, were not ordinary shepherds. Here they kept a place that was ceremonially clean for the ewes to lamb. Yeshua is the Lamb of the Eternal so, who better than the shepherds to welcome him at birth. A public celebration of Passover with the slaughtering of paschal lambs was the climax of the festivities. After Jacob buried Rachel, he traveled on . WebEvery firstborn male lamb from the area around Bethlehem was considered holy, set aside for sacrifice in Jerusalem. Where did the sacrificial lamb come from? Reference the Gemara. To be called a Lamb of God means that God gave Jesus to be killed like a lamb for our sins so we could live forever. The majority of Old Testament passages that mention lamb refer to a sacrifice (85 out of 96). Suppose each family brought one or two animals (which, down through history, was the norm). There is an interesting clue in the Greek Interlinear Bible. The historian Josephus records contemporary Passover celebrations in which he estimates that the participants who gathered in Jerusalem to perform the sacrifice in the year 65 CE were not less than three million (Josephus, Wars, 2:280). These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Here it is said that the Israelites, led by Joshua, successor to Moses, kept the feast at Gilgal. It is the major source of the rabbinic teachings of Judaism. The Talmud (Pesachim 64b) similarly records: King Agrippa once wished to take a census of the hosts of Israel. A baby was not unusual in first-century Israel. Edersheims book was the result of a seven year effort. Paganism spread throughout Israel and Judea and reduced the number of Jews who made the annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem. On that night, the Israelites were ordered to eat the paschal lamb, and several restrictive rules were added to this feast. There is a theological explanation for why Passover occurs in the spring. Why did the shepherds bring the sheep to Jerusalem? Ewe sheep come into estrus or heat cycle beginning in the fall season (in North America in Oct/Nov) when the days begin to shorten. As far as shepherds keeping sheep in the fields as Luke 2 mentions, sheep can stay outdoors all year due to their heavy wool coats, so this piece of info the Luke records isnt strange to me. Only cattle, sheep, goats, pigeons and doves can be offered as sacrifices. And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Ben-oni: but his father called him Benjamin. Our plans were to (first) travel to the actual location where Jesus Christ was born and view the manger, but surprisingly the Prime Minister of Great Britain (David Cameron) also had the same idea so we had to make a quick change. The need for a substitutionary sacrifice and shedding of innocent blood to atone for sin is well established in Scripture, beginning in Genesis 3:21, where God made use of animal skins to cover the nakedness and shame of Adam and Eve following their disobedience. Migdal Edal: Tower of the Flock]. This is not a good argument to use to try to disprove the Dec. 25 brith of Yeshua. In addition to the more commonly known prophecy of the Messiahs birth in Bethlehem cited above from Micah 5:2, there is a more specific reference to Migdal Eder, also in Micah. And there was an excellent market for sheep in nearby Jerusalem. YOU POINTED OUT OLD TESTAMENT PASSOVER DATES,AND MONTHS. Indeed, that was a unique sign to these shepherds that this baby was, indeed, the Savior, Christ the Lord, the promised Messiah, as told to them by the angel which appeared to them, and as foretold by the Prophets of Israel. Why is it important that he would be born at this time? Excerpted with permission from Every Persons Guide to Passover (Jason Aronson, Inc). He died on Passover when the sacrificial lambs were sacrificed. [7] The ancient rabbis referenced this passage in the writings of the Mishnah and Targum. Sheq 7:4, nor anything about priests. 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. When the ewes would come into heat, the rams would sense this, and mate. Nothing suggests there were full time special shepherds enlisted to keep watch over sheep. 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. Pilgrims from distant lands brought animals to sacrifice at the temple in Jerusalem, fueling the city's economy, new research suggests. Once again, we have Emperor Constantine and his mother, Helena, to thank for the erroneous selection of the site of Jesus birth. Scholars interpret Micah 4:8 as a prophecy indicating that the Messiah would be revealed from the tower of the flock (Migdal Eder) which is connected with the town of Bethlehem, southeast of Jerusalem. Interestingly, the smearing of blood on the doorposts did not become a part of the Passover pageantry. Again, it is the day that everything becomes new and everything else becomes old. Jacob loved Rachel more than all his other wives, from the time he first laid eyes on her (Genesis 29:1718, 30). So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel [Heb. Once the lambs blood was completely spilled for all of the sins, the priest would turn to the people and proclaim, It is finished or it is accomplished. Leviticus 22:27 is pretty clear: When an ox, sheep or goat is born, it must stay with its mother for seven days; from day eight and on, it will be accepted as a burned sacrifice to God. From the description of the swaddling clothes and the manger, the shepherds knew right where to go to find the babe. Every It should be noted that Ephrath (or Ephratah) was the ancient name for the area which later was called Bethlehem. Once the sheep were of age the shepherds would bring them to the city of Jerusalem to be sacrificed for the Sabbath (Friday). The events and Holy days of the Old Testament, were a foreshadowing of the earthly life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. New-born lambs were put in a manger after swaddling them to keep them from being trampled and to keep them calm. I live where the altitude is just under 5,000 ft and we dont always have snow in December or else just for a few days. Jesus was not born behind an inn, in a smelly stable where the donkeys and other animals of travelers were kept. Maybe he didnt. 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. A Talmudic passage (dating from the period of the Second Temple [515 BCE 70 CE]) describes the Temple ritual on the 14th of Nisan. When the ewes were ready to deliver, the shepherds moved them inside a manger. The place these special Temple sheep used for delivery of their lambs was the tower of the flock, located close to the road between Bethlehem and Jerusalem. In Hebrew, the name of the tower is Migdal Eder. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. I thought it was quite intriguing that all of the fixtures within the church served purposes, which are absolutely amazing tour guide Habib explained. I think shepherds could have been out in December with their flocks as far as that aspect of the nativity story. It involves a veiled prophecy in Genesis, and it has to do with the first mention in Scripture of the term Migdal Edar, at the time of Rachels death. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Herod died in 4 BC, and we know that Jesus was already two years old, when the command was given to kill all male children in Bethlehem, 2 years and under. There must have come a moment on that road when they realized they could not make their destination. And yet Jewish tradition may here prove both illustrative and helpful. for bringing together many of the details in support of the case for Migdal Edar. Migdal Eder was a tower used from ancient times by the Levitical shepherds to protect their sheep and lambs from enemies and from wild beasts. Used by permission. [6] In fact, the angelic message did not say, You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in A manger as the story is told in our English Bibles, but rather, lying in THE manger. This is like the difference between telling someone that you are visiting a white house rather than visiting the White House. To these shepherds, the manger meant a specific place. The shepherds in charge of these special lambs were from the tribe of Levi. 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). Here they kept a place that was ceremonially clean for the ewes to lamb. Rather odd since there must be livestock for the altar: daily sacrifices and unintentional sin offerings. 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., In his classic book, The Life and Times of Jesus The Messiah (1883; Latest Edition, 1993), Alfred Edersheim (1825 1889), a Messianic Jew, had great insights regarding the birth of Jesus from a Hebrew-Christian perspective. That the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem, was a settled conviction. When was Yeshua really born? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Lastly, Gods ultimate plan of redemption is reflected in the Feasts of the Lord, which God established as yearly rehearsals by the people of Israel, beginningwith the Feast of Passover and the shedding of the blood of an innocent lamb (Leviticus 23). But how do you get a descendant of King David to be delivered among the Passover lambs of Bethlehem? Perhaps most significant, sheep were used as part of the temple sacrifices. The name Beit Lechem means House of Bread and Ephrathah fruitful. But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.[1]. Beyond this, and with regard to the other points you raise in your comment, youll have to provide specific references from the Mishnah and Gemara, so that I can look them up, or else Im just taking your word for it, like I did for that of Alfred Edersheim. Although prophecy called for the Messiah to be born in Bethlehem, understanding of the connection to these lambs came much later, when the disciples realized that Jesus came to end His earthly life like one of the lambs the only difference being that He was the perfect, final sacrifice. On Sabbath Jesus Christ was crucified and gave up his life. I am taking for granted that Edersheim, who was a rabbinic Jew and expert scholar turned Christian scholar, knew what he was talking about when I quoted him for my article. Generations of hereditary shepherds tended the sacred flocks. After the lamb was born it was wrapped in swaddling cloths (strips of cloth were taken from priests old clothes) to keep it protected without spot or blemish (the Scripture requirement for 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. 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. 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. Thank you Habib. Pig smell is the worst! While this ritual was performed the Levites sang the Hallel [Talmud Pesachim 64a]. December would have been too cold and probably too rainy for the shepherds to be out at night watching their flocks. And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him. WebJohn 2:14. In his work, Edersheim referenced the Jewish Mishnah (The Mishnah was the first recording of the oral law and Rabbinic Judaism. Passover again assumed its prime function as a religious festival. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The angel announced that this newborn child was YHVH the Messiah (Isa 53:1; Christ the Lord)the Savior (Luke 2:8 cp. The beginning of the Hebrew year is in springtime on the first day of the month of Nissan. One sacrificed in the morning and one in the evening as a continual sacrifice before the Eternal. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Why did they say ? The festival served as a repudiation of idolatry. The newborn lambs would be wrapped tightly swaddled in specially designated temple cloths, and they would be laid in a manger to keep them contained while they were being examined for blemishes. The tabernacle in the wilderness, was decicated on Nisan 1. These sheep were apparently kept outdoors all year round. So an event as important as his birth would have to coincide with a Festival as well. Both goats and sheep are acceptable for sacrifice, according to Jewish law. Pronunced: TORE-uh, Origin: Hebrew, the Five Books of Moses. The word Nisan, means new beginning. Copyright by Institute for Scripture Research. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. You never know, a seed that was planted in someones heart on December 25 may just yield fruit for the kingdom of Elohim! An earlier verse in the book of Micah tells us exactly where to expect His birth: And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom [the Messiah shall bring the Kingdom] shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem [Mary the mother of Jesus]. (Micah 4:8, KJV). 170-235 after Yeshua), we find that he mentions the date of the birth of Yeshua as the 25th of December. I doubt lambs were born in Adar. Nativity scenes displayed at Christmas depict the birth of Jesus in a stable surrounded by donkeys, sheep, and cows. He changes the calendar of our lives. The Levites and priests are also described as having praised God day by day [Hallel], singing with loud instruments to God (11 Chronicles 30:21). But he did understand that God was all-powerful and that He was good, holy, and righteous. I am going to be focusing mainly on the knowledge that we gained about the biblical period from our experiences today. In the same way Yeshuas birth changes the calendar not only of Israel but of the whole world and now we measure time with before Yeshua and after Yeshua, The Magi Clue: And he built there an altar, and called the place El-beth-el: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother [Esau]. It was important that the lambs that were to be sacrificed did not have any blemishes (broken legs, or injuries). And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also. Fortunately, God had His plan of redemption through Jesus, which He had establishedfrom the very foundations of the world (Romans 5:1221; 1 Peter 1:1820; Revelation 13:8; John 1:29). The Magi, who were astronomers from the east saw a special star in the sky. Where was the tower of the flock located? If this was so then, it makes no sense that they would be outcasts since they were doing a service and raising product for Temple service and service for the people. The impression given is that they were able to go with haste because they knew from the description of the wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger exactly where to go to the Tower of the Flock, Migdal Edar. Such sheep were kept in the environs of Jerusalem including Bethlehem which lies just five miles south of that city. God is holy and He cannot have sin in His presence. Just go to the highlands of Scotland or to N. Ireland! What the Fall Feasts of the Lord are Telling the Church (which I co-authored with Donald Zoller and which is also presented on this website) provides an excellent description of Gods plan of redemption in Jesus, as foreshadowed in the Feasts of the Lord. Pilgrims came from hundreds of miles away to sacrifice animals at an ancient temple in Jerusalem, new research suggests. So the December birth date is, at the very least, doubtful. 45. What does it mean that baby Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes? 2 This month is the beginning of months for you, it is the first month of the year for you. Once the sheeps blood was completely spilled for all of the sins the priest would return to the people and proclaim, It is finished. WebJohn's ministry was foretold by Malachi.trueJesus' baptism was unique.trueJesus' first recorded miracle occurred in Cana.trueOxen, sheep, and doves were used in the Temple sacrifices.trueNicodemus was a scholar and a ruler of the Jews.trueNicodemus readily accepted Jesus as the Messiah.falseJesus' work was to save only Jews.falseThe He was born on the beginning of the Hebrew year. 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. With the destruction of the Temple, the offering of the paschal came to an end. Critique and Rebuttal. Just try to leave out the pagan trappings! When Messiahs presence comes, everything that was before is old everything now is new. I give credit to Cooper P. Abrams, III and his article Where Was the Birth Place of the Lord Jesus? Pronounced: ah-doe-NYE, Origin: Hebrew, a name for God. Surprisingly, the Old Testament gives us the answer. We know nowthat the Tower of the Flock would be the birthplace of the Messiah, who would take away all death, heartache, and tears. 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. Zevach Sh'lamim: Peace Offering. So the minimum age for any sacrifice is eight days. Instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly. [Alfred Edersheim The Life and Times of Jesus Messiah (1899)]. The census required families to travel back to their fathers town of origin. It would have to be a Spring Festival as everything would have to be in order. Joseph belonged to the family of David, which is why they were in Bethlehem that night. The new community kept the festival of Matzot seven days with joy, for God had made them joyful (Ezra 6:22). He changes the calendar of our lives. They were not to eat it rare or boiled in water (Exodus 12:9). So that free from sin, we might live for righteousness. Furthermore, the lambs were slaughtered by the Israelites, privately by each family, and the priests poured the blood on the base of the altar. The Renewed Covenant is the Covenant of newness, it never gets old. [2] Temple sacrifices used only perfect lambs, without spot or blemish and the sacrificial system needed lots of lambs: two lambs a day for the daily sacrifices, and many thousands more for holidays, individual sacrifices, etc. According to Rabbi Abraham Bloch, the main distinction between the Hag HaPesach and Hag HaMatzot lies in the historical area that each seeks to reflect. WebIf the 14th of Nissan fell on the Sabbath, the first group stationed itself on the mount of the Temple in Jerusalem, the second group in the el, the space between the Temple wall and the Temple hall, while the third group remained in the Temple court, thus awaiting the evening, when they took their lambs home and roasted them on a spit of Jesus Movements, Where Was Herods Temple? Probably not. When she died, he was heartbroken. I have had issue with that view for a long time. Since all paschal lambs were slaughtered in Jerusalem once the Temple was built, the Israelites would have been too far from their homes to smear blood on their doorposts. In fact the shepherds may have been on the same land that Boaz redeemed for Naomi and passed on to his son Jesse, Davids father. When the Magi arrived in Jerusalem they went to Herod to inquire about this King that was to be born. In his address to the priests and Levites he said, Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the God of Israel (II Chronicles 29:10). The place these special Temple sheep used for delivery of their lambs was the tower of the flock, Migdal Eder was a tower used from ancient times by the Levitical shepherds to protect their sheep and lambs from enemies and from wild beasts. Ill let you research this subject out. 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). 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. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

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