From: herbertwarmstrong@cog-web-svc.com   
      
   Jesus Not Born December 25th   
      
   Jesus was not even born in the winter season! When the Christ-child was   
   born "there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field,   
   keeping watch over their flock by night" (Luke 2:8). This never could   
   have occurred in Judaea in the month of December. The shepherds always   
   brought their flocks from the mountainsides and fields and corralled   
   them not later than October 15, to protect them from the cold, rainy   
   season that followed that date. Notice that the Bible itself proves, in   
   Song of Solomon 2:11 and Ezra 10:9, 13, that winter was a rainy season   
   not permitting shepherds to abide in open fields at night.   
      
   "It was an ancient custom among Jews of those days to send out their   
   sheep to the fields and deserts about the Passover (early spring), and   
   bring them home at commencement of the first rain," says the Adam Clarke   
   Commentary (Vol. 5, page 370, New York ed.)   
      
   Continuing, this authority states: "During the time they were out, the   
   shepherds watched them night and day. As...the first rain began early in   
   the month of Marchesvan, which answers to part of our October and   
   November [begins sometime in October], we find that the sheep were kept   
   out in the open country during the whole summer. And, as these shepherds   
   had not yet brought home their flocks, it is a presumptive argument that   
   October had not yet commenced, and that, consequently, our Lord was not   
   born on the 25th of December, when no flocks were out in the fields; nor   
   could He have been born later than September, as the flocks were still   
   in the fields by night On this very ground, the nativity in December   
   should be given up. The feeding of the flocks by night in the fields is   
   a chronological fact...See the quotations from the Talmudists in Lightfoot."   
      
   Any encyclopedia, or any other authority, will tell you that Christ was   
   not born on December 25. The Catholic Encyclopedia frankly states this fact.   
      
   The exact date of Jesus' birth is entirely unknown, as all authorities   
   acknowledge--though if I had space in this booklet I could show you   
   scriptures which at least strongly indicate it was in the early   
   fall--probably September--approximately six months after Passover.   
      
   If God had wished us to observe and celebrate Christ's birthday, He   
   would not have so completely hidden the exact date...   
      
      
   Title: The Plain Truth About Christmas   
   Author: Herbert W Armstrong   
   Date: 1952, 1972, 1974   
   Type: Booklet   
   Type Media: PDF   
      
   https://cog-hwa.org/pub/bb/xmas.pdf   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)