On Sunday, January 7, 2018 at 11:10:02 PM UTC-8, Weedy wrote:   
   > The star of Bethlehem:   
   >    
   > John Chrysostom (347-407 AD), in his homily on this passage from   
   > Matthew 2, explains the significance of the star of Bethlehem:   
   >    
   >     "Note how fitting was the order of events: the wise men saw the   
   > star, were received by the Jews and their king; they heard prophecy to   
   > explain what had appeared; the angel instructed them; and then they   
   > journeyed from Jerusalem to Bethlehem by the guidance of the star.   
   > From all this we learn that this was not an ordinary star, for no   
   > other star has this capacity to guide, not merely to move but to   
   > beckon, to “go before them,” drawing and guiding them along their way.   
   > The star remained after bringing them to the place, in order that the   
   > child might also be seen. For there is nothing conspicuous about the   
   > place. The inn was ordinary.    
      
   Interesting, but I find it unlikely that the Holy Family would still be at an   
   inn by the time the wise men arrived. From the fact that Herod killed all the   
   boys under two years of age, we can surmise that their arrival was probably a   
   year or more after the birth. By that time, Joseph would surely have found more   
   permanent accommodations.   
      
   There are lots of myths about Christmas in the popular culture, many of them   
   described in Chapter 1 of my book, "The Bible Doesn't Say."   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)