Who were the shepherds at Jesus' birth?
There is a common misconception that the shepherds of the day, that we meet in the nativity story, were social outcasts living on the fringes of society and that the angels came to proclaim the birth of Christ to "the lowest of the low." But while shepherds were regarded as lowly in ancient Greek and Egyptian cultures, shepherding was not at all despised in the Jewish culture. Not only were the Bible patriarchs shepherds (Abraham, Issac, Jacob, etc.), but Jesus also refers to himself as the Good Shepherd (Matthew 2:6, 26:31; John 10:11). The Bible even refers to God Himself as a shepherd (Genesis 49:24, Ezekiel 34:12, Psalm 23:1; 80:1). Clearly shepherding was a respectable occupation.
Some scholars suggest that these shepherds based in Bethlehem, just outside Jerusalem, may have been tending the sheep reserved for the Temple. This understanding is due not only to their proximity to the Temple but also to the statement in the Mishnah that sheep must usually be kept in the wilderness: “One may not raise small domesticated animals, i.e., sheep and goats, in settled areas of the land of Israel, as they graze on people’s crops. But one may raise them [...] in the wilderness of the land of Israel [...] and the only flocks otherwise kept would be those for the Temple services" (Bab K.7:7; 80a). But the sheep in the Christmas story are in a field (Luke 2:8).
The reason these reserved sheep may have been kept in a field and not the wilderness was because sacrificial animals were required to be without blemish (Deuteronomy 17:1, Leviticus 22:17-25) which includes injuries that could be sustained out in the wilds. These shepherds who worked for the Temple would therefore be the ones who inspected the sheep and judged whether they were acceptable. So perhaps the reason the angels called these shepherds to the baby Jesus was to inspect our unblemished sacrificial lamb!
This article is an extract from our new Christmas nativity graphic novel. Find it in our online store : https://www.wordforwordbiblecomic.com/buy
More of our Blogs on similar topics:
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https://wordforwordbiblecomic.squarespace.com/blog/what-prophecies-did-jesus-fulfil-by-his-birth
Who were the Shepherds at Jesus’ Birth https://wordforwordbiblecomic.squarespace.com/blog/who-were-the-shepherds-that-came-to-see-baby-jesus
Who was King Herod? https://wordforwordbiblecomic.squarespace.com/blog/who-was-king-herod-from-the-nativity-story
What year was Jesus Born? https://wordforwordbiblecomic.squarespace.com/blog/what-year-was-jesus-born
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https://wordforwordbiblecomic.squarespace.com/blog/was-jesus-born-on-december-25