Wednesday, January 3, 2024
HARK! the Herald Angels sing Glory to the new-born King!
1500s The Adoration of the Shepherds
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The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told them. Luke 2:8-20
Tuesday, January 2, 2024
Watching a New Year Fly By - 1490 Grimani Breviary
Grimani Breviary The Month of January 1490-1510
Okay, I plead guilty. I know that this manuscript would be particularly appealing to a garden & landscape historian. And that is precisely why I am posting it here & hoping for a brighter & kinder 2024. BWS
The Grimani Breviary is an illuminated manuscript of the Ghent-Bruges school of book illustration, dating from 1490-1510. It contains 831 parchment sheets with illuminations on 1280 pages and 110 pictures all of them in a decorated frame. The miniatures represent different styles, are attributed to Hans Memling, while others to Alexander and Simon Bening (1483-1561). The name comes from Cardinal Grimani of Venice, who purchased this illuminated manuscript in 1520 for 500 golden ducates.
When Jesus is Born, Angels Tell the Local Shepherds 1st
Illuminated ManuscriptAnnunciation to the Shepherds who include a woman and a man getting dressed.
One of my favorite Christmas stories is the annunciation to the lowly shepherds of the birth of the baby Christ child. Whom did the angels tell first? The community's outcasts, including some women working with the wool, who lived in the countryside year-round with dogs & sheep. And Mary welcomed them to visit her new baby. Only later did the important nobles arrive. The common man came first, and these lovely little illustrations imagine the stunned herders hearing the news.
1500s The Adoration of the Shepherds
Attributed to Angnolo Bronzino, Agnolo di Cosimo, (Italian Mannerist artist, 1503-1572)
Adoration of the Shepherds
It happened, when the angels went away from them into the sky, that the shepherds said one to another, "Let's go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." They came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby was lying in a manger. When they saw it, they publicized widely the saying which was spoken to them about this child. All who heard it wondered at the things which were spoken to them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told them. Luke 2:8-20
1590 The Adoration of the Shepherds
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The shepherds said one to another, "Let's go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." They came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby was lying in a manger. When they saw it, they publicized widely the saying which was spoken to them about this child. All who heard it wondered at the things which were spoken to them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told them. Luke 2:8-20
HARK! the Herald Angels sing Glory to the new-born King!
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Trade Routes between Europe & Asia during Antiquity
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Trade Routes between Europe & Asia during Antiquity
Long-distance trade played a major role in the cultural, religious, artistic, & plant exchanges that took place between the major centers of civilization in Europe & Asia during antiquity. Some of these trade routes had been in use for centuries. The trade routes served principally to transfer luxury goods, raw materials, plants, & foodstuffs between the East & West.
As far back as the 6th century CE, great caravans of camels traveled regularly over the Arab trade routes between India and the Middle East carrying prized Eastern goods, such as drugs, hemp, opium, incense and spices. In the Middle Ages, these goods were transferred on to the Levant and to merchants in Venice for distribution throughout Europe.
The Silk Road, a series of ancient trade routes stretching across Central Asia to Europe, evokes exotic images of camel trains laden with bales of fine Chinese silk, spices, and perfume;, of desert oases surrounded by snow-capped mountains; of bustling markets thronging with travelers buying and selling grapes, coriander, Baltic amber, and Mediterranean coral. The silks & spices & incence evolved as ancient mankind experimented with the products of Nature. Along this route, silks were sent from China to ancient Rome; princesses were dispatched in marriage alliances across the deserts; bandits and thieves launched attacks throughout history. Spanning more than 5,000 years, the Silk Road was more than just a trade route, the Silk Road witnessed the movement of Man's cultural influences intermingled with Nature's changing landscapes.
Some areas had a monopoly on certain materials or goods. China, for example, supplied West Asia & the Mediterranean world with silk, while spices were obtained principally from South Asia. These goods were transported over vast distances— either by caravans & pack animals overland, or by seagoing ships—along the Silk & Spice Routes, which were the main arteries of contact between the various ancient empires of the Old World.
Another important trade route, known as the Incense Route, was controlled by the Arabs, who brought frankincense & myrrh by camel caravan from South Arabia. The demands for scents & incense by the empires of antiquity, such as Egypt, Rome & Babylon, made Arabia one of the oldest trade centers of the world.
The original Spice Trade, or 'Incense Route', from the Mediterranean to India and the East was closed off to Europeans due to the spread of Islam after the Prophet Muhammad's death in 632 CE. Traders from the Arabian world controlled overland and sea routes from India to the Levant and Venice. Arabs monopolized trade in drugs, hemp, opium, incense and spices for centuries until the Ottoman Turks broke their stranglehold on Eastern trade in 1453.
Cities along these trade routes grew rich providing services to merchants who rested in oasis towns (known as a "caravanserai"). These centers served as international marketplaces, & areas where knowledge was also exchanged. Cities such as Palmyra & Petra, on the fringes of the Syrian Desert, flourished mainly as centers of trade supplying merchant caravans & policing the trade routes. They also became cultural & artistic centers, where peoples of different ethnic & cultural backgrounds could meet & intermingle.
Cities along these trade routes grew rich providing services to merchants who rested in oasis towns (known as a "caravanserai"). These centers served as international marketplaces, & areas where knowledge was also exchanged. Cities such as Palmyra & Petra, on the fringes of the Syrian Desert, flourished mainly as centers of trade supplying merchant caravans & policing the trade routes. They also became cultural & artistic centers, where peoples of different ethnic & cultural backgrounds could meet & intermingle.
The trade routes were the communications highways of the ancient world. New inventions, artistic styles, religious faiths, cultures, languages, & social customs, as well as goods & plants, were transported.
Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art. “Trade Routes between Europe and Asia during Antiquity.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000.
14-1500s The Adoration of the Shepherds
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This is the sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a manger." Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army praising God, and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest,
on earth peace, good will toward men." Luke 2:8-20
Monday, January 1, 2024
Happy New Year! British Botanist celebrates Christmas & the New Year in 1790s America
Henrietta Liston (1751-1828) was a British botanist. The National Library of Scotland has digitized her journals. Henrietta married diplomat Robert Liston when she was 44, & he was 53, on 27 February 1796. After their wedding, they traveled directly down to London where Robert met with King George III, ahead of his posting to the United States in 1796.
They took up residence in Philadelphia, the capital. Genuinely curious about the New World, they began an extended trip from Philadelphia to Charleston, South Carolina in the fall of 1797. The couple also established friendships with George Washington & John Adams, of whom Henrietta's diaries contain favorable impressions. She also praises Alexander Hamilton, as "lively & animated in his conversation, gallant in his manners & sometimes brilliant in his sallies."
Henrietta documented their trip in her journal, noting facts that she found interesting, the foods they ate, & their astonishment at the natural beauties, particularly the flora, of the countryside. Traveling the east coast of North America must have been a challenge for the 45-year-old Mrs. Liston & her 55-year-old husband. She wrote: On Christmas eve, the Listons reached Fayetteville, named after the Marquis de Lafayette who had fought on the side of the Americans in the Revolutionary War. It is a flourishing Town, upon a Branch of the Capefear River & nearly at the head of the navigation—before the War it was called Cross Creek.
We were visited by a Scotch Gentleman, named Donaldson, with whose family we passed Christmas day very agreeably. No doubt they were happy to spend the day with a fellow Scot, but Mrs. Liston does not give any details of the festivities. However, she does describe a particular meal she & her husband enjoyed en route.
Our most frequent food, & infinitely the best of its kind, was Pork & Corn bread, it happened to be the Season for killing Pork, it was fresh & most excellent meat,...always broiled upon the Coals, & when we happened to get a few fryed Eggs to it, it was the best food possible & with Corn bread—no other is known—baked upon a hoe, in general, & call hoe cake.
On New Year’s Eve, Henrietta & her husband arrived in Charleston, South Carolina, where they spent a week before returning to Philadelphia, receiving “very marked attentions” from the “polished Society” that characterized Charleston.
A book on her diaries & journals The Travel Journals of Henrietta Marchant Liston: North America & Lower Canada, 1796-1800, edited by L.V. North was published in 2014.
1801-1932 White House New Years Day Receptions
Engraving of the White House by William Strickland
The White House Historical Association tells us that "the White House New Year's reception was a tradition for more than 130 years...
President John Adams began the tradition in 1801, opening the doors of the Executive Mansion to high-ranking officials, diplomats, and the public. This tradition spanned more than a century and was only canceled a few times due to wars, illness, or the president’s busy schedule. This was one of the most talked about events in the nation’s capital."
By the early twentieth century, crowds swelled to more than 6,000 people. A line on the sidewalk outside the White House snaked out beyond the gates and around the block, bordering what is now known as the Eisenhower Executive Office Building."
President Herbert Hoover held the last New Year's Day reception in 1932. Although the major event concluded that year, it is said that a man named J.W. Hunefeld waited at the gates of the White House in 1934 because "he wanted to make sure the president hadn't changed his mind."
White House Evolving During the administrations of John Adams & Thomas Jefferson
Library of Congress
On October 13, 1792, George Washington laid the first cornerstone of the building in a freemason ceremony. Scottish masons were brought to Washington to do the stone work.
Their technique for sealing the porous sandstone was a thick whitewash that covered like paint but sealed like glue. So, from its earliest days, the president’s house was white, and it quickly got the nickname “White House.”
When John Adams moved into the President’s House on November 1, 1800, it was far from complete. He used the second floor as his residence and the ground floor was used by servants as kitchens, laundry, and housekeeping rooms.
Today’s Diplomatic Reception Room was originally the housekeeper’s room, with built-in cabinets.
The Adams’s began furnishing the house in a fairly grand style, although Abigail Adams used the great Public Audience Chamber for hanging laundry. See: https://bestinamericanliving.com/2016/07/history-of-the-white-house-1792-1814/#
1515 The Adoration of the Shepherds
Attributed to Gerard David (Flemish painter, 1460-1523) In this Panel from The Nativity, simple shepherds brought to the birth by angels gather outside the window, while other panels show Saints Jerome & Leonard & Donors. 1515
In early Christianity, wheat was often used as a symbol for Christ, based on John 6:41, in which Jesus identifies himself as “the bread come down from heaven.” In this painting, wheat is in the foreground & serves as a bed for the newborn Baby.
1590 The Adoration of the Shepherds
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There were shepherds in the same country staying in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock. Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. The angel said to them, "Don't be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people. For there is born to you, this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This is the sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a manger." Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army praising God, and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest,
on earth peace, good will toward men."
It happened, when the angels went away from them into the sky, that the shepherds said one to another, "Let's go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." They came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby was lying in a manger. When they saw it, they publicized widely the saying which was spoken to them about this child. All who heard it wondered at the things which were spoken to them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told them. Luke 2:8-20
Happy New Year - Old Long Syne 1570
Tudor Treasures & Medieval Musings tells us "that many people around the world will have sung Auld Lang Syne to farewell the old year and welcome the new. The version familiar to most of us was written by Robert Burns in 1788. However, Burns himself acknowledged that his poem was based upon much older folk verses.
Although the phrase 'auld lang syne' or 'old long syne' dates back even further, one of the earliest versions that remains somewhat familiar was written by one Robert Ayton, a Scottish poet who was born in c.1570.
Historian Kenneth Elliot discovered source material for the tune that would have accompanied Ayton's lyrics, a transcription included below."
Old Long Syne 1570
First Part.
Should old Acquaintance be forgot,
And never thought upon,
The Flames of Love extinguished,
And freely past and gone?
Is thy kind Heart now grown so cold
In that Loving Breast of thine,
That thou canst never once reflect
On Old-long-syne?
Where are thy Protestations,
Thy Vows and Oaths, my Dear,
Thou made to me, and I to thee,
In Register yet clear?
Is Faith and Truth so violate
To the Immortal Gods Divine,
That thou canst never once reflect
On Old-long-syne?
Is’t Cupid’s Fears, or frosty Cares,
That makes thy Sp’rits decay?
Or is’t some Object of more Worth,
That’s stoll’n thy Heart away?
Or some Desert, makes thee neglect
Him, so much once was thine,
That thou canst never once reflect
On Old-long-syne?
Is’t Worldly Cares so desperate,
That makes thee to despair?
Is’t that makes thee exasperate,
And makes thee to forbear?
If thou of that were free as I,
Thou surely should be Mine:
If this were true, we should renew
Kind Old-long-syne.
But since that nothing can prevail,
And all Hope is in vain,
From these rejected Eyes of mine
Still Showers of Tears shall rain:
And though thou hast me now forgot,
Yet I’ll continue Thine,
And ne’er forget for to reflect
On Old-long-syne.
If e’er I have a House, my Dear,
That truly is call’d mine,
And can afford but Country Cheer,
Or ought that’s good therein;
Tho’ thou were Rebel to the King,
And beat with Wind and Rain,
Assure thy self of Welcome Love,
For Old-long-syne.
Second Part.
My Soul is ravish’d with Delight
When you I think upon;
All Griefs and Sorrows take the Flight,
And hastily are gone;
The fair Resemblance of your Face
So fills this Breast of mine,
No Fate nor Force can it displace,
For Old-long-syne.
Since Thoughts of you doth banish Grief,
When I’m from you removed;
And if in them I find Relief,
When with sad Cares I’m moved,
How doth your Presence me affect
With Ecstacies Divine,
Especially when I reflect
On Old-long-syne.
Since thou has rob’d me of my Heart
By those resistless Powers,
Which Madam Nature doth impart
To those fair Eyes of yours;
With Honour it doth not consist
To hold a Slave in Pyne,
Pray let your Rigour then desist,
For Old-long-syne.
’Tis not my Freedom I do crave
By deprecating Pains;
Sure Liberty he would not have
Who glories in his Chains:
But this I wish, the Gods would move
That Noble Soul of thine
To Pity, since thou cannot love
For Old-long-syne.
1500s The Adoration of the Shepherds
Jacob de Backer (Belgian artist, 1555-1585) Adoration of the Shepherds
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, & the glory of the Lord shone round about them: & they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, & saying, Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:8-14 King James Version of The Bible.
1500s The Adoration of the Shepherds
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Paolo Veronese (Paolo Caliari) ((Italian, 1528-1588) Adoration of the Shepherds
The angel said to them, "Don't be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people. For there is born to you, this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This is the sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a manger." Luke 2:8-20
Sunday, December 31, 2023
When Jesus is Born, Angels Tell the Local Shepherds 1st
Illuminated Manuscript Annunciation to the Shepherds who are making music while the dog howls and the woman works with the wool. Sheep and their tenders are in an enclosure.
One of my favorite Christmas stories is the immediate announcement to the common shepherds, in fields near Bethlehem, of the birth of the Baby Christ Child. That annunciation emphasized the symbolism of Jesus' birth. Whom did the angels tell first? The community's outcasts, including some women working with the wool, who lived in the countryside year-round with dogs & sheep. And Mary immediately welcomed them to visit her New-Born Baby. Only later did the important; wealthy nobles from the East arrive. The common man came first, & these lovely little hand-drawn manuscript illustrations imagine the stunned herders hearing The Good News.
The annunciation to the shepherds in the Christian Bible, is in verses 8–20 of the 2nd chapter of the Gospel of Luke. Shepherds are portrayed tending their flocks out in the countryside near Bethlehem, when they are terrified by the appearance of an angel. The angel explains that it is a message of good news for all people, "Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths & lying in a manger."
After this, a great many more angels often appear, praising God with the words "Glory to God in the highest heaven, & on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests." Deciding to do as the angel had said, the shepherds travel to near-by Bethlehem, & find Mary & Joseph with the infant Jesus lying in the manger, just as they had been told. The adoration of the shepherds follows.
It is generally considered significant that this message was 1st given to shepherds, who were located on the lower rungs of the social ladder.
The annunciation to the shepherds appeared as a subject for art in the 9th century, & it became less common as an independent subject in art from the late Middle Ages, but depictions continued in later centuries.
In Renaissance art, drawing on classical stories of Orpheus, the shepherds are sometimes depicted with musical instruments. Actually, many Christmas carols mention the annunciation to the shepherds, with the Gloria in Excelsis Deo being the most ancient.
Phillips Brooks'(1835-1893) "O Little Town of Bethlehem" (1867) has the lines "O morning stars together, proclaim the holy birth, / And praises sing to God the King, & peace to men on earth!" The originally German carol "Silent Night" has "Shepherds quake at the sight; / Glories stream from heaven afar, / Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!"
Charles Wesley's (1707-1788) "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" (1739) begins:
Hark! The herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, & mercy mild,
God & sinners reconciled!"
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th'angelic host proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"
Anglo-Irish poet & lyricist, Nahum Tate's (1652-1715) carol "While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks" (1700) is entirely devoted to describing the annunciation to the shepherds, & the episode is also significant in "The First Nowell", "Angels We Have Heard on High," & several others.
The carol "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day", written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) during the American Civil War, reflects on the phrase "Peace on earth, good will to men" in a pacifist sense, as does "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear."
The phrase "Peace on earth, good will to men" has been widely used in a variety of contexts. For example, Samuel Morse's (1791-1873) farewell message in 1871 read "Greetings & thanks to the telegraph fraternity throughout the world. Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will to men. – S. F. B. Morse."
More recently, Linus recites the scene verbatim at the climax of Charles M Schultz (1922-2000) A Charlie Brown Christmas, explaining that "that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown." imagine the stunned herders hearing the news.
1545 The Adoration of the Shepherds
1545 Jacopo Bassano (Italian painter, 1510-1592) Adoration of the Shepherds
It happened, when the angels went away from them into the sky, that the shepherds said one to another, "Let's go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." They came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby was lying in a manger. When they saw it, they publicized widely the saying which was spoken to them about this child. All who heard it wondered at the things which were spoken to them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told them. Luke 2:8-20
1522 The Adoration of the Shepherds
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There were shepherds in the same country staying in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock. Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. The angel said to them, "Don't be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people. For there is born to you, this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This is the sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a manger."
14-1500s The Adoration of the Shepherds
Attributed to Lorenzo Lotto (1480-1556) Adoration of the Shepherds
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, & the glory of the Lord shone round about them: & they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, & saying, Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:8-14 King James Version of The Bible.
The Magi travel the Long Silk Road to see the Newborn King
The phrase "from the east" (ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν, apo anatolon), more literally "from the rising [of the sun]," is the only information Matthew provides about the region from which they came. The Parthian Empire, centered in Persia, occupied virtually all of the land east of Judea & Syria (except for the deserts of Arabia to the southeast). Though the empire was tolerant of other religions, its dominant religion was Zoroastrianism. Although Matthew's account does not cite the motivation for their journey, the Syriac Infancy Gospel provides some clarity by stating explicitly in the 3rd chapter that they were pursuing a prophecy from their prophet, Zoradascht (Zoroaster).
HARK! the Herald Angels sing Glory to the new-born King!
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1500s The Adoration of the Shepherds
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It happened, when the angels went away from them into the sky, that the shepherds said one to another, "Let's go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." They came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby was lying in a manger. When they saw it, they publicized widely the saying which was spoken to them about this child. All who heard it wondered at the things which were spoken to them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told them. Luke 2:8-20
Saturday, December 30, 2023
1510 The Adoration of the Shepherds
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Giorgione (Giorgio Barbarelli from Castelfranco 1477-1510) The Adoration of the Shepherds 1510
It happened, when the angels went away from them into the sky, that the shepherds said one to another, "Let's go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." They came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby was lying in a manger. When they saw it, they publicized widely the saying which was spoken to them about this child. All who heard it wondered at the things which were spoken to them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told them. Luke 2:8-20
1593 The Adoration of the Shepherds
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They came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby was lying in a manger. When they saw it, they publicized widely the saying which was spoken to them about this child. All who heard it wondered at the things which were spoken to them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told them. Luke 2:8-20
The Magi travel the Long Silk Road to see the Newborn King
In Christianity, Epiphany refers to the moment that a person believes that Jesus is the son of God. To symbolize this, Western Christian churches generally celebrate Epiphany as the arrival of the wise men from the east at the birthplace of Jesus (The Adoration of the Magi) 12 days after Christmas. Traditionally, Eastern Christian churches celebrated Epiphany (or Theophany) in conjunction with Christ's baptism by John the Baptist on January 19th. Some Protestant churches celebrate Epiphany as an entire religious season, extending from Christmas Day until Ash Wednesday.
Marco Polo claimed that he was shown the 3 tombs of the Magi at Saveh south of Tehran in the 1270s: In Persia is the city of Saba, from which the Three Magi set out when they went to worship Jesus Christ; & in this city they are buried, in 3 very large & beautiful monuments, side by side. & above them there is a square building, carefully kept. The bodies are still entire, with the hair & beard remaining. (Marco Polo, Polo, Marco, The Book of the Million, book I, chapter 13)
1500s The Adoration of the Shepherds
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Attributed to Giorgio Vasari (Italian artist, 1511-1574) Adoration of the Shepherds
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, & the glory of the Lord shone round about them: & they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, & saying, Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:8-14 King James Version of The Bible.
HARK! the Herald Angels sing Glory to the new-born King!
When Jesus is Born, Angels Tell the Local Shepherds 1st
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Illuminated Manuscript Annunciation to the Shepherds comes from a 15th-century Flemish Book of Hours in the collection of Glencairn Museum (07.MS.639). Shepherds & their dog looking up at the angels.
One of my favorite Christmas stories is the immediate announcement to the common shepherds, in fields near Bethlehem, of the birth of the Baby Christ Child. That annunciation emphasized the symbolism of Jesus' birth. Whom did the angels tell first? The community's outcasts, including some women working with the wool, who lived in the countryside year-round with dogs & sheep. And Mary immediately welcomed them to visit her New-Born Baby. Only later did the important; wealthy nobles from the East arrive. The common man came first, & these lovely little hand-drawn manuscript illustrations imagine the stunned herders hearing The Good News.
The annunciation to the shepherds in the Christian Bible, is in verses 8–20 of the 2nd chapter of the Gospel of Luke. Shepherds are portrayed tending their flocks out in the countryside near Bethlehem, when they are terrified by the appearance of an angel. The angel explains that it is a message of good news for all people, "Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths & lying in a manger."
After this, a great many more angels often appear, praising God with the words "Glory to God in the highest heaven, & on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests." Deciding to do as the angel had said, the shepherds travel to near-by Bethlehem, & find Mary & Joseph with the infant Jesus lying in the manger, just as they had been told. The adoration of the shepherds follows.
It is generally considered significant that this message was 1st given to shepherds, who were located on the lower rungs of the social ladder.
The annunciation to the shepherds appeared as a subject for art in the 9th century, & it became less common as an independent subject in art from the late Middle Ages, but depictions continued in later centuries.
In Renaissance art, drawing on classical stories of Orpheus, the shepherds are sometimes depicted with musical instruments. Actually, many Christmas carols mention the annunciation to the shepherds, with the Gloria in Excelsis Deo being the most ancient.
Phillips Brooks'(1835-1893) "O Little Town of Bethlehem" (1867) has the lines "O morning stars together, proclaim the holy birth, / And praises sing to God the King, & peace to men on earth!" The originally German carol "Silent Night" has "Shepherds quake at the sight; / Glories stream from heaven afar, / Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!"
Charles Wesley's (1707-1788) "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" (1739) begins:
Hark! The herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, & mercy mild,
God & sinners reconciled!"
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th'angelic host proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"
Anglo-Irish poet & lyricist, Nahum Tate's (1652-1715) carol "While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks" (1700) is entirely devoted to describing the annunciation to the shepherds, & the episode is also significant in "The First Nowell", "Angels We Have Heard on High," & several others.
The carol "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day", written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) during the American Civil War, reflects on the phrase "Peace on earth, good will to men" in a pacifist sense, as does "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear."
The phrase "Peace on earth, good will to men" has been widely used in a variety of contexts. For example, Samuel Morse's (1791-1873) farewell message in 1871 read "Greetings & thanks to the telegraph fraternity throughout the world. Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will to men. – S. F. B. Morse."
More recently, Linus recites the scene verbatim at the climax of Charles M Schultz (1922-2000) A Charlie Brown Christmas, explaining that "that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."
1500s The Adoration of the Shepherds
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It happened, when the angels went away from them into the sky, that the shepherds said one to another, "Let's go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." They came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby was lying in a manger. When they saw it, they publicized widely the saying which was spoken to them about this child. All who heard it wondered at the things which were spoken to them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told them. Luke 2:8-20
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