Manger scenes displayed around Christmastime usually feature an ox and an ass beside the infant Jesus. According to the Gospel of Luke, Mary placed her child in a manger — an animal feeding bin — because there was no room for them in the inn.
No mere babysitters, the ox and ass harken back to Isaiah 1:3, a verse early Christians interpreted as a prophecy of the birth of Christ. In some early artwork, these beasts of burden kneel to show their reverence — recognizing this swaddled babe, who entered the world in humble circumstances, as lordly.
The canonical Gospels, the accounts of Jesus’ life included in the Bible’s New Testament, make no mention of those animals welcoming the newborn, yet the motif was already seen in art from the fourth century. It was further popularized by the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew, an apocryphal text — that is, one not included in the canon of Scripture. Pseudo-Matthew was composed by an anonymous monk, probably in the seventh century, and includes many tales about Jesus growing up.
After its account of Jesus’ birth, the Bible is almost entirely silent on his childhood. Yet legends about Jesus’ early years circulated widely in the Middle Ages, says Associate Professor of English Mary Dzon. Read more at The Conversation.
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