Table of Contents
What was the shepherds job?
The duty of shepherds was to keep their flock intact, protect it from predators and guide it to market areas in time for shearing. In ancient times, shepherds also commonly milked their sheep, and made cheese from this milk; few shepherds still do this today.
What did the shepherds do in the Nativity story?
After this, a great many more angels appear, praising God with the words “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Deciding to do as the angel had said, the shepherds travel to Bethlehem, and find Mary and Joseph and the infant Jesus lying in the manger, just as they had …
Were shepherds in the fields in December?
Once again, the claim that it was too cold for shepherds to be abiding in the fields in December is shown have no basis. In fact the historical record shows exactly the opposite: the shepherds would have been abiding in the fields in December with their flocks.
What was a shepherd’s rod used for?
A shepherd’s crook is a long and sturdy stick with a hook at one end, often with the point flared outwards, used by a shepherd to manage and sometimes catch sheep. In addition, the crook may aid in defending against attack by predators. When traversing rough terrain, a crook is an aid to balance.
What do shepherds do with their sheep in the winter?
But when the winter rains fall, the hills become clothed with grass, and the shepherds, knowing this, take their sheep further a field. Then, because it would make the sheep walk too far to reach the folds every evening, expending energy needlessly, they simply watch their flocks in the fields all night.
Do sheep graze in the winter in Israel?
In the winter flocks are grazed on the lower “terraces” and in summer on the high ground above Tekoa.
How do sheep respond to the shepherd?
The sheep recognize the voice of the shepherd. They follow him (or her). The shepherd protects his flock and would give his life for them. It is known that animals can instantly recognize the voice of a familiar trusted person.
Where did the shepherds stay in the fields?
In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. That night in the fields near Bethlehem some shepherds were guarding their sheep. There were some shepherds in that part of the country who were spending the night in the fields, taking care of their flocks.
What did the Bible say about shepherds in the field?
“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night” (Luke 2:8). The shepherds were not in the town; the flock was not in a fold in or near the town.
Are there shepherds in the fields in December?
Once again, the claim that it was too cold for shepherds to be abiding in the fields in December is shown have no basis. In fact the historical record shows exactly the opposite: the shepherds would have been abiding in the fields in December with their flocks.
Who are the shepherds in the field in Luke 2?
The Rest of the Story: Shepherds Abiding in the Field. Luke 2:8 , Shepherds living out in the fields. According to the Mishnah (a rabbinic Jewish legal-historical document from the end of the second century AD), these were no ordinary sheep or shepherds, but were shepherds who watched over sheep that were destined to become burnt offerings,