Christmas Sale on Modern Parables

Note: I don’t get paid to advertise; I think Modern Parables is a very helpful Bible teaching tool.

SPECIAL CHRISTMAS SALE If you’re looking for a unique gift that teaches the Bible in an entertaining way, consider giving Modern Parables individual DVD’s to family and friends this season.  For a limited time, Modern Parables is putting its individual DVD’s on sale for $19.95 each (normally $24.95).  If you would like all six studies, you can receive even more savings by buying the Complete DVD Set on sale for $99 (normally $129).  Go to the Special Christmas Sale now to stock up on gifts fun and edifying for everyone. NEW MP DISTRIBUTORS Modern Parables continues to add new distribution partners for its film-based studies. Some recent additions include FaithVisuals, Catholic Media House, Small Group Exchange, and Vision Forum. Our growing list of affiliate partners is available here, with new partners added on a regular basis. If you know of any websites, catalogs, or retail stores you think should be carrying our products, feel free to forward them our contact info or contact us directly. NATL YOUTH WORKERS CONVENTION Modern Parables will be setting up a booth at the National Youth Workers Convention being held at the Opryland Hotel in our hometown of Nashville, Tennessee from November 19-22.  If you are planning on attending the convention, please stop by our booth and introduce yourself. We would love to hear your feedback on Modern Parables as well as stories about how you’re using it. We will also be offering our products for sale at special convention prices. ONE YEAR, 151 COUNTRIES One of the ways we keep track of modernparable.com is through Google Analytics. It shows us all kinds of neat internet stats for our site, including the countries of our visitors. Looking back over the first year of Modern Parables’ life, we’ve been visited by people from exactly 151 countries. This includes such diverse places as Qatar, Gabon, Estonia, Honduras, Iceland, and Brunei. Modern Parables spreads best by word of mouth, so if you’ve benefited from our studies, let others know – no matter where they live.

The Star of Jesus Birth (source – Anglican Mainstream)

from Anglican Mainstream

Some alteration of hyperlink placement on my part…

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That Star

I am impressed by Colin Humphreys’ “The Star of Bethlehem – a Comet in 5 BC- and the Date of the Birth of Christ” (click link to see original paper), [also in Qtrly Journal of Royal Astronomical Soc 32, 389-407 (1991)]. Colin argues that the ‘star’ was a comet noted in Chinese records. He gives lots of interesting detail, which includes:

–three striking celestial phenomena took place over two years (7-5 BC) of which the last was the ‘Star’ – a comet (so Jesus born in 5BC)

–Herod’s slaughter of two-year-olds is likely to be related to this timing

–references to a comet ‘standing over’ a place were standard terminology for historians (Dio Cassius, Josephus, Tacitus)

–the census was not for taxation but for oath of loyalty to Augustus, shortly before death of Herod the Great (which 6,000 Pharisees famously refused)

–the census was not ‘when’ Quirinius was governor of Syria, but ‘before’ that famous census Colin proposes the sequence:

• - Birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.
• - Visit of the Shepherds
• - Presentation of Jesus at the Temple.
• - Visit of the Magi.
• - Flight to Egypt
• - Death of Herod.
• - Return from Egypt to Nazareth

and even gives dates to within a month or so.

Of course it makes sense that the Temple visit was before the Magi. Colin specifically refers to Raymond Brown’s work and answers it.

Dermot OCallaghan

Compare the interesting ‘Astrophysicist researches Biblical star of Bethlehem’, http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/12/astrophysicist_researches_bibl.php

 

First Ornament Hanging

Anastasia is having her first tree decorating time this week.  We have to spread it out, because our house is pretty busy.  But she is enjoying the times when she might be allowed to hang a glass ornament.  She especially likes to put hooks on things.  She keeps exclaiming with a deep voice -

 I have to get more hooks!

We’re looking forward to a lot of firsts this year at older than 2 1/2.