It's Christmas, but not as you know it: a new book released
by Pope Benedict XVI looks at the early life of Jesus -- and debunks
several myths about how the Nativity unfolded.
In "Jesus of Nazareth --
The Infancy Narratives," the pope says the Christian calendar is
actually based on a blunder by a sixth century monk, who Benedict says
was several years off in his calculation of Jesus' birth date.
According to the pope's
research, there is also no evidence in the Gospels that the cattle and
other animals traditionally pictured gathered around the manger were
actually present.
He also debunks the claim that angels sang at the birth, a staple theme of Christmas carols.
The book, which is being
published in multiple languages in time for Christmas, is the third in a
series by the pontiff. The previous two volumes dealt with Jesus' adult
life and his public ministry.
Alessandro Speciale,
Vatican correspondent for the Religion News Service, told CNN the pope
was not so much aiming to debunk myths as trying to show that the Jesus
depicted in the Gospels is a real historical figure, who walked on earth
and talked to people like anyone else.
The pope also looks at
scholarly studies of the Bible, some of which have indicated for decades
that the traditionally accepted birth date for Jesus is wrong, Speciale
said.
But while the book
points out that the Gospels do not support the presence of animals at
Jesus' birth -- a detail apparently added in later centuries -- the pope
does not suggest they should be thrown out of the Nativity scene,
Speciale said.
"The pope is a traditional man and he doesn't want people at all to change their traditions," Speciale said.
The 176-page volume,
which comprises a brief foreword, four chapters and an epilogue, traces
Jesus' life up to the age of 12, when, according to the Gospels, he was
presented by his parents in the Temple in Jerusalem, the Vatican said.
The initial worldwide
print run is more than a million copies, it said, with the book released
this week across 50 countries in Italian, German, Croatian, French,
English, Polish, Portuguese and Spanish.
In the coming months,
the book will be translated into 12 more languages for publication in 72
countries in total, the Vatican added.
The Vatican quotes
Anthony Valle, a professor of theology, as saying the pope has been open
to scientific inquiry in his own study of Jesus' life.
"The pope is not against the historical critical method at all, in fact, he uses it, he appreciates it," Valle said.
He sees the pope as using "both faith and reason" in his efforts to bring the life of Jesus closer.
Monsignor Philip
Whitmore, who translated the book into English, said the pontiff used
his writing to explore "the inner meaning of the infancy narratives,
showing how they pick up on Old Testament themes and develop them in new
and unexpected ways."
"The pope helps us to
understand the world where Jesus was born. Caesar brought peace to the
Roman Empire, but this tiny child brought something much more wonderful:
God's peace, eternal life, an end to sin and death," Whitmore added.
"Anyone who's wondering
why Christmas came to be such a great celebration in the West can find
the answer right here. The pope explains how the birth of Jesus changed
history forever."