9781422276525

a town in northern Israel. However, the foundation of Christianity lies in the belief that Jesus was not just a person, but also the son of God—a divine being in human form. Among Christians, there are variations on this belief—some groups believe him to be one of three separate beings known as the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), whereas others believe him to be God in human shape. The Hebrew Bible contains prophecies (predictions) about the future concerning a “Chosen One” (or Messiah in Hebrew) who will bring all the Jewish people to heaven. These prophecies also state that the Messiah will save all other people in the world by atoning for their sins and ridding the world of evil. Christians consider Jesus to be the Messiah, whereas most Jews believe that the Messiah is yet to come. While the New Testament recounts the story of the Virgin Mary giving birth to Jesus in Bethlehem, it does not mention the actual date. Despite extensive research, historians still hold many conflicting opinions as to when Jesus was born. The early Christian church did not encourage celebration of the birthdays of people they considered saints or martyrs, including

p  Pilgrims pray at the grotto, the site where Jesus Christ is traditionally believed to have been born, inside the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank town of Bethlehem.

Christmas & Hanukkah

12 n