In which book of the Bible are the "ox and ass" of the Christmas story mentioned?

mk2norwich

I take it you're referring specifically to the story of the birth of Christ - I have checked my Bible concordance for entries for the words "ox" and "ass" (I'm assuming you're referring to the King James Version here), and neither word appears in the Christmas story, as far as I can see. The story of Christmas most of us know is in Luke chapter 2. Dec 25 03, 4:33 AM

gmackematix

The "ox and ass" that carols and the Nativity refer to is in the Bible, but strangely it is in neither the gospels of Luke or Matthew. In fact it isn't in the New Testament at all. Dec 25 03, 9:52 AM

Hamlet.

"She gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the place where travelers lodged." (Luke 2:7) Although "ox and ass" are not specifically mentioned (as norwich and gmack have explained), because the Bible tells us that Christ was born in a "manger" the assumption is that farm animals, like an "ox and ass", were present. Dec 26 03, 7:05 PM

gmackematix

May I refer Norry and Hamlet to a prediction in the Old Testament: see Isaiah 1.3. Dec 26 03, 9:59 PM

mk2norwich

"The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider." Dec 27 03, 4:41 AM

tobytubby

"... and the ox and the ass adored Him," is in The Infancy Gospel of Pseudo Matthew. Much of the art and stories about the birth of Jesus come from the Apocryphal books of the New Testament. CHAP. 14.--And on the third day after the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, the most blessed Mary went forth out of the cave, and entering a stable, placed the child in the stall, and the ox and the ass adored Him. Then was fulfilled that which was said by Isaiah the prophet, saying: The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib. [2] The very animals, therefore, the ox and the ass, having Him in their midst, incessantly adored Him. Then was fulfilled that which was said by Abacuc the prophet, saying: [3] Between two animals thou art made manifest. In the same place Joseph remained with Mary three days. Dec 17 07, 7:04 PM

Arpeggionist

It is worth noting that the ox and ass do make for some Talmudic and Mishnaic verses relating to Messianic prophecy (the bull being the symbol of Joseph and the donkey being interpreted as the Messiah's vehicle of choice - thus a messiah from the houses of Judah and Joseph). This taken yet further from the prohibition in Deuteronomy of tending to crops with a bull and a donkey side by side. Dec 17 07, 8:07 PM

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