Bible Discussion Thread

The average low temperature in Bethlehem in December is 42 degrees F, certainly not too "cold" for woolly sheep to be out in the fields. Plus, historical Talmudic sources state that the sheep in Judaea "laid out in the summer and in the rainy season," ergo year round. And too, the summer is the dry season and there is no grass and many of the water holes dry up so shepherds move their flocks north into the cooler regions where rain and therefore grass and water is readily available. But in the fall the rain begin in Judaea and through the winter the fields are once more green with grass for the flocks to graze on. The only time flocks of sheep wouldn't be "in the fields" around Bethlehem would be in summer when there's no grass and little water. But then too we must consider that according to other historical documents the "temple flock" (those sheep destined for sacrifice in Jerusalem) were kept in the fields at Bethlehem, which means there would be sheep there year round to supply the sacrificial needs of the Temple in Jerusalem 5 miles away.