Some Quiz Answers

Click the pic for a larger version.

How many things "wrong" can you spot in the above picture?
By "wrong" I mean Biblically or historically inaccurate or doubtful (assuming it's intended to represent a scene early in Christ's earthly life).

1) Joseph has three eyes -- assuming that is Joseph. Maybe Joseph has gone for a break and the 3 eyed innkeeper is visiting. Maybe Joseph did have three eyes! However, I would have thought Matthew or Luke would have mentioned it.

He also has only one leg (or is standing on only one).

2) Some people thought that the kneeling figures had only one leg each as well, but my intention was that we would assume that the back leg is obscured by the front one.

3) Some people thought that it was wrong that there were only two Magi, but we don't know how many there were, only that there were "some".

4) Those ugly blobby things on their heads are crowns. I don't think kings wore big crowns like that back then, but then Scripture doesn't say they were kings. So maybe those are legitimate ugly Magi hats.

5) Some people were concerned that the pig didn't get a halo, when every other being inside the stable, including the horse-like thing, did. (I'll deal with the pig being there later.) Well, haloes are, I believe, an artistic representation of the holiness of the person. It depends on what sort of reality and representation thereof we are accepting for this depiction. (I'll deal with that issue later, too.)

Anyway, haloes were dispensed by artists according to various schemes. I think that poor Joe doesn't always get one. I've never seen a haloed horse in a picture, but arguably Balaam's ass deserved one. (That's a straight line for you commenters.)

In any case, Scripture doesn't indicate that any of the visitors saw any haloes, whether the family (and animals) were holy or not.

To be continued. This is only the Fourth Day of Christmas after all.