Rabbi Jonathan Kligler

We examine the varying birth narratives in the Gospels, today beginning with Matthew. Mark contains no narrative about Jesus' birth, while Matthew and Luke each have detailed, but very different, stories. John's account is cosmic and theological. We note how these very different accounts have merged over time into a single popular telling. We also look deeply at the Biblical and literary context of Matthew's account, and are able to situate it as a 1st-century Jewish creation. Fascinating discussion!