Yet Another Web Site

Lisa Black’s Cleveland:

Why Dec. 25th? Church settled on ‘Christ’s birth day’ centuries later

By Joseph Kelly
12/13/2006

The gospel accounts of the Nativity (Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-2) do not say what day Jesus was born. There were attempts to calculate the day, but by the third century Christians realized this was impossible.

So they tried other ways to determine a date for Jesus’ birth:

- Many people believed the world was re-created on the first day of spring (March 25 of the Julian calendar followed in ancient Rome). How appropriate, then, for the world’s redeemer to become incarnate that day!

- Other scholars argued that Jesus became incarnate not at his birth but at his conception. If Jesus was conceived March 25, he would be born nine months later, Dec. 25.

This date didn’t catch on immediately, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean region where people believed Jesus was born Jan. 6. But in the West Dec. 25 had much appeal. Why?

Many Romans venerated the sun, whose birthday was Dec. 25, or a virility god named Mithra with the same birthday. Also, the Romans observed a raucous celebration called Saturnalia Dec. 17-23. Thus, Dec. 25 offered a date with a good theological basis that also would counter several pagan holidays.

Although we don’t know the final steps, in 336 the church at Rome officially observed the “birth day of Christ” Dec. 25. This tradition spread. But what about Jan. 6? The church decided to use that day for Jesus’ manifestation to the whole world, symbolized by the Magi.

The Magi were three kings, Melchior, Caspar and Balthasar, right? Not really. Matthew’s Gospel speaks only of Magi; it doesn’t call them kings, or say they rode camels or give their names.

The early Christians looked to the Old Testament for prophecies relating to Jesus. One prophecy in Isaiah said that foreigners traveling on camels would bring gold and frankincense to the Messiah, while a psalm spoke of kings coming.

Naturally the Christians interpreted the Messiah as Jesus, and the only foreigners who brought him gifts were the Magi. So by the third century we find Christians speaking of the Magi as kings riding camels.

How many Magi were there?

A great Egyptian scholar, Origen, found a Genesis passage in which three pagans honored the Hebrew patriarch Isaac. Origen said the three symbolized the Magi, but didn’t say why.

Names for the Magi do not appear until the sixth century; all are fictional. “Balthasar” may be a corruption of Belteshazzar, a Babylonian king in the Book of Daniel. “Melchior” may be a combination of two Hebrew words for “king” and “light.” And “Caspar” may derive from the name of an Indian king converted by early Christians.

These names first appear in the West in a sixth-century mosaic in the church of St. Apollinaris Nuovo in Ravenna, Italy.

The date for Christmas may have been settled by the fourth century, but legends of the Magi grew throughout the Middle Ages.

—

Joseph Kelly, the chair of the Department of Religious Studies at John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio, is the author of The Origins of Christmas.

(via Captain Carl’s Daily Blarrrg)

While we’re on the topic of defunct professional sports leagues…

The teams of the WHA:

Teams in bold were absorbed into the NHL.

• Alberta Oilers (1972-79, renamed Edmonton Oilers in 1973)
• Chicago Cougars (1972-75)
• Cincinnati Stingers (1975-79)
• Calgary Broncos (never played) / Cleveland Crusaders (1972-76) / Minnesota Fighting Saints II (1976-77)
• Denver Spurs (1975-76) / Ottawa Civics (1976)
• Dayton Aeros (never played) / Houston Aeros (1972-78)
• Indianapolis Racers (1974-78)
• Los Angeles Sharks (1972-74) / Michigan Stags (1974-75) / Baltimore Blades (1975)
• Minnesota Fighting Saints (1972-76)
• New England Whalers (1972-79)
• New York Raiders (1972-73, renamed New York Golden Blades in 1973) / New Jersey Knights (1973-74) / San Diego Mariners (1974-77)
• Ottawa Nationals (1972-73) / Toronto Toros (1973-76) / Birmingham Bulls (1976-79)
• Miami Screaming Eagles (never played) / Philadelphia Blazers (1972-73) / Vancouver Blazers (1973-75) / Calgary Cowboys (1975-77)
• Phoenix Roadrunners (1974-77)
• San Francisco Sharks (never played) / Quebec Nordiques (1972-79)
• Winnipeg Jets (1972-79)

…I actually went to a few Cleveland Crusaders games.

(via Eschaton)

Tim Russert spells I-R-A-K (via First Draft: America hates Bush’s war):

(via Pharyngula)

(via BobHarris.com)

Yes, You Can Surf in Cleveland, Before the Brown Water Freezes (soul stealing registration may be required)

They surf in Cleveland because they must. They surf with two-inch icicles clinging to their wet suits, through stinging hail and overpowering wind. They work nights to spend their winter days scouting surf. They are watermen on an inland sea.

…

It was the kind of day that lives mostly in Cleveland surfers’ fantasies. Pushed by the storm’s winds, water the color of chocolate milk rose 10 feet in the air before slamming onto a beach of boulders and logs. The temperature was 40 degrees and falling. One surfer, Vince Labbe, climbed onto his board only to get blown backward by 40-mile-an-hour winds.

…

The strongest winds and waves come in winter, just before Lake Erie freezes. Waves up to 10 feet have been surfed, but the largest swells are usually chest-high. Instead of curling into a vertical wall, the waves are round like haystacks, and they collapse onto the shore like soggy paper.

Surfers learn to avoid ice chunks the size of bowling balls. Some wear goggles to surf through freezing rain, which can sting their eyes like needles. That is a bad idea, Mr. Labbe said, because the goggles freeze to their faces.

Surfers watch their friends for signs of hypothermia, urging them to leave the water when their eyes glaze over and their words slur. Ear infections are a common affliction.

Sometimes, I really miss Cleveland…

(via John Carroll magazine)

Doctors Joseph Kelly and Valerie Flechtner, longtime members of, respectively, the faculties of Religious Studies and Biology, have co-written an engaging explanation of why the fervently advocated alternative evolutionary theories of Creationism and Intelligent Design are simply not good science. In a feature in which Kelly and Flechtner offer two separate polemics, Kelly concludes his argument with:”No thinking theist could possibly accept either creationism or intelligent design. Both ‘theories’ leave us with a creator/designer who is fallible, inefficient, dilatory, cruel and, most importantly, unintelligent. Theists can believe in a God who acts in creation, but they should not equate this deity with a pseudo-scientific Intelligent Designer.” Flechtner cuts to the chase by saying, ” …we must conclude that, whatever else ID may be, it is not science!”

I took a class taught by Dr. Kelly (Introduction to Religious Studies: Religion and Myth) twe mumbly muffly years ago. It’s good to see his attitude towards religious fundamentalism hasn’t changed. It’s also good to see faculty from my alma mater addressing Creationism and Intelligent Design.

(from the you really don’t want to know dept.)

On a local radio program this morning there was a discussion about one of the new features at Busch Stadium that allows fans to send a text message that will appear on the scoreboard in right-center field for $2.99. The discussion soon became about some of the off-color messages that slipped by the system’s screeners. One of these messages was “I love Cleveland Steamers.” Having spent a good chunk of my life in the Cleveland area, I was curious just what this phrase meant. If you must know, a quick search with your favorite search engine will reveal the meaning or you can check out the Wikipedia entry (which has one of the “cleaner” definitions).

(from the everything associated with Jerry Falwell is crap dept.)

Check out: They’re not really #1 and Liberty Debate Team, Take 3

– AND –

JCU team wins American Debate Assn National Championship:

Sean McClure ’07 and Chris Schroeder ‘09 won the American Debate Association National Championship for novice debaters at the annual tournament that concluded yesterday (Mar 12) at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

In the process John Carroll defeated #1 ranked Liberty University, a team receiving national coverage (Newsweek, The Colbert Report, CBS Evening News) no doubt in part because of the fact it is coached by Brett O’Donnell, who also coaches an individual named George W. Bush.

I wouldn’t care all that much but for the fact my alma mater was involved…

Hello, GORRY-O!! I'm a GENIUS from HARVARD!!