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The Bible says little about Jesus’ childhood – but that didn’t stop medieval Christians from enjoying tales of him as holy ‘rascal’

  • Written by Mary Dzon, Associate Professor of English, University of Tennessee
imageAn illustration from the Vernon Manuscript, from around 1400, shows the familiar motif of an ox and ass watching over the newborn Jesus.© Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, CC BY-NC

Manger scenes displayed around Christmastime usually feature an ox and an ass beside the infant Jesus. According to the Gospel of Luke, Mary placed her...

Read more: The Bible says little about Jesus’ childhood – but that didn’t stop medieval Christians from...

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