There is no question in my mind but what Jesus was breastfed. As the gospel
line goes, "Happy the womb that bore you and the breasts that fed you!"
The woman who made that comment would certainly not have put both the womb
and the breasts in the same sentence if there had been a wet nurse
involved, right?
Chele Marmet, who is Jewish, once told me that there are several icons in
Bethlehem that depict Jesus at his mother's breast. I'm intrigued by Judy's
observation that many Jewish women were influenced by the Roman culture,
but given what we know about the historical Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I
think they were less than eager to be influenced by Roman values and
practices. I'm no scripture scholar, but I have taken several college
courses in theology (including several on the New Testament), which form my
humble opinion.
I commend Christine for writing to the publisher about the bottle-fed
Jesus; I think the book reflects our society's norm, and not historical
accuracy. And, I'm taking Sue's advice and running out to Target for the
other book that shows Jesus and his mother in a more realistic way!
>I have a lovely children's book called Silent Night. The pictures are
>beautiful. Mary looks very pregnant while riding the donkey and is
>breastfeeding Jesus as others come to look in on them. I got this at Target
>no less. The reason we see the nativity with Jesus in a manger is biblically
>based, "This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands
>of cloth and lying in a manger." I'd think a cave/stable with animals in it
>would be quite warm, due to the animals' body heat.
>
>As for Jesus, it is thought that his family was poor. One reason it's
>thought they were poor is that when the time came for their purification
>according to the law of Moses, they brought the two turtledoves or two
>pigeons for the sacrifice, because they could not afford the lamb. My guess
>is that Jesus was breastfed by his mother. Most babies didn't do too well on
>the alternatives and my guess is they couldn't afford a wet nurse. I hope
>this helps answer some of your questions. Warmly, Sue
>
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--
Marie Biancuzzo, Perinatal Clinical Nurse Specialist
PO Box 387
Herndon VA 20172
Phone 703-748-0092
Fax 703-758-0891
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