Was Yeshua born in a barn or a sukkah?

Luke 2:7, Manger. The Greek word means “feeding trough” and according to the word’s etymology and lexicology  as stated in the TWOT, gives no indication for this manger to be anything but a manger.

Was Yeshua born in this …

Was Yeshua born in this …

 

or this?

or this?

Nevertheless, this manger may have been a sukkah or tabernacle, which is the flimsy little hut that Israelites build during the biblical Feast of Tabernacles (Heb. Chag Sukkot) as commanded in the Torah (Lev 23:33–43).

We see the connection between a manger and a sukkah in Genesis 33:17 where Jacob built booths (or

tabernacles; Heb. succot or sukkot is the plural form of sukkah) for his livestock showing us that the Hebrew word sukkah (pl. sukkot) can also mean “livestock barn or manger” as well as a temporary habitation where Israelites dwell during the biblically commanded festival of Sukkot.

This raises the possibility that Yeshua was born in a festival sukkah during the Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot and not just in an animal barn as Christian folklore would have us believe.

The LXX Greek word for sukkah in Gen 33:17 is skenas meaning “habitation, dwelling or tabernacle” and is the same word used in John 1:14 and Rev 21:1–3 in reference to Yeshua tabernacling with his people.

Putting all the pieces together, Yeshua may have been born in a sukkah-manger prior to or during the Feast of Tabernacles with a human sukkah (or body, of which the physical sukkah during Sukkot is a metaphorical picture) in order to redeem man from sin, so that Yeshua might tabernacle with redeemed men forever in the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:3).

 

9 thoughts on “Was Yeshua born in a barn or a sukkah?

  1. Do not disagree that this is possible, but also considering that based on the times that the father of John the Baptist would have served in the temple (2x/year and in cycles)………..John could have been born 1 of 2 times and we know that Yeshua was about 6 months later, so that he could have been born in the spring and therefore associated with the spring feasts commonly considered regarding His first coming, or….6 months later during the fall feasts when we usually think about His second coming. Regardless…..just glad He came, AND I know it was NOT Dec 25!!!!!

  2. The one question I have is this……If Sukkot was to be celebrated in Jerusalem, why build a sukkah in Bethlehem?

    • Good question. Bethlehem is only about 5.5 miles (7 km) from Jerusalem. During the pilgrimage feasts, the population of Jerusalem doubled or tripled in size. Likely, some of the overflow would have been absorbed by some of the surrounding towns like Bethlehem. Those who lived so close to Jerusalem likely built sukkahs in their own backyards, and then walked to Jerusalem for the major festivities during the week of Sukkoth.

  3. I’ve always assumed He was born during Sukkot but lately I’ve been hearing some say that it’s more likely He was born in the spring as the spring Feasts were prophetic of His first coming and the fall Feasts are prophetic of His second coming. Can you comment?

  4. Based on there being 2 cycles during which a priest served, the father of John could have easily fathered John after one cycle as easy as after another! This would push the birth of John up or back by 6 months and therefore move the birth of Yeshua by 6 months as well……from fall to spring. Jonathan Cahn has some teaching about this I believe. I don’t know that we need to know or were meant to know for sure, but one thing is that if there is a possibility that it’s not fall, we need to NOT be so stubborn about saying it is, because sure as the world…….we will be wrong!!

    • Dr. Joe Dombek addresses the possibility of a spring birth of Yeshua in his video on Yeshua’s birth on the Hoshana Rabbah YouTube channel. He explains therein why he favors a fall birth.

      As far as dogmatism guaranteeing one’s being wrong, I’m sorry, but this logic is specious. To wit, I’m stubborn about the reality of the law of gravity, or that I need air and water to sustain my life. This doesn’t make me wrong. I’m also stubborn in my belief that Elohim is the only true God, that the Bible is the Word of Elohim, that Yeshua is the Son of Elohim and the Messiah, and I could give many other examples. One can be sincere about something and be sincerely wrong. Conversely, one can be sincere and even stubborn and be right about it as well. I’m sure you would agree with this, but this isn’t what it sounds like you’re saying in your above comments. Blessings!

  5. No Natan. What I said was misunderstood. I was merely saying that many times in life I have thought that what I was doing was right. I study and get new revelation and Father shows me that I need to re-set my thinking, and I do. What I was trying to say was that we must not ever get to the point that we think we know everything, because we do not. We need to be somewhat flexible in our belief as Father reveals Truth to us. In this particular situation…….Scripture does not specifically say the exact date of the birth of the Messiah. For that reason, for us to be set in stone with thinking one time or another is pointless as we could easily be wrong given that there are several possible considerations and much that we do not know. There was a time when many of us would have argued to the death that Dec 25th was the date of Messiah’s birth! Obviously….we were wrong. We thought that Sunday worship was keeping the Sabbath. We were wrong! I am merely suggesting that some humility is needed here because as humans there are many things of Father that we simply do not yet know. You took me literally and I was not intending to be literal………..

    • I totally agree with you and I appreciate your feedback. You’re preaching to the choir, but it’s good to hear it anyway.

      I haven’t set any dates regarding the birth date of Yeshua. In fact, I personally haven’t even done any teachings on this subject. Frankly, I’m, of the opinion that it doesn’t matter when he was born, as long as one believes in and obeys Yeshua the Messiah.

      My sidekick, Dr. Joseph Dombek did the video dealing with the birth of Yeshua. I don’t want to speak for him, but I think I know him well enough to say that his mind is still open on the subject, and he’s not doctrinaire about anything. If you or anyone else comes up with a better scenario than what he has laid out, I encourage them to share their findings and let’s discuss it. That way we can all grow in our understandings.

      Shalom.

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