by | Oct 27, 2021 | Journal, Life | 0 comments

Archaeologists have found an early 1st century home in Nazareth and believe it could be the home of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

 

Articles found there suggest that the Holy Family was not quite as poor as tradition has led us to believe. Joseph was a carpenter which was a respected profession of that time and probably earned him enough to support at least the basic needs of his family. Mary, typical of women of that era, was the homemaker. Her job was to cook, gather water and teach Jesus about the Jewish faith. A weaving spindle was found in this home, indicating that Mary, like other women, wove fabric for her family and for sale or trade. Although not wealthy, the findings in this house seem to indicate that the family that lived there had a little more than the poorest of the poor.
As I was painting The First Christmas, I envisioned Mary in a beautiful woven cloak given to her as a wedding gift by a wealthy uncle who was a tradesman. These woven cloths were used as cloaks or ground cover and highly prized. Based on the information in the archeological findings, could it be that Mary wove the cloth herself? In my painting, the baby Jesus is in a cradle made by his father, the carpenter, Joseph. There’s even a little carved toy donkey hanging from the cradle. These labors of love are typical of a parents joyful anticipation of their first child. Respectfully, I am not attempting to change the biblical story of Jesus’s birth in any way. However, while I was painting I felt so close to Mary, Joseph and Jesus and was inspired to add these loving touches to my rendition of The First Christmas.

A beautiful high quality linen print of my original painting of The First Christmas is available in a 16” xy 19” poster or 6” by 9” card at www. pipkas. com. Wishing you all a holy and happy Christmas with your family and loved ones.

Wishing  that you may share a happy and holy Christmas with your family and loved ones.