Mythical Stories about the Birth of Jesus

In the Bible the Birth Is Quiet, but Traditions Grew Quickly

In the biblical narrative, Jesus’s birth is described quietly, without drama around the birth itself. However, in the early Christian movement the story began to develop quickly. In the second century, Church Fathers spoke of Jesus’s birth as a mystery and suggested that the child was born in a cave. 

The extra-biblical work The Protoevangelium of James had a particular influence. In this text several familiar Christmas motifs appear: Mary riding a donkey, the urgency of finding shelter, and the belief that Mary miraculously remained a virgin even after the birth. Other groups went further. In the gnostic text The Ascension of Isaiah, the child is said to appear before Mary in an almost incorporeal way. 

“The more extreme traditions never gained widespread traction, but they emphasise the strong tension between the bodily and the spiritual that seems to have existed in parts of the early Christian movement,” says Johanna Larsdal. 

Responding to New Ideals and Needs

That the narratives differ is not surprising, Larsdal argues. Early Christianity was just that — a movement: diverse and evolving before clear church traditions became dominant. As faith spread beyond the Jewish world it also encountered new cultural needs. 

A clear example is the depiction of Mary. In Jewish tradition childbirth was seen as a blessing from God, while in the Roman world female spirituality was often associated with virginity, as in the cult of the Vestal Virgins. 

“As more non-Jews became Christians, there was a growing need for a female spiritual role model. Mary partly took the place that Greek-Roman goddesses had previously occupied,” says Larsdal. 

The story of the wise men also received new emphasis. The early Christian philosopher Justin Martyr (c. 100–165 CE) gives them a larger role than in the Gospel of Matthew and describes them as learned men from Arabia — the first non-Jews to seek out Jesus. By expanding their story he made them exemplars for his own audience. 

Origins of Christmas Plays and Nativity Scenes

Many elements we now take for granted in Christmas plays and nativity scenes are not mentioned in the Bible. These traditions endure largely because they are strong narrative images that return every year and therefore take root. 

One example is the idea of “the inn with no room,” based on a translation from the fourth century. The Greek word kataluma was translated as “inn,” but newer research suggests the term likely meant “guest room.” 

“Current research tends to lean towards the idea that Joseph and Mary were already staying with relatives in Bethlehem when it was time for Jesus to be born — but the guest room was too small for a birth. The birth might therefore have taken place in the family’s main living space, where animals could be brought in at night and where a manger would be available,” says Larsdal. 

The Birth Narrative Places the Woman at the Centre

The nativity story occupies a unique place in the Bible: here a woman stands at the centre and receives a decisive commission from God. In an era when childbirth was both risky and identity-forming, Mary’s experience became especially significant — not least for women. 

“Many of the traditions that emerged can be seen as attempts to address questions and needs that the Gospels do not primarily deal with, and for this reason they also came to play a large role in people’s everyday lives,” says Johanna Larsdal. 

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Larsdal argues that the story continues to speak to us because it touches on universal themes: birth, transformation and new life. When Christmas also falls in the darkest part of the year, the message of hope and God’s presence carries additional weight. 

“Gathering around these themes is an important part of why the story of Jesus’s birth continues to speak to us,” she says. 

Text: Hanna Erlingson