movements of celestial bodies with human affairs. [Footnote: Childhood
of the World.--Edward Clodd.] The prominence, therefore, of the sun
and stars in the Gospel story tends to show that Jesus is an
astrological rather than a historical character.

That the time of his birth, his death, and supposed resurrection is
_not_ verifiable is generally admitted.

This uncertainty robs the story of Jesus, to an extent at least, of
the atmosphere of reality.

The twenty-fifth of December is celebrated as his birthday. Yet there
is no evidence that he was born on that day. Although the Gospels are
silent as to the date on which Jesus was born, there is circumstantial
evidence in the accounts given of the event to show that the twenty-
fifth of December could not have been his birthday. It snows in
Palestine, though a warmer country, and we know that in December there
are no shepherds tending their flocks in the night time in that
country. Often at this time of the year the fields and hills are
covered with snow. Hence, if the shepherds sleeping in the fields
really saw the heavens open and heard the angel-song, in all
probability it was in some other month of the year, and not late in
December. We know, also, that early in the history of Christianity the
months of May and June enjoyed the honor of containing the day of
Jesus' birth.

[Illustration: Isis Nursing Her Divine Child, 3000 B. C.]

Of course, it is immaterial on which day Jesus was born, but why is it
not known? Yet not only is the date of his birth a matter of