http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/20/nwise120.xml

"The Archbishop of Canterbury said yesterday that the Christmas story  
of the Three Wise Men was nothing but a 'legend'.

Dr Rowan Williams has claimed there was little evidence that the Magi  
even existed and there was certainly nothing to prove there were three  
of them or that they were kings.

He said the only reference to the wise men from the East was in  
Matthew's gospel and the details were very vague.

Dr Williams said: "Matthew's gospel says they are astrologers, wise  
men, priests from somewhere outside the Roman Empire, that's all we're  
really told. It works quite well as legend."

The Archbishop went on to dispel other details of the Christmas story,  
adding that there were probably no asses or oxen in the stable.

He argued that Christmas cards which showed the Virgin Mary cradling  
the baby Jesus, flanked by shepherds and wise men, were misleading. As  
for the scenes that depicted snow falling in Bethlehem, the Archbishop  
said the chance of this was "very unlikely".

In a final blow to the traditional nativity story, Dr Williams  
concluded that Jesus was probably not born in December at all. He  
said: "Christmas was when it was because it fitted well with the  
winter festival.""

-- 
William T Goodall
Mail : [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Web  : http://www.wtgab.demon.co.uk
Blog : http://radio.weblogs.com/0111221/

"There's no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant  
market share. No chance" - Steve Ballmer


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