ZEITGEIST: THE MOVIE

archaeological evidence that ties Bethlehem in Judaea to the period in which Jesus would have
been born. 217
It appears that the ―little town of Bethlehem‖ is an interpolation created to fulfill prophesy from the Old
Testament. We can see the relationship clearly when comparing Genesis 49:10 and Micah 5:2 with
Matthew 2:1-6:
The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the
ruler‘s staff from between his feet, until he comes to
whom it belongs; and to him shall be the obedience
of the peoples. (Gen 49:10)
But you, O Bethlehem, Ephrathah, who are little to
be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come
forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whole
origin is from old, from ancient days. (Micah 5:2)
Jesus is a descendant of Judah... After Jesus is
born in Bethlehem, Herod asks the wise men
where he is. They answer that he is in Bethlehem,
―so it is written by the prophet: ‗And you, O
Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means
least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall
come a ruler who will govern my people Israel.‘‖ (Mt
2:1-6)
Concerning this issue, Murdock concludes, ―Like so many other places in Israel, Bethlehem was first
situated in the mythos and then given location on Earth.‖ 218
28. There is another very interesting phenomenon that occurs around December 25 th ,
or the winter solstice. From the summer solstice to the winter solstice, the days
become shorter and colder. And from the perspective of the northern hemisphere, the
sun appears to move south and get smaller and more scarce. The shortening of the
days and the expiration of the crops when approaching the winter solstice
symbolized the process of death to the ancients. It was the death of the sun. And by
December 22 nd , the sun’s demise was fully realized, for the sun, having moved south
continually for six months, makes it to its lowest point in the sky. Here a curious thing
occurs: the sun stops moving south, at least perceivably, for three days.
Regarding the motif of the three-day entombment and rebirth of the sun, Murdock summarizes:
...many of the world‘s crucified godmen have their traditional birthdays on December 25 th
(―Christmas‖). This date is set because the ancients recognized that (from a geocentric
perspective in the northern hemisphere) the sun makes an annual descent southward until after
midnight of December 21 st , the winter solstice, when it stops moving southerly for three days and
then starts to move northward again. During this time, the ancients declared that ―God‘s sun‖ had
―died‖ for three days and was ―born again‖ after midnight of December 24 th . Thus, these many
different cultures celebrated with great joy the ―sun of God‘s‖ birthday on December 25 th . 219
The significance of this solar death/rebirth and its allegorical connection to various godman is confirmed
by many scholars, including astronomer Dr. Krupp as concerns Osiris:
The myth of Osiris involves his own death and resurrection, a theme that echoes the daily cycle
of the sun‘s death and its rebirth at dawn. 220
Concerning the annual solar death and resurrection, Frazer relates:
In the Julian calendar the twenty-fifth of December was reckoned the winter solstice, and it was
regarded as the Nativity of the Sun, because the day begins to lengthen and the power of the sun
to increase from that turning-point of the year. The ritual of the nativity, as it appears to have been
celebrated in Syria and Egypt, was remarkable. The celebrants retired into certain inner shrines,
from which at midnight they issued with a loud cry, ―The Virgin has brought forth! The light is
217 Larson, ―Bethlehem of Judaea—or of Galilee?‖
218 Acharya, CC, 190.
219 Acharya, CC, 154.
220 Krupp, EAS, 16.