Click here for the dates these ancient writings were written.

BACKGROUND FOR THIS EPISODE

(In Order of Appearance)

NEW TESTAMENT OF THE BIBLE:
  • Luke 18:11-12 – The Pharisee stood there alone. He was praying like this: ‘O God, I thank Thee that I am not like other people. I am not like men who steal, cheat, commit adultery, or even like this tax collector. 12I fastb twice a week, and I give ten percent of everything I make!’
  • Matthew 21:12-13 – Jesus went into the temple courtyard. He threw out all the people who were selling and buying things there. He turned the money-exchangers’ tables upside down. He also turned over the chairs of the people who were selling pigeons. Jesus said to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be called a place for praying.’ (Isaiah 56:7) but you have changed it into a hiding place for thieves!”d
  • Luke 4:18-19 – “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me. Therefore, He chose me to preach the Good News to poor people. He sent me to proclaim freedom to captives,and to help blind people see again. He sent me to lift up broken-hearted people19and to announce the welcome year of the Lord God.” (Isaiah 61:1-2)
  • Luke 2:8 –Some shepherds were spending the night in the fields nearby, watching their flock of sheep.
  • Matthew 18:30 – But he wouldn’t do it. Instead, he went and threw the servant in jail until he could repay what he owed.
  • Luke 2:9-15 – An angel of the Lord God stood in front of the shepherds. The glory of the Lord shined around them. They were very frightened. 10The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, because, listen, I am telling you some good news. It will make all the people very happy. 11This day, your Savior—who is the Messiah,d the Lord—was born in David’s town! 12This is how you will know him: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a box where livestock are fed.” 13Suddenly, a very large group of angels from heaven joined the first angel. They were all praising God: 14“Give glory to God in heaven, and, on earth, let there be peace among those who please God.” 15The angels left the shepherds and went back to heaven. The shepherds kept saying to each other, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this event which has occurred, which the Lord God has revealed to us!”
  • John 11:38 – But the Pharisee was surprised when he saw that Jesus didn’t wash his hands before the meal.d
  • Luke 2:16 – So, the shepherds went quickly and found Mary and Joseph. The baby was lying in the feeding box.
  • Luke 2:19 -Mary was keeping all these things in her heart; she continued to think about them.
  • Hebrews 2:14-15 – The “children” are human.c So, Jesus himself also shared in their humanity. He wanted to use death to destroy the Devil who has the power of death. 15Jesus also wanted to set all people free from the slavery of fearing death all their lives.
  • Romans 10:2-3 – I tell you the truth, they have much enthusiasm for God, but they don’t understand! 3They ignored God’s righteousness and tried to establish their own type of righteousness. They did not put themselves under God’s kind of righteousness.
OLD TESTAMENT OF THE BIBLE:
  • I Samuel 17:34-35 -But David said to Saul, “Ip have been shepherding my father’s flock. Whenever a lion or a bear came around and snatched a lamb from the flock, 35I chased it. I attacked it and rescued the lamb from its mouth! And whenever a lion turned on me, I would seize it by its throat, and I would hit it and kill it!  
  • Jeremiah 50:6 – My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have made them go-astray. They have turned them away on the mountains. They have gone from mountain to hill. They have forgotten their resting-place. 
  • Zechariah 10:3 – My anger is kindled against the shepherds and I will punish the male-goats. For Jehovah of hosts has visited his flock, the house of Judah and will make them as his majestic horse in the battle.
  • Nehemiah 12:39 – And above the gate of Ephraim and by the old gate and by the fish gate and the tower of Hananel and the Tower of Hundred
  • Ezekiel 34:2-4 – Ezekiel, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord Jehovah: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the sheep?  34:3 You* eat the fat and you* clothe yourselves with the wool. You* kill the fattened-ones, but you* do not feed the sheep. 34:4 You* have not strengthened the diseased, nor have you* healed what was sick, nor have you* bound up what was broken, nor have you* brought back what was driven away, nor have you* sought what was lost, but you* have ruled over them with force and with rigor.
  • Isaiah 40:9-10 [predicted c. 700 BC] – O you who tell good news to Zion, get up on a high mountain. O you who tell good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with strength. Lift it up, do not be afraid, say to the cities of Judah, Behold, your* God! 40:10 Behold, the Lord Jehovah will come as a mighty one and his arm will rule for him. Behold, his reward is with him and his recompense before him. 40:11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will gather the lambs in his arm and carry them in his bosom, and will gently lead those who have their young.
  • I Samuel 22:1 – So David left Gath and escaped to the Cave of Adullam.a When David’s brothers and other relatives learned about this, they went down there to visit him.
  • I Samuel 23:13, 29 – So David and his men got up and left Keilah. There were now about 600 men who followed David. And they went wherever they could go. When Saul found out that David had escaped from Keilah, he cut short his trip there…29David left the Desert of Maon and stayed in the hideouts of En-Gedi.
  • I Samuel 24:3 – Saul came to some sheep-pens beside the road.b A cave was there. And, Saul went inside to relieve himself.c Now David and his men were hiding in that cave—deep inside it.
  • Micah 5:2 [PREDICTED 700 YEARS BEFORE JESUS] – But you, O Bethlehem-Ephrathah,e though you are the least important among the leading towns of Judah,fa Leader will come out of you, O Bethlehem!g He will become the Ruler over Israel for Me.h His comings forth have been from of oldi —from the days of eternity.”
HERODOTUS
  • BOOK II, 47:164 – Herders of any kind in Egypt were regarded with such abhorrence that they were not allowed to enter any temple.
WILKINSON
  • ANCIENT EGYPTIANS, VOL. 2, PG. 444, 1878 – Egyptian artists represented them as either lame or deformed, dirty and unshaven.
PHILO
  • COMPLETE AND UNABRIDGED WORKS OF PHILO, BK 11, 14:61 – Yet, if the discussion had been merely about the care of goats or sheep, perhaps they would have been ashamed to make such an admission through desire to avoid dishonor; for such occupations are accounted inglorious and mean among those who are loaded with great prosperity without being at the same time endowed with prudence.

SPECIAL CHARACTERS APPEARING IN OTHER EPISODES

Season 1, Dream Maker, “Treasure of Doom”