Unit 04
The Early Years Of Jesus
Chapter 04
The Christ Child Is Honored And Consecrated
04.04.00.A. THE BIRTH OF JESUS IS ANNOUNCED BY AN ANGEL. Artwork by William Hole of the Royal Scottish Academy of Art, 1876. An angel announces the news of the birth of Jesus to shepherds who tended sheep that would soon be sacrificed in the temple. Herding sheep was considered to be one of the most degrading occupations, except for “Sanctified Shepherds of the Seed of Jacob” who were sanctioned by the temple priesthood to tend to sacrificial sheep.