JOSEPH, MARY, AND THE FIRST CHRISTMAS

Friday, December 8, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we talk to biblical scholars about Joseph and Mary, trace the quests for the Holy Grail … and learn if joy is the same in every language.

PAINTING VIA ART IMAGES, GETTY IMAGES

They raised Jesus, according to the Bible. But who were Joseph and Mary—and how did they meet?

And how did a pregnancy that on first glance would be considered scandalous, certainly unconventional, come to be venerated as the defining moment of the planet’s most popular faith? (Above, “The Nativity at Night” by Guido Reni, an Italian baroque painter.)

READ THE FULL STORY

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

IMAGE BY ŽIGA KOKALJ, RESEARCH CENTRE OF THE SLOVENIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES AND ARTS

New technology found this lost Maya city (seen above as a data visualization). It is among the stunning archeological discoveries of 2023.

The American crocodile is moving northward through Florida. Related: The fight over Florida’s ecosystem

Top scientific findings of the year, including the virgin birth of an American crocodile

Using AI to identify people at high risk of pancreatic cancer, plus other top 2023 medical breakthroughs

A chalice held by Jesus during the Last Supper became the object of Christianity’s holiest quest

Why this once isolated tribe took up cell phones and social media

Walking is the sixth vital sign. Here’s how to do it right.

Is joy the same in every language?

See our stunning Pictures of the Year

Schizophrenia in women is widely misunderstood—and misdiagnosed

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: IAN WOODS. SOURCE PHOTOS: GAUTAM SINGH, ASSOCIATED PRESS (ISLAND); NUTU, ALAMY STOCK PHOTO (BOATMEN)

The Mission: He was exuberant. Optimistic. Imbued with faith. A National Geographic film documents his fatal attempt to bring The Word to a people determined to shield themselves from the outside world.

Watch The Mission on Disney +

‘SATAN’S LAST STRONGHOLD’

LAST GLIMPSE

PHOTOGRAPH BY JERILEE BENNETT, THE GAZETTE/AP

A holiday that lasts: What is this Jewish celebration called Hanukkah about? The story, of the light that had oil for one day but lasted eight, goes back some 2,000 years, and the Festival of Lights has grown in popularity over recent decades, Nat Geo’s Amy Briggs writes. (Above, celebrating by lighting candles in Colorado.)

FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

Today’s soundtrack: How Do You Spell Channukkahh?, The LeeVees

Happy weekend! This newsletter has been curated and edited by Nancy San Martín, Jen Tse, and David Beard. Know someone who might want our newsletter in their inbox? Here’s the signup.

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JOSEPH, MARY, AND THE FIRST CHRISTMAS

JOSEPH, MARY, AND THE FIRST CHRISTMAS

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