A Midwife at the Manger? Here’s What the History of Childbirth Says About the First Christmas

As the Christmas season approaches, the image of Jesus’ birth in the manger — complete with Mary and Joseph kneeling over the infant, the three wise men, an angel and the animals looking on — will be seen everywhere. But research reveals that there was most likely someone else in the background. A midwife.

None of the Gospels in the Bible provide much detail about the actual birth of Jesus; Luke merely says that Mary gave birth to him, and Matthew says even less.

As the Christmas season approaches, the image of Jesus’ birth in the manger — complete with Mary and Joseph kneeling over the infant, the three wise men, an angel and the animals looking on — will be seen everywhere. But research reveals that there was most likely someone else in the background. A midwife. None of the Gospels in the Bible provide much detail about the actual birth of Jesus; Luke merely says that Mary gave birth to him, and Matthew says even less.