A claim has circulated in scholarship for decades: ancient birth narratives were never meant to be taken as history. If true, the Christmas stories in Matthew and Luke would be beautiful legends, nothing more.

New Testament scholar Caleb Friedeman didn't just accept that claim. He went back to the actual ancient biographers -- Plutarch, Suetonius, Philo, Cornelius Nepos -- and tested it. What he found changes the way we should evaluate the opening chapters of the Gospels. Caleb walks us through what ancient authors were actually doing when they wrote birth stories, and why Luke's birth narrative may have stronger historical markers than almost any other section of his Gospel.

Want the full, unedited conversation? Members get the complete interview with Caleb Friedeman, usually 15-20 extra minutes of material that didn't make the final cut. faithlabshow.com/support

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