Touching Christmas Tale

[Undeceived]

Why argue from authority? Examine the evidence yourself.

Dude, you're the one who claimed "much of scholarship considers...". YOU, not I, are the one who invoked authority.

If you want to make positive declarations about scholarly consensus, do your own damn research and be ready to back up your claims with solid evidence, not a link to an apologetic website.

And when you're done, hop a plane to talk to the theologians and historians at Oxford University to explain to them how they got it all wrong. Good luck.

I did not 'invoke' authority. I mentioned that another camp of scholars existed and explained their view. I never made an argument for anyone being right and others being wrong. YahwehIsTheWay brought up the apparent contradiction between Herod's birth and a certain astronomical event. I said "Here's what might actually have happened that would resolve the conflict." Judge its reasonableness yourself. The link I posted gave arguments for both sides. No one has an ownership for interpretation on evidence. We know that Herod ceased being "Caesar's friend" and that such a loss in status has for other men resulted in different treatment by history books. Herod may have relinquished official rulership three years before he died. Can you tell me what you think about that?