For those interested in the problem of the Gospel infancy narratives, Pieter Craffert's framing of the issue in his book, The Life of a Galilean Shaman, is worth reading. He argues that shamanic figures like Jesus often acquired a story of their special birth, so it is not surprising that such stories are associated with him. Craffert covers many of the same issues discussed in the essay above. For more on his book, see here and here.
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