[Jacob-list] Christmas sheep

[Susan Nielsen]

Miranda wrote: 


>someone asked me if the Jacob sheep were the ones at the manger on that first Christmas...


There are so many things about this question, I can hardly think where to begin. But at the most basic level, I think it would be incorrect to assume the breed we call Jacob is anything like unchanged in 2,000 years of husbandry. While there may be images in the ancient Middle East that resemble our beloved sheep, it would be astonishing to imagine shepherds had not laid their selective hand on the flocks through that time. Just look how Jacobs in North America and in England have diverged in a human generation. It's a good bet Jacob sheep were not present at the 'first Christmas.'



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