Mary's Little Donkey

Product Information

This story of Jesus’ birth pictures St. Joseph as an old man, who has children from a previous marriage. The scene has Mary sitting on a donkey, led by Joseph’s son.

Mary traveled with Joseph on a donkey | Bibleview

We do not know the name or breed of the donkey that was used to carry Mary, who was pregnant at the time with Jesus. Mary was so pleased with Donkey! Joseph had just finished grooming him before she arrived. He was a beautiful donkey, and he and Mary bonded right away. After petting him for a few minutes, she said to him, “Donkey, you are already special to me, and I want to give you a special name. Most of the lady donkeys would have adopted him as their own little colt, but this was not to be. Just as Donkey thought he had found a foster mother, he would find himself on another farm. But God had not forgotten him. And finally, Donkey had accepted the fact that he might never know his natural mother, or have a foster mother. Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”The angel’s name is Gabriel, and I think ‘Gabriel’ would be a perfect name for you, Donkey. I’ll call you ‘Gabe’ for short!” Donkey looked at Mary and nuzzled her hand. His long ears twitched over a broad smile as if he understood her and was pleased with his new name! After all, he didn’t know another donkey in Nazareth that had been named for an angel!

Did Mary Really Ride on a Donkey into Bethlehem? - Crosswalk

Whatever it might have been, the road was arduous, and their journey encourages us along our own spiritual journey to the feast of Christmas.The trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem could have taken 4-6 days by foot to cover the 120 km or 75 mile journey. Jerusalem covered one square mile and had an estimated population of 200,000, with one million pilgrims annually, mainly arriving for the religious feasts. However, most modern biblical scholars say that it is more likely that the Holy Family traveled in a caravan of people.