It's Christmas, but not as you know it: a new book released this
week by Pope Benedict XVI looks at the early life of Jesus --
and debunks several myths about how the Nativity unfolded. In
"Jesus of Nazareth -- The Infancy Narratives," the pope says the
Christian calendar is actually based on a blunder by a sixth
century monk, who Benedict says was several years off in his
calculation of Jesus' birth date. According to the pope's
research, there is also no evidence in the Gospels that the
cattle and other animals traditionally pictured gathered around
the manger were actually present. He also debunks the claim that
angels sang at the birth, a staple theme of Christmas carols.
The book, which is being published in multiple languages in time
for Christmas, is the third in a series by the pontiff. The
previous two volumes dealt with Jesus' adult life and his public
ministry. Alessandro Speciale, Vatican correspondent for the
Religion News Service, told CNN the pope was not so much aiming
to debunk myths as tryin