That's o.k., Spaw: After I find out everything I can, I'm gonna do what I'm gonna do. Isn't that the way we all do it? I suspect that you're right... nobody probably knows whether they used dogs for herding at the time of Christ.... Hey,it just occurred to me to pull out my Nave's Topical Bible. Who would think that you could look up "dog" and find anything. But here it is:

Job 30:1
"But now they make sport of me, those who are younger than I, whose fathers I would have disdained to set with the dogs of my flock."

By Golly, there were sheep dogs at the time of Job!!! I can see that there's been a serious oversight in telling the story of the Nativity.

I should have saved the time and asked a Border Collie. Actually, one has already told me the story of the first Christmas. When in doubt, believe the dog.

Jerry