The Unending Evolution of Nativity Scenes

Nativity scenes have evolved from early visual depictions of Jesus's birth into a varied art form that still changes today. The earliest surviving examples of the wise men scene include a late 3rd or early 4th century fresco in the Priscilla catacombs in Rome, according to a 2016 essay by Yale professors Felicity Harley-McGowan and Andrew McGowan. Historians debate when three-dimensional nativities began, with one unconfirmed theory tying them to Pope Sixtus III in 432 CE. At the International Museum of Nativity Scene Art in Málaga, Spain, co-founder Antonio Díaz says contemporary displays include one in the style of Star Trek and another set in a war-besieged neighborhood.