The Birth of the Messiah; A new updated edition: A Commentary on the Infancy Narratives in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke: The Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library

"A line-by-line exegesis . . . that not only synthesizes a generation of modern scholarship but also provides a coherent and compelling explanation of what the stories of Christ's birth were meant to convey. . . . Brown manages to rescue the Christmas story from both the contempt of experts and the sentimentality of naive laymen. . . . Ordinary Christians can thank this priestly scholar for helping them to put the adult Christ back into Christmas."—Newsweek

"A work of the highest critical historical scholarship in a form that is accessible to the average well-educated reader. . . . Brown's treatment of the infancy narratives is definitive. It will undoubtedly be the standard work on the subject for years to come."—Best Sellers

"Recommended to readers at all levels and without reservation."—America

"A masterly work. Every conclusion is argued with the utmost thoroughness."—The Catholic Bible Quarterly

"A magnificent tome, which puts previous studies in the shade and which promises to remain standard for a very long time. A superb study, rich in content, profound in insight."—The Living Church

"One of the premier events in biblical publishing. . . . One thing is sure: This book will become a classic study of the nature and message of the infancy narratives."—The Bible Today