An intriguing discovery in the Egyptian Sahara has unveiled what appears to be the oldest known nativity scene, dating back .

The Gospel of Luke says that when the shepherds went to Bethlehem ... Nativity imagery dominated Renaissance art. This first living Nativity scene – which was famously depicted by Italian ...

The figure is thought to have first appeared in Catalan nativity scenes in the 17th or 18th century, traditionally depicted as a peasant or shepherd wearing a barretina, a red Catalan cap.