Nativity of Jesus

# Nativity of Jesus

## Abstract

The nativity of Jesus, nativity of Christ, birth of Jesus or birth of Christ is documented in the biblical gospels of Luke and Matthew. The two accounts agree that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Judaea, that his mother, Mary, was engaged to a man named Joseph, who was descended from King David and was not his biological father, and that his birth was caused by divine intervention. Some scholars do not see the two canonical gospel nativity stories as historically factual since they present clashing accounts and irreconcilable genealogies. The secular history of the time does not synchronize with the narratives of the birth and early childhood of Jesus in the two gospels. Some view the question of historicity as secondary, given that gospels were primarily written as theological documents rather than chronological timelines.

The nativity is the basis for the Christian holiday of Christmas and plays a major role in the Christian liturgical year. Many Christians traditionally display small manger scenes depicting the nativity within or outside of their homes, or attend nativity plays or Christmas pageants focusing on the nativity cycle in the Bible. Elaborate nativity displays featuring life-sized statues are a tradition in many continental European countries during the Christmas season.

The artistic depiction of the nativity has been an important subject for Christian artists since the 4th century. Artistic depictions of the nativity scene since the 13th century have emphasized the humility of Jesus and promoted a more tender image of him, a major change from the early "Lord and Master" image, mirroring changes in the common approaches taken by Christian pastoral ministry during the same era.

## Gospel accounts

Only the Gospels of Matthew and Luke offer narratives regarding the birth of Jesus. Both agree that Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the reign of King Herod, that his mother was named Mary and that her husband Joseph was descended from King David (although they disagree on details of the line of descent), and both deny Joseph's biological parenthood while treating the birth, or rather the conception, as divinely effected.

Beyond this, they agree on very little. Joseph dominates Matthew's and Mary dominates Luke's, although the suggestion that one derives from Joseph and the other from Mary is no more than a pious deduction. Matthew implies that Joseph already has his home in Bethlehem, while Luke states that he lived in Nazareth. In Matthew the angel speaks to Joseph, while Luke has one speaking to Mary. Only Luke has the stories surrounding the birth of John the Baptist, the census of Quirinius, the adoration of the shepherds and the presentation in the Temple on the eighth day; only Matthew has the wise men, the star of Bethlehem, Herod's plot, the massacre of the innocents, and the flight into Egypt. The two itineraries are quite different. According to Matthew, the Holy Family begins in Bethlehem, moves to Egypt following the birth, and settles in Nazareth, while according to Luke they begin in Nazareth, journey to Bethlehem for the birth, and immediately return to Nazareth. The two accounts cannot be harmonised into a single coherent narrative or traced to the same Q source, leading scholars to classify them as "special Matthew" (or simply the M source) and "special Luke" (the L source).

## Gospel of Matthew

### Annunciation to Joseph

Mary the mother of Jesus was betrothed to Joseph, but was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Joseph intended to divorce her quietly, but an angel told him in a dream that he should take her as his wife and name the child Jesus, "because it is he who will save his people from their sins". This would fulfil the prophecy that a virgin would give birth to a son, who would be known as Emmanuel, meaning "God is with us". Joseph awoke, took Mary for his wife, did not have intercourse with her until she had given birth to a son, and gave him the name Jesus (Matthew 1:18–25).

These verses present a problem, for in the preceding Matthean genealogy of Jesus, Joseph has been shown to be the descendant of David (the angel addresses him as "son of David") and heir to the kingdom of Judah, but Matthew 1:16 reveals that Jesus is not Joseph's son, and Matthew is careful never to refer to him in this way. The role of Joseph in naming the child indicates that he is being legally adopted, and thus becoming, like his now-legal father, "son of David."

### Adoration of the magi

The birth took place in the town of Bethlehem in the region known as Judea to the Romans and Palestine to the Assyrians, in the time of King Herod (Herod the Great). Wise men from the East (the Magi) came to Jerusalem, asking where they could find the child born king of the Jews, for they had seen his star at its rising, and wished to pay him homage. Herod and all Jerusalem were afraid when they heard this, but Herod, learning from the chief priests and scribes that the messiah would be born in Bethlehem according to prophecy, sent the Magi there with instructions to return and tell him when they had found him. The Magi worshipped the child in Bethlehem and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, but an angel warned them in a dream not to return to Herod, and they returned home by another way.

### Massacre of the innocents, flight into Egypt, and return to Israel

When Herod learned that the Magi had tricked him, he was infuriated and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem under the age of two (the Massacre of the Innocents). This was in fulfilment of the prophet Jeremiah: "A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more." But an angel had appeared to Joseph in a dream and warned him to take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and the Holy Family remained there until Herod died to fulfil the words of the prophet, "Out of Egypt I have called my son." On the death of Herod an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him to return with the child and its mother to Israel, but Herod's son was now ruler of Judea, and after being warned in a dream Joseph went instead to Galilee, where he made his home in Nazareth "so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He will be called a Nazorean.""

In this chapter, the author of Matthew needs to establish that "Jesus of Nazareth" was in fact born in Bethlehem, the town where David was born, for the "son of David" born there will be "King of the Jews" (a designation that does not reappear in Matthew until the crucifixion). Herod's fear and the visit of the Magi underline the royal birth, as do the various prophetic texts quoted or referenced in this chapter.

## Gospel of Luke

In the Gospel of Luke, when Herod was king of Judea, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth in Galilee to announce to a virgin named Mary, who was betrothed to a man named Joseph, that a child would be born to her. The angel Gabriel announced that she was to name him Jesus, for he would be the son of God and rule over Israel forever. When the time of the birth drew near, Caesar Augustus commanded a census of Roman domains, and Joseph took Mary to Bethlehem, the ancient city of David, as he was of the House of David. Jesus was born in Bethlehem; since there was nowhere for them to stay in the town, the infant was laid in a manger while angels announced his birth to a group of shepherds who worshipped him as Messiah and Lord.

In accordance with the Jewish law, his parents presented the infant Jesus at the Temple in Jerusalem, where two people in the temple, Simeon and Anna the Prophetess, gave thanks to God who had sent his salvation. Joseph and Mary then returned to Nazareth.

## Date and place of birth

Matthew and Luke agree that Jesus was born in Bethlehem during the reign of Herod the Great. In Luke the newborn baby is placed in a manger "because there was no place in the katalyma. Katalyma might mean a private home (this has little support among scholars), or a room in a private home, or an inn, but it is impossible to be certain which is meant.

In the 2nd century, Justin Martyr stated that Jesus had been born in a cave outside the town, while the Protoevangelium of James described a legendary birth in a cave nearby. The Church of the Nativity inside the town, built by St. Helena, contains the cave-manger site traditionally venerated as the birthplace of Jesus, which may have originally been a site of the cult of the god Tammuz. In his Contra Celsum (1.51), Origen, who travelled throughout Palestine beginning in around 215, wrote of the "manger of Jesus".

The date of birth for Jesus of Nazareth is not stated in the gospels or in any secular text, but basing it on the death of Herod would place the date between 6 BC and 4 BC. The historical evidence is too ambiguous to allow a definitive date to be determined, but dates have been estimated through known historical events mentioned in the nativity accounts, by working backwards from the estimated start of the ministry of Jesus, or by associating the claimed astrological portents mentioned with actual historical astronomical alignments and phenomena.

## Themes and analogies

### Thematic analysis

Helmut Koester writes that while Matthew's narrative was formed in a Jewish environment, Luke's was modeled to appeal to the Greco-Roman world. In particular, while shepherds were regarded negatively by Jews in Jesus' time, they were seen in Greco-Roman culture as "symbols of a golden age when gods and humans lived in peace and nature was at harmony". C. T. Ruddick Jr. writes that Luke's birth narratives of Jesus and John were modeled on passages from Genesis, chapters 27–43. Regardless, Luke's nativity depicts Jesus as a savior for all people, tracing a genealogy all the way back to Adam, demonstrating his common humanity, and likewise for the lowly circumstances of his birth. Luke, writing for a gentile audience, portrays the infant Jesus as a savior for gentiles as well as Jews. Matthew uses quotations from Jewish scripture, scenes reminiscent of Moses ' life, and a numerical pattern in his genealogy to identify Jesus as a son of David, of Abraham, and of God. Luke's prelude is much longer, emphasizing the age of the Holy Spirit and the arrival of a savior for all people, both Jew and gentile.

Mainstream scholars interpret Matthew's nativity as depicting Jesus as a new Moses with a genealogy going back to Abraham, while Ulrich Luz views Matthew's depiction of Jesus at once as the new Moses and the inverse of Moses, and not simply a retelling of the Moses story. Luz also points out that in the massacre narrative, once again, a fulfilment quotation is given: Rachel, the ancestral mother of Israel, weeping for her dead children (Matthew 2:18).

Scholars who interpret Matthew as casting Jesus in the role of being a second Moses argue that, like Moses, the infant Jesus is saved from a murderous tyrant; and he flees the country of his birth until his persecutor is dead and it is safe to return as the savior of his people. In this view, the account in Matthew is based on an earlier narrative patterned on traditions about the birth of Moses. Moses' birth is announced to Pharaoh by Magi; the child is threatened and rescued; the male Israelite children are similarly put to death by an evil king.

According to Ulrich Luz, the beginning of the narrative of Matthew is similar to earlier biblical stories, e.g., the Annunciation of Jesus' birth (Matthew 1:18–25) is reminiscent of the biblical accounts of the births of Ishmael (Genesis 16:11, Genesis 17), Isaac (Genesis 21:1), Samson (Judges 13:3, 13:5), and recalls the Haggadic traditions of the birth of Moses. Yet in Luz's view, the contours appear, in part, strangely overlapped and inverted: "Egypt, formerly the land of suppression becomes a place of refuge and it is the King of Israel who now takes on the role of Pharaoh. Yet Matthew is not simply retelling the Moses story. Instead, the story of Jesus really is a new story: Jesus is at once the new Moses and the inverse of Moses."

### Old Testament parallels

Scholars have debated whether Matthew 1:22 and Matthew 2:23 refer to specific Old Testament passages. Fourth century documents such as the Codex Sinaiticus do not mention the prophet Isaiah in the statement in Matthew 1:22: "All this happened to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet", but some copies of Matthew from the 5th–6th centuries, such as the Codex Bezae, read "Isaiah the prophet". The statement in Matthew 1:23, "Behold the virgin shall be with child", uses the Greek term parthenos ("virgin") as in the Septuagint Isaiah, while the Book of Isaiah 7:14 uses the Hebrew almah, which may mean "maiden", "young woman", or "virgin". Raymond E. Brown states that the 3rd century BC translators of the Septuagint may have understood the Hebrew word almah to mean "virgin" in this context.

The statement in Matthew 2:23 that "he will be called a Nazarene" does not mention a specific passage in the Old Testament, and there are multiple scholarly interpretations as to what it may refer to. Barbara Aland and other scholars consider the Greek Ναζωραίος, Nazoréos used for 'Nazarene' of uncertain etymology and meaning, but M. J. J. Menken states that it is a demonym that refers to an "inhabitant of Nazareth". Menken also states that it may be referring to Judges 13:5 and 13:7. Gary Smith states that Nazirite may mean one consecrated to God, i.e. an ascetic; or may refer to Isaiah 11:1. The Oxford Bible Commentary states that it may be word-play on the use of nazirite, "Holy One of God," in Isaiah 4:3, meant to identify Jesus with the Nazarenes, a Jewish sect who differed from the Pharisees only in that they regarded Jesus as the Messiah. The Swiss theologian Ulrich Luz, who locates the Matthean community in Syria, has noted that Syrian Christians also called themselves Nazarenes.

## Christian theology

The theological significance of the Nativity of Jesus has been a key element in Christian teachings, from the early Church Fathers to 20th century theologians. The theological issues were addressed as early as Apostle Paul, but continued to be debated and eventually lead to both Christological and Mariological differences among Christians that resulted in early schisms within the Church by the 5th century.

### Birth of the new man

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible.

Paul the Apostle viewed the birth of Jesus as an event of cosmic significance which brought forth a "new man" who undid the damage caused by the fall of the first man, Adam. Just as the Johannine view of Jesus as the incarnate Logos proclaims the universal relevance of his birth, the Pauline perspective emphasizes the birth of a new man and a new world in the birth of Jesus. Paul's eschatological view of Jesus counter-positions him as a new man of morality and obedience, in contrast to Adam. Unlike Adam, the new man born in Jesus obeys God and ushers in a world of morality and salvation.

In the Pauline view, Adam is positioned as the first man and Jesus as the second: Adam, having corrupted himself by his disobedience, also infected humanity and left it with a curse as inheritance. The birth of Jesus, on the other hand, counterbalanced the fall of Adam, bringing forth redemption and repairing the damage done by Adam.

In patristic theology, Paul's contrasting of Jesus as the new man versus Adam provided a framework for discussing the uniqueness of the birth of Jesus and the ensuing events of his life. The nativity of Jesus thus began to serve as the starting point for "cosmic Christology" in which the birth, life and Resurrection of Jesus have universal implications. The concept of Jesus as the "new man" repeats in the cycle of birth and rebirth of Jesus from his nativity to his resurrection: following his birth, through his morality and obedience to the Father, Jesus began a new harmony in the relationship between God the Father and man. The nativity and resurrection of Jesus thus created the author and exemplar of a new humanity.

In the 2nd century Church Father Irenaeus writes:

When He became incarnate and was made man, He commenced afresh the long line of human beings, and furnished us, in a brief, comprehensive manner, with salvation; so that what we had lost in Adam – namely to be according to the image and likeness of God – that we might recover in Christ Jesus.

Irenaeus was also one of the early theologians to use the analogy of "second Adam and second Eve". He suggested the Virgin Mary as the "second Eve" and wrote that the Mary had "untied the knot of sin bound up by the virgin Eve" and that just as Eve had tempted Adam to disobey God, Mary had set a path of obedience for the second Adam (i.e. Jesus) from the Annunciation to Calvary so that Jesus could bring about salvation, undoing the damage of Adam.

In the 4th century, this uniqueness of the circumstances related to the nativity of Jesus, and their interplay with the mystery of the incarnation, became a central element in both the theology and hymnody of Ephrem the Syrian. For him, the uniqueness of the nativity of Jesus was supplemented with the sign of the majesty of the Creator through the ability of a powerful God to enter the world as a small newborn.

In the Middle Ages the birth of Jesus as the second Adam came to be seen in the context of Saint Augustine 's Felix culpa ("happy fall") and was intertwined with the popular teachings on the fall from grace of Adam and Eve. Augustine was fond of a statement on the nativity by Gregory of Nyssa and he quoted it five times: "Venerate the Nativity, through which you are freed from the bonds of an earthly nativity". He also liked to quote: "Just as in Adam all of us died, so too in Christ all of us will be brought to life".

The theology persisted into the Protestant Reformation, and second Adam was one of the six modes of atonement discussed by John Calvin. In the 20th century, leading theologian Karl Barth continued the same line of reasoning and viewed the nativity of Jesus as the birth of a new man who succeeded Adam. In Barth's theology, in contrast to Adam, Jesus acted as an obedient Son in the fulfilment of the divine will and was therefore free from sin and could hence reveal the righteousness of God the Father and bring about salvation.

### Christology

The nativity of Jesus impacted the Christological issues about the Person of Christ from the earliest days of Christianity. Luke's Christology centers on the dialectics of the dual natures of the earthly and heavenly manifestations of existence of the Christ, while Matthew's Christology focuses on the mission of Jesus and his role as the savior.

The belief in the divinity of Jesus leads to the question: "was Jesus a man to be born of a woman or was he God born of a woman?" A wide range of hypotheses and beliefs regarding the nature of the nativity of Jesus were presented in the first four centuries of Christianity. Some of the debates involved the title Theotokos (God bearer) for the Virgin Mary and began to illustrate the impact of Mariology on Christology. Some of these viewpoints were eventually declared as heresies, others led to schisms and the formation of new branches of the Church.

The salvific emphasis of Matthew 1:21 later impacted the theological issues and the devotions to the Holy Name of Jesus. Matthew 1:23 provides the only key to the Emmanuel Christology in the New Testament. Beginning with 1:23, Matthew shows a clear interest in identifying Jesus as "God with us" and in later developing the Emmanuel characterization of Jesus at key points throughout the rest of his Gospel. The name 'Emmanuel' does not appear elsewhere in the New Testament, but Matthew builds on it in Matthew 28:20 ("I am with you always, even unto the end of the world") to indicate that Jesus will be with the faithful to the end of the age. According to Ulrich Luz, the Emmanuel motif brackets the entire Gospel of Matthew between 1:23 and 28:20, appearing explicitly and implicitly in several other passages.

A number of ecumenical councils were convened in the 4th and 5th centuries to deal with these issues. The Council of Ephesus debated hypostasis (co-existing natures) versus Monophysitism (only one nature) versus Miaphysitism (two natures united as one) versus Nestorianism (disunion of two natures). The 451 Council of Chalcedon was highly influential and marked a key turning point in the Christological debates that divided the church of the Eastern Roman Empire in the 5th century. In Chalcedon the hypostatic union was decreed, namely that Jesus is both fully divine and fully human, making this part of the creed of orthodox Christianity.

In the 5th century, leading Church Father Pope Leo I used the nativity as a key element of his theology. Leo gave 10 sermons on the nativity and 7 have survived. The one on December 25, 451, demonstrates his concern to increase the importance of the feast of nativity and along with it emphasize the two natures of Christ in defense of the Christological doctrine of hypostatic union. Leo often used his nativity sermons as an occasion to attack opposing viewpoints, without naming the opposition. Thus Leo used the occasion of the Nativity feast to establish boundaries for what could be considered a heresy regarding the birth and nature of Christ.

In the 13th century, Thomas Aquinas addressed the Christologocal attribution of the nativity: if it should be attributed to the person (the Word) or only to the assumed human nature of that person. Aquinas treated nativity in 8 separate articles in Summa Theologica, each posing a separate question:

- "Does Nativity regard the nature rather than the Person?"

- "Should a temporal Nativity be attributed to Christ?"

- "Should the Blessed Virgin be called Christ's Mother?"

- "Should the Blessed Virgin be called the Mother of God?"

- "Are there two filiations in Christ?", etc.

To deal with this issue, Aquinas distinguishes between the person born and the nature in which the birth takes place. Aquinas thus resolved the question by arguing that in the hypostatic union Christ has two natures, one received from the Father from eternity, the other from his mother in time. This approach also resolved the Mariological problem of Mary receiving the title of Theotokos for under this scenario she is the " Mother of God ".

During the Reformation, John Calvin argued that Jesus was not sanctified to be "God manifested as Incarnate" (Deus manifestatus in carne) only due to his virgin birth, but through the action of the Holy Spirit at the instant of his birth. Thus Calvin argued that Jesus was exempt from original sin because he was sanctified at the moment of birth so that his generation was without blemish; as generation was blemishless before the fall of Adam.

## Impact on Christianity

### Christmas, the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord

Christian Churches celebrate the nativity of Jesus on Christmas, which is marked on December 25 by the Western Christian Churches, while many Eastern Christian Churches celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord on January 7 (in 20th and 21st century). This is not a disagreement over the date of Christmas as such, but rather a preference of which calendar (Gregorian or Julian) should be used to determine the day that is December 25. In the Council of Tours of 567, the Church, with its desire to be universal, "declared the twelve days between Christmas and Epiphany to be one unified festal cycle "; at this time, the disagreement was caused by using lunar calendars in Eastern provinces of the Empire. The liturgical season of Advent precedes, and is used to prepare for the celebration of Christmas. Customs of the Christmas season include completing an Advent daily devotional and Advent wreath, carol singing, gift giving, seeing Nativity plays, attending church services, and eating special food, such as Christmas cake. In many countries, such as Sweden, people start to set up their Advent and Christmas decorations on the first day of Advent. Liturgically, this is done in some parishes through a hanging of the greens ceremony.

### History of feasts and liturgical elements

In the 1st and 2nd centuries, the Lord's Day (Sunday) was the earliest Christian celebration and included a number of theological themes. In the 2nd century, the Resurrection of Jesus became a separate feast as Easter and in the same century Epiphany began to be celebrated in the Churches of the East on January 6. The celebration of the feast of the Magi on January 6 may relate to a pre-Christian celebration for the blessing of the Nile in Egypt on January 5, but this is not historically certain. The festival of the Nativity which later turned into Christmas was a 4th-century feast in the Western Church notably in Rome and North Africa, although it is uncertain exactly where and when it was first celebrated.

The earliest source stating December 25 as the date of birth of Jesus was Hippolytus of Rome (170–236), written very early in the 3rd century, based on the assumption that the conception of Jesus took place at the Spring equinox which he placed on March 25, and then added nine months. There is historical evidence that by the middle of the 4th century the Christian churches of the East celebrated the birth and Baptism of Jesus on the same day, on January 6, while those in the West celebrated a Nativity feast on December 25 (perhaps influenced by the Winter solstice); and that by the last quarter of the 4th century, the calendars of both churches included both feasts. The earliest suggestions of a feast of the Baptism of Jesus on January 6 during the 2nd century comes from Clement of Alexandria, but there is no further mention of such a feast until 361 when Emperor Julian attended a feast on January 6 in the year 361.

The Chronography of 354 illuminated manuscript compiled in Rome includes an early reference to the celebration of a Nativity feast. In a sermon delivered in Antioch on December 25, c. 386, John Chrysostom provides specific information about the feast there, stating that the feast had existed for about 10 years. By around 385 the feast for the birth of Jesus was distinct from that of the Baptism and was held on December 25 in Constantinople, Nyssa and Amaseia. In a sermon in 386, Gregory of Nyssa specifically related the feast of Nativity with that of the martyrdom of Saint Stephen, celebrated a day later. By 390 the feast was also held in Iconium on that day.

Pope Leo I established a feast of the "Mystery of Incarnation" in the 5th century, in effect as the first formal feast for the Nativity of Jesus. Pope Sixtus III then instituted the practice of Midnight Mass just before that feast. The feast was celebrated in Jerusalem by the 6th century, when Emperor Justinian declared Christmas to be a legal holiday.

In the 14th and 15th centuries, the theological importance of the nativity of Jesus was coupled with an emphasis on the loving nature of the child Jesus in sermons by figures such as Jean Gerson. In his sermons Gerson emphasized the loving nature of Jesus at his nativity, as well as his cosmic plan for the salvation of mankind.

By the early part of the 20th century, Christmas had become a "cultural signature" of Christianity and indeed of the Western culture even in countries such as the United States which are officially non-religious. By the beginning of the 21st century these countries began to pay more attention to the sensitivities of non-Christians during the festivities at the end of the calendar year.

### Transforming the image of Jesus

Early Christians viewed Jesus as "the Lord" and the word Kyrios appears over 700 times in the New Testament, referring to him as such. The use of the word Kyrios in the Septuagint Bible also assigned to Jesus the Old Testament attributes of an omnipotent God. The use of the term Kyrios, and hence the Lordship of Jesus, pre-dated the Pauline epistles, but Paul expanded and elaborated on the topic.

Pauline writings established among early Christians the Kyrios image, and attributes of Jesus as not only referring to his eschatological victory, but to him as the "divine image" (Greek εἰκών, eikōn) in whose face the glory of God shines forth. This image persisted among Christians as the predominant perception of Jesus for a number of centuries. More than any other title, Kyrios defined the relationship between Jesus and those who believed in him as Christ: Jesus was their Lord and Master who was to be served with all their hearts and who would one day judge their actions throughout their lives.

The lordship attributes associated with the Kyrios image of Jesus also implied his power over all creation. Paul then looked back and reasoned that the final lordship of Jesus was prepared from the very beginning, starting with pre-existence and the nativity, based on his obedience as the image of God. Over time, based on the influence of Anselm of Canterbury, Bernard of Clairvaux and others, the Kyrios image of Jesus began to be supplemented with a more "tender image of Jesus", and the Franciscan approach to popular piety was instrumental in establishing this image.

The 13th century witnessed a major turning point in the development of a new "tender image of Jesus" within Christianity, as the Franciscans began to emphasize the humility of Jesus both at his birth and his death. The construction of the nativity scene by Francis of Assisi was instrumental in portraying a softer image of Jesus that contrasted with the powerful and radiant image at the Transfiguration, and emphasized how God had taken a humble path to his own birth. As the Black Death raged in Medieval Europe, the two mendicant orders of Franciscans and Dominicans helped the faithful cope with tragedies. One element of the Franciscan approach was the emphasis on the humility of Jesus and the poverty of his birth: the image of God was the image of Jesus, not a severe and punishing God, but himself humble at birth and sacrificed at death. The concept that the omnipotent Creator would set aside all power in order to conquer the hearts of men by love and that he would have been helplessly placed in a manger was as marvelous and as touching to the believers as the sacrifice of dying on the cross in Calvary.

Thus by the 13th century the tender joys of the nativity of Jesus were added to the agony of his Crucifixion and a whole new range of approved religious emotions was ushered in, with wide-ranging cultural impacts for centuries thereafter. The Franciscans approached both ends of this spectrum of emotions. On one hand the introduction of the nativity scene encouraged the tender image of Jesus, while on the other hand Francis of Assisi himself had a deep attachment to the sufferings of Jesus on the Cross and was said to have received the stigmata as an expression of that love. The dual nature of Franciscan piety based both on joy of nativity and the sacrifice at Calvary had a deep appeal among city dwellers and as the Franciscan Friars travelled these emotions spread across the world, transforming the Kyrios image of Jesus to a more tender, loving, and compassionate image. These traditions did not remain limited to Europe and soon spread to the other parts of the world such as Latin America, the Philippines and the United States.

According to Archbishop Rowan Williams, this transformation, accompanied by the proliferation of the tender image of Jesus in Madonna and Child paintings, made an important impact within the Christian ministry by allowing Christians to feel the living presence of Jesus as a loving figure "who is always there to harbor and nurture those who turn to him for help".

## Hymns, art and music

### Canticles appearing in Luke

Luke's nativity text has given rise to four well-known canticles: the Benedictus and the Magnificat in the first chapter, and the Gloria in Excelsis and the Nunc dimittis in the second chapter. These "Gospel canticles" are now an integral part of the liturgical tradition. The parallel structure in Luke regarding the births of John the Baptist and Jesus, extends to the three canticles Benedictus (Song of Zechariah), the Nunc dimittis and the Magnificat.

The Magnificat, in Luke 1:46–55, is spoken by Mary and is one of the eight most ancient Christian hymns, perhaps the earliest Marian hymn. The Benedictus, in Luke 1:68–79, is spoken by Zechariah, while the Nunc dimittis, in Luke 2:29–32, is spoken by Simeon. The traditional Gloria in Excelsis is longer than the opening line presented in Luke 2:14, and is often called the "Song of the Angels" given that it was uttered by the angels in the Annunciation to the Shepherds.

The three canticles Benedictus, Nunc Dimittis and the Magnificat, if not originating in the Gospel of Luke, may have their roots in the earliest Christian liturgical services in Jerusalem, but their exact origins remain unknown.

### Visual arts

One of the most visible traditions during the Christmas season is the display of manger scenes depicting the nativity, usually in the form of statues or figurines, in private homes, businesses and churches, either inside or outside the building. This tradition is usually attributed to Francis of Assisi who was described as creating such a display at Greccio, Italy, in 1223 as related by St. Bonaventure in his Life of Saint Francis of Assisi written around 1260.

Before the tradition of building and displaying manger scenes developed, there were paintings depicting the subject. The earliest artistic depictions of the nativity were in the catacombs and on sarcophagi in Rome. As gentile visitors, the Magi were popular in these scenes, representing the significance of the arrival of the Messiah to all peoples. The ox and ass were also taken to symbolize the Jews and the gentiles, and have remained a constant since the earliest depictions. Mary was soon seated on a throne as the Magi visited.

Depictions of the nativity soon became a normal component of cycles in art illustrating both the Life of Christ and the Life of the Virgin. Nativity images also carry the message of redemption: God's unification with matter forms the mystery of the Incarnation, a turning point in the Christian perspective on Salvation.

In the Eastern Church painted icons of the nativity often correspond to specific hymns to Mary, e.g. to the Kontakion: "The Virgin today bringeth forth the Transubstantial, and the eart offereth a cave to the Unapproachable." In many Eastern icons of nativity (often accompanied by matching hymnody) two basic elements are emphasized. First the event portrays the mystery of incarnation as a foundation for the Christian faith, and the combined nature of Christ as divine and human. Secondly, it relates the event to the natural life of the world, and its consequences for humanity.

### Hymns, music and performances

Like 1st-century Jews, early Christians rejected the use of musical instruments in religious ceremonies and instead relied on chants and plainsong leading to the use of the term a cappella (in the chapel) for these chants.

One of the earliest nativity hymns was Veni redemptor gentium composed by Ambrose of Milan in the 4th century. By the beginning of the 5th century, the Spanish poet Prudentius had written "From the Heart of the Father" where the ninth stanza focused on the nativity and portrayed Jesus as the creator of the universe. In the 5th century the Gallic poet Sedulius composed "From the lands that see the Sun arise" in which the humility of the birth of Jesus was portrayed. The Magnificat, one of the eight most ancient Christian hymns and perhaps the earliest Marian hymn, is based on the Annunciation.

Romanus the Melodist had a dream of the Virgin Mary the night before the feast of the nativity, and when he woke up the next morning, composed his first hymn "On the Nativity" and continued composing hymns (perhaps several hundred) to the end of his life. Re-enactments of nativity, which are now called nativity plays, were part of the troparion hymns in the liturgy of Byzantine Rite churches, from Sophronius of Jerusalem in the 7th century. By the 13th century, the Franciscans had encouraged a strong tradition of popular Christmas songs in the native languages. Christmas carols in English first appear in a 1426 work of John Awdlay, a Shropshire chaplain, who lists twenty-five "caroles of Cristemas".

The largest body of musical works about Christ in which he does not speak are about the nativity. A large body of liturgical music, as well as a great deal of para-liturgical texts, carols and folk music exist about the nativity of Jesus. Christmas carols havecome to be viewed as a cultural-signature of the nativity of Jesus.

Most musical nativity narrations are not biblical and did not come about until church music assimilated opera in the 17th century. However, thereafter there was a torrent of new music, such as Heinrich Schütz 's 1660, Marc-Antoine Charpentier (Midnight Mass, Pastorals, Oratorio, instrumental music, 11 settings), The Christmas Story and Bach 's Christmas Oratorio in the 18th century, as well as Lisz's Christus, Berlioz 's L'Enfance du Christ (1850), Camille Saint-Saëns' Christmas Oratorio (1858), etc. John Milton 's classic 1629 poem Ode on the Morning of Christ's Nativity was used by John McEwan in 1901.

## Historical analysis

### Traditional views

According to some scholars, the two Gospel accounts of the nativity are historically accurate and do not contradict each other, with similarities such as the birthplace of Bethlehem and the virgin birth. George Kilpatrick and Michael Patella state that a comparison of the nativity accounts of Luke and Matthew show common elements in terms of the virgin birth, the birth at Bethlehem, and the upbringing at Nazareth, and that although there are differences in the accounts of the nativity in Luke and Matthew, a general narrative may be constructed by combining the two. A number of biblical scholars have attempted to show how the text from both narratives can be interwoven as a gospel harmony to create one account that begins with a trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem, where Jesus is born, followed by the flight to Egypt, and ending with a return to Nazareth.

Neither Luke nor Matthew claims their birth narratives are based on direct testimony. Raymond E. Brown suggested in 1973 that Joseph was the source of Matthew's account and Mary of Luke's, but modern scholars consider this "highly unlikely", given that the story emerged so late.

Roman Catholic scholars, such as John L. McKenzie, Raymond E. Brown, and Daniel J. Harrington express the view that due to the scarcity of ancient records, a number of issues regarding the historicity of some nativity episodes can never be fully determined, and that the more important task is deciding what the nativity narratives meant to the early Christian communities.

### Critical analysis

Many scholars do not see the Luke and Matthew nativity stories as historically factual, regarding them as laced with theology and presenting two different accounts and genealogies. For instance, they point to Matthew's account of the appearance of an angel to Joseph in a dream; the wise men from the East; the massacre of the innocents; and the flight to Egypt, which do not appear in Luke, which instead describes the appearance of an angel to Mary; the Roman census; the birth in a manger; and the choir of angels appearing to the shepherds in the fields. Sanders considers Luke's census, for which everyone returned to their ancestral home, not historically credible, as this was contrary to Roman practice; they would not have uprooted everyone from their homes and farms in the Empire by forcing them to return to their ancestral cities. Moreover, people were not able to trace their own lineages back 42 generations. More generally, according to Karl Rahner the gospels show little interest in synchronizing the episodes of the birth or subsequent life of Jesus with the secular history of the age. As a result, modern scholars do not use much of the birth narratives for historical information. Nevertheless, they are considered to contain some useful biographical information: Jesus being born near the end of the reign of Herod, during the reign of Emperor Augustus and his father being named Joseph are considered historically plausible.

Most modern scholars accept the Marcan priority hypothesis, that the Luke and Matthew accounts are based on the Gospel of Mark, but that the birth narratives come from the evangelists' independent sources, known as the M source for Matthew and the L source for Luke, which were added later.

While Géza Vermes and E. P. Sanders dismiss the accounts as pious fiction, Raymond E. Brown sees them as having been constructed from historical traditions which predate the Gospels. According to Brown, there is no uniform agreement among scholars on the historicity of the accounts, e.g., most of those scholars who reject the historicity of the birth at Bethlehem argue for a birth at Nazareth, a few suggest Capernaum, and others have hypothesized locations as far away as Chorazin. Bruce Chilton and archaeologist Aviram Oshri have proposed a birth at Bethlehem of Galilee, a site located 7 mi (11 km) from Nazareth at which remains dating to the time of Herod the Great have been excavated. Armand P. Tarrech states that Chilton's hypothesis has no support in either the Jewish or Christian sources, although Chilton seems to take seriously the statement in Luke 2:4 that Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem.

Many view the discussion of historicity as secondary, given that gospels were primarily written as theological documents rather than chronological timelines. For instance, Matthew pays far more attention to the name of the child and its theological implications than the actual birth event itself.


Beowulf (1999 film)

# Beowulf (1999 film)

## Abstract

Beowulf is a 1999 American science fantasy - action film loosely based on the Old English epic poem Beowulf. The film was directed by Graham Baker and written by Mark Leahy and David Chappe. Unlike most film adaptations of the poem, this version is a science-fiction / fantasy film that, according to one film critic, "takes place in a post-apocalyptic, techno-feudal future that owes more to Mad Max than Beowulf. " While the film remains fairly true to the story of the original poem, other plot elements deviate from the original poem (Hrothgar has an affair with Grendel's mother, and they have a child together, Grendel; Hrothgar's wife commits suicide).

## Plot

A castle-like outpost comes under attack by a creature, named Grendel, on a nightly basis. However, it refuses to attack the border lord Hrothgar. One of the outpost's residents, Pendra, escapes the following morning but is captured by a rival siege line who intend to kill her to prevent the outpost's evil from spreading. Pendra is saved by a mysterious warrior named Beowulf and rides with him, but when she realizes Beowulf is riding for the outpost, she runs back to the siege line and is killed. Beowulf meets Hrothgar and is permitted to stay to help slay the beast. Hrothgar, his daughter Kyra, and his military leader Roland suspect that Beowulf was sent by a rival family to avenge the death of their son Nivri, Kyra's former husband. However, Kyra's suspicions dissipate when she realizes that Beowulf can sense evil.

For a few nights, Hrothgar experiences nightmares about his late wife's suicide, triggered by a mysterious woman who stalks him in his sleep. When Grendel attacks during the day, Beowulf and Hrothgar's remaining soldiers are forced to confront Grendel. They evacuate the women and children to a sanctuary, but they are immediately slaughtered by Grendel. Beowulf manages to wound Grendel, but is also wounded in the process. As Kyra attends to Beowulf, Roland confesses his romantic feelings for her; however, she only sees him as a brother. After Beowulf recovers, Kyra reveals that Nivri was an abusive spouse and she killed him after he attempted to force himself on her. Beowulf believes she was justified. Beowulf faces Grendel again and severs its arm. Believing Grendel to be dead, the survivors celebrate and Roland is lured by the woman, who kills him.

Kyra discloses her romantic feelings to Beowulf and the two have sex. Afterwards, Beowulf reveals to Kyra that he is half-human because his mother was impregnated by Bael and he is only able to suppress his inner evil by battling evil. Beowulf senses the mysterious woman and rushes to find her. Kyra and Hrothgar return to the dining hall to find everyone dead, including Roland. They encounter her, who reveals herself to be Grendel's mother and Hrothgar as its father, hence why Grendel had spared him before. Hrothgar's unfaithfulness led to his wife's suicide. Hrothgar attempts to kill the succubus but is killed by Grendel. Beowulf arrives and kills the beast. Grendel's mother attempts to appeal to Beowulf's inner evil to seduce him, but fails and transforms into a giant humanoid spider -like creature. After Beowulf defeats her, their battle forces the outpost to collapse on itself. Beowulf and Kyra escape, and she convinces him to let her accompany him on his journeys.

## Cast

- Christopher Lambert as Beowulf

- Rhona Mitra as Kyra

- Oliver Cotton as Hrothgar

- Götz Otto as Roland

- Vincent Hammond as Grendel

- Charlie Robinson as Weaponsmaster

- Brent Jefferson Lowe as Will

- Roger Sloman as Karl

- Layla Roberts as Grendel's mother

- Patricia Velásquez as Pendral

## Production

The production was filmed in Romania. The film's end credits says: "Filmed on location in Romania". The specific location is the city of Rupea, in Transylvania.

## Themes

As with other Beowulf adaptations, the film reinterprets the poem, blending its original genre with " tropes from horror and soft pornography," but it also retains and expands on its original elements.

The film addresses the poem's plot point of Beowulf not having a wife or an heir, as it reveals Beowulf to be the same kind of creature as the monsters themselves, making him refusing to produce offspring. The poem's emphasis on genealogy is represented by humans and monsters mating with each other, with Grendel being the son of Hrothgar and Beowulf being the result of a god of darkness inseminating a woman. Beowulf and Grendel are shown as mirror images of each other, as the former harbors an internal struggle to contain his monstrous nature, while the latter was conceived by his mother as a revenge for an external oppression.

Grendel's mother is portrayed as a representation of monstrous female sexuality. She operates as a seductive succubus, giving birth to monsters, but can also shapeshift into a monster herself. This form resembles a dragon, an arachnid and a gorgon, not only evoking the Freudian Medusa's Head, but also evoking the archaic mother by resembling a vagina dentata with phallic talons. She also sexually attacks Hrothgar, inverting the trope of horror film monsters chasing after female leads.

## Music

The film's soundtrack mainly featured electronic and industrial songs from various artists and original score material by Juno Reactor 's Ben Watkins.

- Jonathan Sloate – "Beowulf"

- Front 242 – "Religion (Bass Under Siege mix by the Prodigy)"

- Pig – "No One Gets Out of Her Alive, Jump the Gun (Instrumental)"

- Gravity Kills – "Guilty (Juno Reactor remix)"

- Juno Reactor – "God is God"

- Fear Factory – "Cyberdyne"

- Laughing US – "Universe"

- KMFDM – "Witness"

- Lunatic Calm – "The Sound"

- Junkie XL – "Def Beat"

- Urban Voodoo – "Ego Box"

- 2wo – "Stutter Kiss"

- Spirit Feel – "Unfolding Towards the Light"

- Mindfeel – "Cranium Heads Out"

- Frontside – "Dammerung"

- Praga Khan – "Luv u Still"

- Anthrax – "Giving the Horns"

- Monster Magnet – "Lord 13"

## Critical response

Critical reaction to the film has been highly negative. The general criticisms for the film were the weak script, below-average acting, corny dialogue, deviations from the source material, and over-reliance on camp, although it was hailed for its production design. Danél Griffin of Film as Art said the film "understands that liberties must be taken with the poem's characters to create a more cinematic experience, and there are moments that, even in its liberties, it reveals a deep appreciation for the poem, and a profound understanding of its ideas. There are other moments, however, that seem so absurd and outlandish that we wonder if the writers, Mark Leahy and David Chappe, have even read the poem." Griffin added that "Lambert is certainly effective", but concluded that "clever ideas aside, the film is unfortunately mediocre at best. The set design and some of the revised storyline are both stupendous, but the overall experience makes for poor cinema."

Beyond Hollywood's review said that "genre films don't get any sillier than this", but called the film "above average". The review praised the film's "energetic action" and said that it "excels in set design", but added that "the techno (music) is pretty annoying." Calling the film "a cheesy post-apocalyptic update of the ancient tale", Carlo Cavagna of About Film praised the film's action scenes but felt that Lambert and Mitra had no chemistry.

Literature scholars have been negative as well. Michael Livingstone and John William Sutton are brief, calling it an "an otherwise ridiculous" film, though they say it well reflects the problematization of "black-and-white morality" "in our postmodern, post Vietnam, post-9/11 era." Commenting on the movie's proposed similarity between Beowulf and Grendel, they say, "although the film is cringingly hokey and melodramatic, it effectively illustrates the idea of the aeglaeca —that Beowulf and the monsters may have more in common than we care to admit."


Lee Wallace

# Lee Wallace

## Abstract

Lee Wallace (born 1 August 1987) is a Scottish former professional footballer. He represented the Scotland national team with 10 caps.

Wallace started his career Heart of Midlothian, making his debut in 2005 at age seventeen, and joined Rangers seven years later. He remained with the club upon its liquidation in 2012 and was awarded the club captaincy by the then-manager Mark Warburton in 2015. He re-joined Warburton at Queens Park Rangers in June 2019. Wallace has represented Scotland at both youth and full international level.

## Club career

### Heart of Midlothian

Wallace signed professional terms with Heart of Midlothian in July 2004, having progressed from the club's youth team. Wallace made his debut in the 2004–05 season against Kilmarnock in the Scottish Cup on 5 February 2005 and became a regular member of the first team squad although he found it hard to dislodge Takis Fyssas from the left back position. Wallace scored his first goal in the replay of the cup tie against Kilmarnock in which he had made his debut. He was not selected in the match squad for the 2006 Scottish Cup Final.

In the summer of 2006 fellow Scottish Premier League club Dundee United had a loan bid for Wallace rejected. A month later, Wallace signed a five-year contract with Hearts. Wallace was made Hearts vice-captain at the start of the 2010–11 season, however, a month later while representing Scotland in a Euro 2012 qualifier against Liechtenstein, he suffered a cruciate ligament injury following a late challenge by Martin Stocklasa. Despite returning at the start of 2011, he continued to be blighted by injury and he made only seven appearances for the rest of the season.

### Rangers

On 22 June 2011, Hearts rejected a bid of £300,000 from Rangers, deeming it as 'derisory'. A week later Rangers made an improved offer of £1m, which was also rejected. Hearts then placed a £3m price tag on Wallace. Wolverhampton Wanderers, then a Premier League side, had also expressed an interest in Wallace but did not make any offers. On 21 July 2011, a bid of £1.5m from Rangers was accepted by Hearts. Wallace signed a five-year deal with the club, becoming Ally McCoist 's second signing of the summer.

Wallace made his Rangers debut in the Champions League qualifier on 26 July 2011, in a 1–0 defeat, at the hands of Swedish side Malmo. Wallace scored his first goal for Rangers on Christmas Eve 2011 in a 2–1 defeat to St Mirren. Four days later he thought he had scored again on his Old Firm debut, but the goal was not given as it judged not to have crossed the line. Wallace scored his second goal for the club on 25 March 2012, against Old Firm rivals Celtic, it was the third goal in a 3–2 win for Rangers.

Following the liquidation of The Rangers Football Club plc, Wallace opted to transfer his contract to the new company. At the beginning of the 2012–13 season Wallace was appointed vice-captain. On 14 September 2012, Wallace signed a new five-year contract with Rangers. Wallace was sent off during a game against Annan on 18 December 2012, conceding a penalty which was saved by Rangers goalkeeper Neil Alexander. This red card was rescinded on appeal. Wallace started the first game of the 2013–14 season in a 4–0 win over Albion Rovers in the Scottish Challenge Cup. Wallace played in the first league game of the season in a 4–1 win over Brechin City at Ibrox.

Wallace was the subject of much transfer speculation and both Nottingham Forest and West Ham United have been credited with interest in him. Forest manager Billy Davies made a pair of cash bids for Wallace in a bid to take him to The City Ground in January 2014, but each approach was turned down by the then Rangers chief executive Graham Wallace as the offers did not match the clubs valuation. On 21 July 2015, Wallace assumed the captaincy following the departure of previous captain Lee McCulloch. He was later named club captain by new Rangers manager Mark Warburton on 16 August. Wallace opened the 2015–16 season campaign by scoring a brace in Rangers' 3–1 home victory over St Mirren on 7 August 2015. Wallace was officially appointed captain on a permanent basis prior to Rangers' 5–1 win over Alloa Athletic at Recreation Park on 16 August 2015.

On 5 April 2016, Wallace captained Rangers to a 1–0 home victory against Dumbarton to win the Scottish Championship and earn promotion to the top flight of Scottish football. He also led out the team in the 2016 Scottish Cup Final, the first major final in five years for Rangers. The match ended in a 3–2 win for opponents Hibernian, whose supporters staged a pitch invasion at the final whistle; some Rangers players were confronted in the process of leaving the field, with Wallace a particular target due to his association with their Edinburgh derby rivals Hearts, and he appeared to be struck by at least one person during the disturbance.

On 20 June 2016, Wallace signed a contract extension with Rangers until 2019. After signing, Wallace stated that he wanted to finish his career at Rangers. Wallace missed a 2016–17 Scottish League Cup match against Peterhead on 9 August 2016, which ended a run of consecutive competitive appearances at 69 that had begun in February 2015.

In September 2017, Wallace sustained a double hernia injury during a match against Partick Thistle. Initially ruled out for a few months, he did not play again in the 2017–18 season. Following a 4–0 defeat by Celtic in the 2017–18 Scottish Cup semi-finals, Wallace and teammate Kenny Miller were suspended by Rangers due to an alleged altercation with manager Graeme Murty. After an internal investigation Wallace was fined four weeks' wages by Rangers, the maximum amount permitted.

Wallace returned to the Rangers squad for pre-season activities in June 2018. New manager Steven Gerrard said that he hoped the dispute would be resolved, and that Wallace would fully recover from his long-term injury. At the outset of the campaign, he was replaced as club captain by James Tavernier. In early September, he was not included in the Rangers squad for the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League group stage; two days later, it was announced that he and Kenny Miller had won an appeal at a SPFL tribunal against the disciplinary action taken against them five months earlier, with the expectation they would make a financial claim against the club for the fines imposed. He would go on to make three substitute appearances in the 2018–19 season, getting a great reception from the Rangers supporters.

### Queens Park Rangers

On 14 June 2019, Wallace joined English Championship team Queens Park Rangers on a two-year deal upon the expiry of his Rangers contract. Wallace made his debut in a 2–0 loss against Leeds United where he played as a left-side centre-back. He scored his first goal for QPR on 5 January 2020 in the FA Cup against Swansea City. Wallace's off-field involvements included helping midfielder-turned-defender Ryan Manning who kept Wallace out of the left-back role in the team. His time during his first season at QPR was mainly hampered by injuries.

During the 2020-21 season, Wallace became a key figure in QPR's success during the second half of the season where they finished ninth in the Championship. For the month of March, Wallace was named Player of the Month as he helped keep 2 clean sheets and chipped in with assists in the games against Millwall and Reading. On 6 March 2021, Wallace captained his first QPR game in a 2–0 win against Bristol City due to the absence of Geoff Cameron and captained 9 games after that.

On 15 May 2021, Wallace agreed a new one-year contract keeping him at QPR until 2022.

## International career

Alongside Hearts team-mate Calum Elliot, Wallace was an integral part of the Scotland under-19 team that reached the final of the 2006 European Championships, where they lost 2–1 to Spain. He started every match at left back. Wallace made his full international debut for Scotland in October 2009, playing in a friendly against Japan in Yokohama. He continued to feature for Scotland under manager Craig Levein. In the Euro 2012 Qualifying match against Liechtenstein, Wallace suffered a serious injury to his posterior cruciate knee ligament.

Following Rangers' demotion to the Scottish Third Division, doubt was cast on Wallace's future international career by Craig Levein. However, on 31 January 2013, Wallace was named in the first squad of newly appointed Scotland manager Gordon Strachan. Wallace was named in the Scotland squad to face Croatia but late pulled out due to injury.

In August 2013, Rangers teammate David Templeton expressed his surprise at the omission of Wallace from the Scotland squad for the special challenge match with England. Manager Ally McCoist urged Wallace to use being overlooked for the international at Wembley as motivation to push into future Scotland squads. Wallace was recalled to the Scotland squad for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers with Belgium and Macedonia. Wallace was left out of the squad in March 2014, as Strachan gave Andrew Robertson a first selection.

After over two years out of the national team, Wallace was recalled for friendlies against Italy and France in May 2016. He subsequently pulled out of the squad, along with teammates Chris Martin and Alan Hutton, for unknown reasons. Wallace played in a 2018 World Cup qualifier against England at Wembley in November 2016, due to injuries to Robertson and Kieran Tierney.

## Coaching career

On 27 March 2015, Wallace joined the coaching team at East of Scotland Football League side Tynecastle. Although his playing career will take precedence, Wallace aimed to combine both roles. He was in the away dugout as Rangers Under-20s played Tynecastle at Rangers Training Centre in July 2015.

Wallace is now an assistant coach for the under-18 team at Heart of Midlothian.

## Personal life

In August 2006, Wallace was charged with a firearms offence. Three months later, he admitted being in possession of an airgun and was fined £1,500. In May 2009, he was arrested and charged with breach of the peace outside an Edinburgh nightclub after allegedly threatening to shoot the doormen, however, this charge was later dropped and Wallace was fined £1,100 after admitting two charges of breach of the peace.

## Career statistics

## Honours

Rangers

- Scottish Championship: 2015–16

- Scottish Challenge Cup: 2015–16

- Scottish League One: 2013–14

- Scottish Third Division: 2012–13

Individual

- Scottish Premier League Young Player of the Month: February 2009

- Heart of Midlothian Players' Player of the Year: 2008–09, 2009–10

- Rangers Player of the Year: 2013–14, 2015–16

- Rangers Players' Player of the Year: 2012–13, 2013–14

- John Greig Special Achievement Award: 2015–16

- PFA Scotland Third Division Player of the Year: 2012–13

- PFA Scotland Third Division Team of the Year: 2012–13

- PFA Scotland League One Player of the Year: 2013–14

- PFA Scotland League One Team of the Year: 2013–14

- PFA Scotland Championship Player of the Year: 2015–16

- PFA Scotland Championship Team of the Year: 2015–16


Samsung TV Plus

# Samsung TV Plus

## Abstract

Samsung TV Plus is a free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service owned by Samsung Electronics that was first introduced in 2015. The platform was designed to provide free, live streaming content for users with Samsung devices.

As of 2022, the service was available in 24 countries and is viewable within a multitude of Samsung products due to its integration with the Tizen operating system. Samsung TV Plus was one of the five most-used apps on the company's smart TVs in September 2020.

## Programming

The service currently has over 350+ live channels, each grouped into various categories. Channels available in the United States have included:

### News

- CBS News 24/7 – Channel No. 1110

- LiveNOW from Fox – Channel No. 1116

- ABC News Live – Channel No. 1112

- NBC News NOW – Channel No. 1114

- Bloomberg TV + UHD – Channel No. 1155

- Yahoo! Finance – Channel No. 1165

- Newsmax – Channel No. 1170

- Real America's Voice – Channel No. 1175

- TYT Network – Channel No. 1185

- Fox Weather - Channel No. 1130

- Scripps News - Channel No. 1119

- Bloomberg Originals - Channel No. 1160

- BBC News - Channel No. 1140

- Sky News - Channel No.1145

- CBC News - Channel No.1150

- The First - Channel No.1180

### Entertainment

- ALL ACTION – Channel No. 1050

- ION – Channel No. 1051

- Stories by AMC – Channel No. 1052

- TV Land Drama – Channel No. 1055

- Heartland – Channel No. 1058

- Drama Life – Channel No. 1060

- Bounce XL – Channel No. 1061

- ION Plus – Channel No. 1062

- The Walking Dead – Channel No. 1065 – includes other The Walking Dead franchise content

- 21 Jump Street – Channel No. 1066

- Degrassi – Channel No. 1067

- Lucky Dog – Channel No. 1068

- The Bob Ross Channel – Channel No. 1069

- Clarity 4K – Channel No. 1070

- Danger TV – Channel No. 1072

- Magellan TV Now – Channel No. 1073

- ElectricNOW – Channel No. 1074

- Nosey – Channel No. 1078

- REELZ Famous & Infamous – Channel No. 1080

- Circle Country – Channel No. 1425

- Shades of Black – Channel No. 1084

- Backstage – Channel No. 1085

- VICE – Channel No. 1086

- Revry – Channel No. 1089

- Shout! Factory – Channel No. 1090

- Dove Channel – Channel No. 1091

- Chicken Soup for the Soul – Channel No. 1092

- MHz Now – Channel No. 1096

- Brat TV – Channel No. 1101

- Mixible – Channel No. 1103

- Fox Soul – Channel No. 1104

- People TV – Channel No. 1105

- Rotten Tomatoes – Channel No. 1106

- Hollywire – Channel No. 1107

- Grit Xtra – Channel No. 1111

- Cowboy Way – Channel No. 1112

- Fireplace 4K – Channel No. 1221

- INFAST – Channel No. 1237

- TV Land Sitcoms – Channel No. 1326

- BET (Pluto TV) – Channel No. 1059

### Movies

- The Movie Hub – Channel No. 1450

- Paramount Movie Channel – Channel No. 1452

- Hallmark Movies & More – Channel No. 1455

- Holiday Movie Favorites by Lifetime – Channel No. 1456

- MovieSphere – Channel No. 1457

- FilmRise Free Movies – Channel No. 1459

- Pluto TV Fantastic – Channel No. 1461

- FilmRise Action – Channel No. 1463

- Documentary+ – Channel No. 1466

- Maverick Black Cinema – Channel No. 1468

- Gravitas Movies – Channel No. 1474

- CINEVAULT: Classics – Channel No. 1478

- CINEVAULT: 80’s – Channel No. 1479

- CINEVAULT: Westerns – Channel No. 1482

- Pluto TV Westerns – Channel No. 1484

- FilmRise Western – Channel No. 1488

- The Preview Channel – Channel No. 1491

- Home.Made.Nation – Channel No. 1216

### Reality and Infotainment

{{columns-list|colwidth=10em|

- All-Out Reality – Channel No. 1230

- Duck Dynasty – Channel No. 1232 – includes other Duck Commander content

- Deal Zone – Channel No. 1233

- Ice Road Truckers – Channel No. 1234

- Ax Men – Channel No. 1235

- Pawn Stars - Channel No. 2714

- All Weddings WE TV – Channel No. 1238

- All Reality WE TV – Channel No. 1239

- Hell’s Kitchen – Channel No. 1240 – includes other Gordon Ramsay content

- Kitchen Nightmares – Channel No. 1241 – includes other Gordon Ramsay content

- The Hotel Inspector – Channel No. 1242

- Project Runway – Channel No. 1243

- Operation Repo – Channel No. 1244

- MTV (Pluto TV) – Channel No. 1245

- Love & Hip Hop – Channel No. 1246

- The Challenge – Channel No. 1247

- Dallas Cowboys Cheer – Channel No. 1248

- Perform – Channel No. 1249

- Dance Moms – Channel No. 1250

- Matched Married Meet – Channel No. 1251

- IGN – Channel No. 1351

- Minecraft – Channel No. 1363

- Samsung Wild Life Channel No. 1400

- Military Heroes – Channel No. 1402

- Modern Marvels – Channel No. 1403

- Love Nature 4K – Channel No. 1404

- TED – Channel No. 1405

- PBS Digital Studios – Channel No. 1406

- Xplore – Channel No. 1407

- Rovr.Pets – Channel No. 1409

- InWonder – Channel No. 1410

- WeatherSpy – Channel No. 1412

- Stingray Naturescape – Channel No. 1415

- WWE Superstar Central By A&E - Channel No. 2904

### Food and Drink

- Plated – Channel No. 1200

- Tastemade – Channel No. 1201

- Bon Appetit – Channel No. 1202

- Gusto TV – Channel No. 1203

- America’s Test Kitchen – Channel No. 1204

- Hungry – Channel No. 1206

- Tastemade Travel – Channel No. 1207

- Journy – Channel No. 1208

- Home Refresh – Channel No. 1209

- Million Dollar Listing – Channel No. 1210

- Tiny House Nation – Channel No. 1211

- Antiques Roadshow – Channel No. 1212

- This Old House – Channel No. 1213

- This Old House Makers.- Channel No. 1214

- The Design Network – Channel No. 1215

- BBC Home – Channel No. 1217

- BBC Food – Channel No. 1218

- Tastemade Home – Channel No. 1219

- Loupe 4K – Channel No. 1220

- QVC – Channel No. 1223

- HSN – Channel No. 1224

- Localish – Channel No. 1226

### Sports

- MLB Channel - Channel No. 1001

- CBS Sports HQ – Channel No. 1152

- T2 – Channel No. 1154

- GOLFPASS – Channel No. 1155

- beIN SPORTS XTRA – Channel No. 1157

- fubo Sports Network – Channel No. 1158

- Stadium – Channel No. 1159

- Pac-12 Insider – Channel No. 1161

- ACC Digital Network – Channel No. 1162

- Origin Sports – Channel No. 1163

- TNA Wrestling – Channel No. 1164

- FTF – Channel No. 1167

- EDGEsport – Channel No. 1169

- SURF NOW TV – Channel No. 1173

- Outside – Channel No. 1178

- FUEL TV – Channel No. 1179

- Whistle TV – Channel No. 1180

- People Are Awesome – Channel No. 1181

- Outdoor America – Channel No. 1182

- Waypoint TV – Channel No. 1184

- Pursuit UP – Channel No. 1185

- World Poker Tour – Channel No. 1187

- Ride or Drive – Channel No. 1188

- Top Gear – Channel No. 1189

- MAVTV Select – Channel No. 1190

- PowerNation – Channel No. 1191

- MotorTrend Fast TV – Channel No. 1192

- NHRA TV – Channel No. 1193

- MOTORVISION.TV – Channel No. 1194

- Cars – Channel No. 1195

- Torque – Channel No. 1196

- Fox Sports - Channel No 2334

- Dome - Channel No. 1003

- NBC Sports - Channel No 2338

- DraftKings - Channel No.2358

- SportsGrid -Channel No. 2362

### Game shows

- BUZZR – Channel No. 1139

- Game Show Central – Channel No. 1141

- Deal or No Deal – Channel No. 1143

- Fear Factor – Channel No. 1144

- Wipeout Xtra – Channel No. 1145

- Wild 'n Out – Channel No. 1147

- Supermarket Sweep – Channel No. 1142

### Kids

{{columns-list|colwidth=10em|

- PBS Kids – Channel No. 1376

- Nickelodeon (Pluto TV) – Channel No. 1379

- Moonbug Kids – Channel No. 1383

- The LEGO Channel – Channel No. 1385

- pocket.watch – Channel No. 1389

- Toon Goggles – Channel No. 1391

- TG Junior – Channel No. 1392

- Kidoodle.TV – Channel No. 1395

- ZooMoo – Channel No. 1398

- Hot Wheels Action - Channel No. 3614

- Fireman Sam - Channel No. 3636

- My Little Pony - Channel No 3653

- Barbie and friends - Channel No. 3613

- Blippi - Channel No. 3630

- Transformers - Channel No.3685

- Caillou - Channel No. 3633

- Baby Einstein - Channel No. 3639

## Availability

Samsung TV Plus has been pre-installed on all Samsung TVs since 2016. Since April 2021, the service has also been available on Samsung mobile devices (available from the Galaxy Store) and Smart monitors. Select Family Hub refrigerators can also be connected to Samsung TV Plus in the U.S. and Korea.

In January 2023, Samsung announced it was rolling out Samsung TV Plus onto non-Samsung TVs in the form of an installable app, specifically in an integration with TCL TVs.


The Delicious One

# The Delicious One

## Abstract

The Delicious One (otherwise known as TDO for short) is the mascot of Wienerschnitzel. The Delicious One is an anthropomorphic chili dog. In advertisements, everybody wants to eat the Delicious One, which he fails to understand. The adverts typically end with The Delicious One running away screaming, in fear of being eaten.

## History

Wienerschnitzel created antenna toppers with the Delicious One on them holding a small, yellow box with a scared expression. There are also alternate versions of this antenna (one with the Delicious One wearing an Uncle Sam hat). In 2011, Wienerschnitzel released antenna toppers known as the Golden Wienie.

## Television advertisements

In the commercials featuring the Delicious One, the Wienerschnitzel slogan "The World's Most Wanted Wiener" (which is also one of the alternative names for the Delicious One) is used. This is an outdated slogan, and the only time it is used now is in those commercials. Here are the commercials with the Delicious One:

- "Tea party": TDO runs into a little girl's bedroom and hides in her closet. She then wakes up, and, upon discovering him, decides to have a tea party with him. Her parents then enter and when she asks them if they can keep TDO, the father replies, "Oh, yeah. We can keep him." However, upon realizing that the father wants to eat him, TDO gasps wide-eyed, drops his cup of tea, and runs off screaming in terror.

- "Hawaii": TDO is on vacation at Hawaii, when a boat sails by and the driver tells his crew that they can now find their own food. This makes TDO spit his drink out, get off his hammock, and run off (but ends up crashing into a twig).

- "Saloon": TDO enters a saloon and says to the bartender, "It says outside that you serve hot dogs!" The bartender then puts a jar of mustard next to TDO and replies, "We do." Realizing that the man is going to try and eat him, TDO runs off screaming in terror.

- "Impostor":

- "Chili": TDO dances to promote Wienerschnitzel's new chili. Then he says, "Yum. Chili."

- "Exercise": TDO is exercising in his house, then goes outside and goes on a "jog" by having people run after him.

- "Blubber": TDO is sick of just having blubber with eskimos and suggests they have something spicy and hot. One of the eskimos then ask TDO (wide-eyed), "Like a chili dog?", to which TDO says yes, but after realizing his error, says no and that blubber's better. This makes the hot dog run away screaming.

- "Human Resource": TDO is at work complaining to the Human Resources manager about him constantly being harassed at work. While his co-workers make obscene gestures to him outside the office, after TDO asks the manager what she's gonna do about it, she replies, "Honestly... I'd say you're asking for it!" and closes the blinds on the two men, and TDO's scream can be heard. The chili dog then flees, screaming.

- "Predator": A spoof of To Catch a Predator. A man named Josh is expecting a date, but instead finds a man and a camera crew, and the man asks him embarrassing questions and finds ketchup and mustard jars in his backpack, and when asked if there was relish in the car, Josh nervously replies, "Yeah."

- "Gotcha" (2008): TDO is running from a young woman in a college dorm and crawls under the door into a student's room and hides under the bed's blankets and is almost caught by the girl, who ends up grabbing a sleeping man's crotch. This results in the girl, man, and TDO screaming in terror together. TDO then flees, screaming in terror.

- "Play Me": TDO dances to The Chubbies' song " Play Me " to promote Wienerschnitzel's new chili cheeseburger and chili cheese dog, which are both covered in cheese and smothered in chili.

## See Also

- Dancing Hot Dog


1887 in Germany

# 1887 in Germany

## Abstract

Events in the year 1887 in Germany.

## Incumbents

### National level

- Kaiser – William I

- Chancellor – Otto von Bismarck

### State level

#### Kingdoms

- King of Bavaria – Otto

- King of Prussia – William I

- King of Saxony – Albert

- King of Württemberg – Charles

#### Grand Duchies

- Grand Duke of Baden – Frederick I

- Grand Duke of Hesse – Louis IV

- Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin – Frederick Francis II

- Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – Frederick William

- Grand Duke of Oldenburg – Peter II

- Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach – Charles Alexander

#### Principalities

- Schaumburg-Lippe – Adolf I, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe

- Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt – George Albert, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt

- Schwarzburg-Sondershausen – Charles Gonthier, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

- Principality of Lippe – Woldemar, Prince of Lippe

- Reuss Elder Line – Heinrich XXII, Prince Reuss of Greiz

- Reuss Younger Line – Heinrich XIV, Prince Reuss Younger Line

- Waldeck and Pyrmont – George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont

#### Duchies

- Duke of Anhalt – Frederick I, Duke of Anhalt

- Duke of Brunswick – Prince Albert of Prussia (regent)

- Duke of Saxe-Altenburg – Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg

- Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha – Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

- Duke of Saxe-Meiningen – Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

#### Colonial Governors

- Cameroon (Kamerun) – Julius Freiherr von Soden (1st term) to 13 May, then Jesko von Puttkamer (1st term) to 4 October, then Eugen von Zimmerer (1st term)

- German East Africa (Deutsch-Ostafrika) – Karl Peters (administrator)

- German New Guinea (Deutsch-Neuguinea) – Gustav von Oertzen (commissioner) to January; also Georg Freiherr von Schleinitz (Landeshauptleute of the German New Guinea Company)

- German South-West Africa (Deutsch-Südwestafrika) – Heinrich Ernst Göring (acting commissioner)

- Togoland – Ernst Falkenthal (commissioner) to May, then from July Jesko von Puttkamer (acting commissioner) (1st term)

- Wituland (Deutsch-Witu) – Gustav Denhardt (resident)

## Events

- 21 February – German federal election, 1887

- 18 June – Reinsurance Treaty in Berlin

- 29 September – Football club Hamburger SV was founded.

### Undated

- The Petri dish is created by German bacteriologist Julius Richard Petri.

- Heinrich Hertz discovers the photoelectric effect on the production and reception of electromagnetic waves in radio, an important step towards the understanding of the quantum nature of light.

- Adolf Gaston Eugen Fick invents the contact lens, made of a type of brown glass.

- Physikalisch-Technische Reichsanstalt is founded.

- Friedrich Loeffler creates Löffler's serum, a coagulated blood serum used for the detection of the bacteria.

## Births

- 1 January – Wilhelm Canaris, German Imperial admiral and head of the German Abwehr (died 1945)

- 3 January – August Macke, German painter (died 1914)

- 7 January – Thomas Wimmer, German politician (died 1964)

- 29 January – Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia, German nobleman (died 1949)

- 6 February – Josef Frings, German cardinal of Roman Catholic Church (died 1978)

- 8 February – Heinrich Spoerl, German author (died 1955)

- 20 March – Walther Kittel, Wehrmacht general (died 1971) in Metz, modern-day France

- 21 March – Erich Mendelsohn, German architect (died 1953)

- 2 April – Louise Schroeder, German politician (died 1957)

- 19 April – Wolrad, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe, German nobleman (died 1962)

- 2 June – Gottlieb Hering, Nazi concentration camp commandant (died in 1945)

- 13 June – Bruno Frank, German author, poet, dramatist and humanist (died 1945)

- 20 June – Kurt Schwitters, German artist (died 1958)

- 23 June – Ernst Rowohlt, German publisher (died 1960)

- 22 July – Gustav Ludwig Hertz, physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1975)

- 25 July – Carl Freiherr von Langen, German equestrian (died 1934)

- 8 August – Gertrud Morgner, German politician (died 1978)

- 9 August – Hans Oster, German general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany who was also a leading figure of the German resistance (died 1945)

- 22 August – Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk, German politician (died 1977)

- 3 September – Max Brauer, German politician (died 1973)

- 22 September – Hans Schlossberger, German physician (died 1960)

- 23 September – Wilhelm Hoegner, German politician (died 1980)

- 10 November – Hans Ehard, German politician (died 1980)

- 11 November – Walther Wever, German general, pre-World War II Luftwaffe commander (died 1936)

- 24 November – Erich von Manstein, German commander of the Wehrmacht,(died 1973)

- 6 December – Heinrich von Vietinghoff, German general (died 1952)

- 28 December – Walter Ruttmann, German director (died 1941)

## Deaths

- 17 July – Walther Otto Müller, German botanist (born 1833)

- 14 August – Adolf Pansch, German anatomist (born 1841)

- 29 September – Bernhard von Langenbeck, German surgeon (born 1819)

- 17 October – Gustav Kirchhoff, German physicist (born 1824)


Michel Qissi

# Michel Qissi

## Abstract

Michel Qissi (Arabic: ميشيل قيسي; born Mohammed Qissi on 12 September 1962) is a Moroccan Belgian actor and filmmaker best known for his action films. Qissi is the co-founder of The World Cinema Combat Federation (WCCF), an organization he formed with Grand Master Beom Jhoo Lee which teaches fight choreography in filmmaking.

Qissi is trained in Shotokan, Muay Thai, and kickboxing, and competed as an amateur boxer. In 1982, he emigrated to Hollywood together with childhood friend Jean-Claude Van Damme in search of becoming an action star. Bloodsport (1988) was their first major film. The two previously collaborated on Breakin' (1984), and went on to appear in Kickboxer (1989), in which Qissi portrayed the Thai villain Tong Po, Lionheart (1990), and Kickboxer: Vengeance (2016). Qissi also had the role of a fight trainer for Van Damme in the film Cyborg (1989) and served as choreographer on Kickboxer.

He starred in his directorial debut film Terminator Woman (1993), opposite Karen Sheperd and Jerry Trimble. He directed, co-wrote, and starred in Extreme Force (2001), which became a vehicle for Argentinian martial arts star Héctor Echavarría. Aside from his American films, he has also worked in Moroccan films and television series. In 2014, he directed and starred in the well-received action adventure film Bara, which was shot in Tata, Morocco.

## Early life

Qissi was born in Oujda, Morocco, and moved to Brussels, Belgium, at the age of 2. He commenced training in boxing at seven years old, and became an amateur champion in his weight class at 17. He also went on to study Shotokan Karate, Muay Thai and Kickboxing. He befriended Jean-Claude Van Damme at an early age and they grew up together with the same love for action films and training in martial arts. Growing up, he was inspired by Bruce Lee and Muhammad Ali.

## Film career

In 1982, Qissi and Van Damme moved to the United States in the hope of becoming action stars. In 1984 they both were cast as extras in the film Breakin', before landing their big break in 1986. After obtaining an interview with Menahem Golan of Cannon Films, they secured a three-picture deal, the first of which was the highly successful Bloodsport, in which Van Damme starred and Qissi had a small role as a tournament fighter named Suan Paredes. In 1989, Qissi and Van Damme teamed up again for the film Kickboxer, in which Van Damme was the protagonist once more and Qissi the film's main villain, Tong Po. Qissi was also a choreographer on the film. His role as Tong Po provided visual inspiration for the Mortal Kombat character Goro.

Qissi had the role of a fight trainer for Van Damme in the sci-fi film Cyborg (1989).

1990 saw Qissi and Van Damme make the film Lionheart, in which Qissi's brother, Abdel, played the villain. This was to be the last film Van Damme and Qissi made together for 26 years. They briefly appeared together in Kickboxer: Vengeance (2016).

In 1991, Qissi reprised his role as Tong Po in Kickboxer 2 (1991). He also appeared in Bloodmatch, alongside Thom Mathews, Hope Marie Carlton, Marianne Taylor, Vincent Klyn, and Benny Urquidez. In 1993, he starred in his directorial debut film Terminator Woman, opposite Karen Sheperd and Jerry Trimble. He directed, co-wrote, and starred in Extreme Force (2001), which became a vehicle for Argentinian martial arts star Héctor Echavarría.

Aside from his American films, Qissi has also worked in Moroccan films and television series. He has said regarding Moroccan cinema, "Moroccan cinema remains a school where management is done with very modest and simple resources." He has praised Moroccan filmmakers such as Ibrahim Shukri, Yassin Fannan, Mohamed Nasrat, and Said Naciri.

In 2014, Qissi directed and starred in the action adventure movie Bara with Salar Zarza. The film, which was shot in the Sahara, in Tata, Morocco, was shown in theaters in major Moroccan cities and was extremely well received by audiences.

## Influence

His role as Tong Po provided visual inspiration for the Mortal Kombat character Goro.

## Personal life

His brother is Abdel Qissi, also an actor.


Estelle (Arrigas)

# Estelle (Arrigas)

## Abstract

Estelle is a hamlet in the Cévennes region of France in the peripheral zone of a national park. It has a population of around twenty permanent residents and twenty holiday homes. Estelle (Estela) is occitan for "star". The village belongs to the commune of Arrigas. The closest sizeable town is Le Vigan, capital town of Cévennes.

43°58′26″N 3°28′0″E / 43.97389°N 3.46667°E


Dorrego (Buenos Aires Underground)

# Dorrego (Buenos Aires Underground)

## Abstract

Dorrego is a station on Line B of the Buenos Aires Underground. The station was opened on 17 October 1930 as part of the inaugural section of the line between Federico Lacroze and Callao.

It is located at the intersection of Avenida Corrientes and Avenida Dorrego, and named after the latter. One of the corners of the Parque de los Andes is also located at that intersection. The station connects with Villa Crespo Station of the San Martín Line commuter rail service, as well as Metrobus Juan B. Justo.


Inside plant

# Inside plant

## Abstract

In telecommunications, the term inside plant has the following meanings:

- All the cabling and equipment installed in a telecommunications facility, including the main distribution frame (MDF) and all the equipment extending inward therefrom, such as PABX or central office equipment, MDF heat coil protectors, and grounding systems.

- In radio and radar systems, all communications-electronics (C-E) equipment that is installed in buildings.

Around the turn of the 21st century, DSLAMs became an important part of telephone company inside plant. Inside plant will also have distribution frames and other equipment including passive optical network (name depends on the Service Provider).

## Power

A typical power system for a switching office in an inside plant consists of the elements listed below:

- AC power system AC input switch gear Standby AC plant (where appropriate) AC distribution system (essential and non-essential loads) AC backup systems for uninterruptible loads and protected loads

- AC input switch gear

- Standby AC plant (where appropriate)

- AC distribution system (essential and non-essential loads)

- AC backup systems for uninterruptible loads and protected loads

- DC power system Rectifiers and plant controls Storage batteries DC distribution system.

- Rectifiers and plant controls

- Storage batteries

- DC distribution system.

For safety and reliability reasons, it is desirable that all telecommunications loads be DC powered with minimal AC-powered devices used. Telcordia GR-513, Power Requirements in Telecommunications Plant (LSSGR Section 13), contains detailed industry requirements for using power in an inside plant.

Both integrated and isolated bonding networks as per Telcordia GR-295, Mesh and Isolated Bonding Networks: Definition and Application to Telephone Central Offices, are a technically viable means to ground and bond the equipment in a safe and effective manner. However, the integrated or mesh bonding schemes are preferred over isolated bonding networks because of the added costs and efforts required to manage, control, and maintain the isolation for the equipment, particularly during equipment upgrade and modifications to the plant. This preference is based on a pragmatic desire for lower costs and ease of management, and to simplify operations during plant modifications/upgrades.

For a comprehensive analysis of the energy efficiency and environmental soundness of a power system, one should ideally consider a wider range of factors than strict energy conversion AC-to-DC power efficiency. These environmental factors cover a wider vision known as Industrial Ecology within which each manufacturing step of the products need to be considered from a Design for Environment (DfE) factors standpoint.

## Sources


2024–25 Ferencvárosi TC season

# 2024–25 Ferencvárosi TC season

## Abstract

The 2024–25 season is Ferencvárosi Torna Club 's 121th competitive season, 16th consecutive season in the Nemzeti Bajnokság I, where they will be competing as six-time defending champions and 126th year in existence as a football club. In addition to the domestic league, Ferencváros participate in this season's editions of the Magyar Kupa, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League.

## Kits

Supplier: Macron / Sponsor: Magyar Telekom / Tippmix

### Kit usage

We indicate in parentheses the number of round.

## First team squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

## Transfers

### Summer

Sources:

### Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Sources:

## Friendlies

Win Draw Loss Fixtures

### Pre-season

### Mid-season

Source:

## Competitions

### Overview

In italics, we indicate the Final position achieved in competition(s) that have not yet been completed.

Last updated: 1 September 2024 Source: Soccerway

### Nemzeti Bajnokság I

#### League table

#### Results summary

Last updated: 1 September 2024. Source: Soccerway

#### Results by round

#### Matches

Win Draw Loss Postponed

Source:

#### Results overview

All results are indicated from the perspective of Ferencvárosi TC. We indicate in parentheses the number of round. Win Draw Loss Postponed

### Magyar Kupa

#### Round of 64

The draw for the Round of 64 was held on 26 August 2024. Budafok also started the Magyar Kupa competitions in this round.

#### Round of 32

### UEFA Champions League

#### Second qualifying round

Ferencváros won 7–1 on aggregate.

#### Third qualifying round

Midtjylland won 3–1 on aggregate.

### UEFA Europa League

#### Play-off round

1–1 on aggregate, Ferencváros won 3–2 on penalties.

#### League phase

The draw for the League phase was held on 30 August 2024. The team for League Phase: Goalkeepers: Dibusz, Á. Varga – Defenders: Botka, Cissé, Ćivić, Gartenmann, Gustavo, Kaján, Ramírez, Szalai – Midfielders: Abu Fani, Ben Romdhane, Kady, Maïga, Makreckis, Rommens, A. Tóth, Zachariassen – Forwards: Saldanha, Gruber, Misidjan, Pešić, Traoré, B. Varga

## Squad statistics

### Appearances

Includes all competitions for senior teams. We indicate the number of the player's appearances as substitute by the combination of a plus sign and a figure.

Notes: GK: goalkeeper; DF: defender; MF: midfielder; FW: forward

### Goal scorers

Includes all competitions for senior teams. The list is sorted by squad number when season-total goals are equal. Players with no goals not included in the list. We indicate in parentheses how many of the goals scored by the player from penalties.

### Assists

Includes all competitions for senior teams. The list is sorted by squad number when season-total assists are equal. Players with no assists not included in the list.

### Goalkeppers

#### Clean sheets

Includes all competitions for senior teams. The list is sorted by squad number when season-total clean sheets are equal. Numbers in parentheses represent games where both goalkeepers participated and both kept a clean sheet; the number in parentheses is awarded to the goalkeeper who was substituted on, whilst a full clean sheet is awarded to the goalkeeper who was on the field at the start of play.

### Disciplinary record

Includes all competitions for senior teams. The list is sorted by red cards, then yellow cards (and by squad number when total cards are equal). Players with no cards not included in the list.

### Captains

Includes all competitions for senior teams. The list is sorted by squad number when season-total number of games where a player started as captain are equal. Players with no games started as captain not included in the list.

## Attendances

Home stadium: Groupama Arena, Budapest – Capacity: 23,700 (22,122 in international matches)

## Awards and nominations

### Weekly awards

#### Player of the Round

Player of the Week by Nemzeti Sport and Round Selection of Nemzeti Bajnokság by Nemzeti Sport and Csakfoci websites.

#### Goal of the Round

Goal of the Round of Nemzeti Bajnokság by the M4 Sport website.

- Score – The score at the time of the goal. Ferencvárosi TC's score listed first.

- Final score – The score at full time; Ferencvárosi TC's listed first.

### Monthly awards

#### Player of the Month

Player of the Month by Ferencvárosi TC (Sponsored: HSA Group).

### Yearly awards

## Milestones

Debuts

The following players made their competitive debuts for Ferencvárosi TC's first team during the campaign.

50th appearances

The following players made their 50th appearances for Ferencvárosi TC's first team during the campaign.

First goals

The following players scored their first goals for Ferencvárosi TC's first team during the campaign.

- Score – The score at the time of the goal. Ferencvárosi TC's score listed first.

- Final score – The score at full time; Ferencvárosi TC's listed first.


Estelle (Arrigas)


2024 Canadian Premier League season

# 2024 Canadian Premier League season

## Abstract

The 2024 Canadian Premier League season is the sixth season of the Canadian Premier League, the top level of Canadian soccer. Forge FC are the defending champions, having beaten Cavalry FC in the 2023 final.

## Team and rule changes

The same eight teams that competed in the 2023 season are competing in the 2024 season. The CPL's total player compensation budget was increased by $87,500 to a total of $1,112,500 (or $1,212,500 for teams maximizing the U21 salary incentive).

York United was bought by a new ownership group from Mexico, Game Plan Sports Group.

## Teams

## Regular season

### Format

The regular season is being played as a quadruple round-robin, with each team playing the other seven teams twice at home and twice away between April and October. The regular season winner (the team ranked first after all 28 games) will qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup and the top five teams will qualify for the playoffs; the top two will get a bye to the semifinals.

### Results

## Playoffs

The 2024 season will use the Page playoff system. The team who finished first in the regular-season table would play the team who finished second, and the winner would host the final. The fourth- and fifth-placed teams would play in a play-in round, and the winner of this game would then play the third-placed team in a quarter-final. The quarter-final winner would play the loser of the game between the first and second-placed teams for the other spot in the final.

In playoffs, if the scores are equal when normal playing time expires, extra time will be played for two periods of 15 minutes each. This will be followed, if required, by a penalty shoot-out to determine the winners.

### Bracket

## Statistical leaders

## Attendance

## Awards

### Team of the Week

The Gatorade Team of the Week was selected by the CPL's Kristian Jack and OneSoccer 's Oliver Platt.

## Player transfers

According to FIFA 's worldwide registration periods calendar, the Canadian Soccer Association 's (CSA's) 2024 pre-season transfer window opened on January 31 and closed on April 23; the mid-season transfer window would open on July 18 and close on August 14. However, the CPL later announced that its mid-season transfer window would instead open on July 5 and close on August 2, contradicting FIFA's published dates. This discrepancy was resolved on July 11 when the CSA announced that the mid-season transfer window would open on July 12 and close on August 8 as a compromise between the CPL's and Major League Soccer 's interests.

### U Sports Draft

The 2024 CPL–U Sports Draft took place on December 14, 2023. Each team made two picks in the draft, for a total of 16 selections.


Carson Steele

# Carson Steele

## Abstract

Carson Steele (born October 21, 2002) is an American professional football fullback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ball State Cardinals and the UCLA Bruins. He was signed by the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent after the 2024 NFL draft.

## Early life

Steele was raised in Greenwood, Indiana. He was born to Joseph Steele and Angela Berry-Steele. He grew up alongside his older sister, Kesslar Steele.

He has had a pet alligator named "Crocky-J" since he was in first or second grade; the alligator grew to four or five feet in length. He attended Center Grove High School in Greenwood, rushing for 1,659 yards and 31 touchdowns as a senior in 2020. He tallied a total of 5,907 rushing yards during his high school career. He was selected as Mr. Football in Indiana after the 2020 season.

## College career

Steele signed a letter of intent to play college football at Ball State University in February 2021. Due to his long blonde hair, fitness (less than 10% body fat), and talents as a running back, he received nicknames at Ball State, including "Thor", "Fabio", and "Man of Steele". As a freshman in 2021, he rushed for 891 yards and six touchdowns. During his freshman year, he squatted 615 pounds and was able to bench press 405 lbs. Barstool Sports ' podcast "Unnecessary Roughness" called him "the most interesting man in CFB (college football)."

Prior to the 2022 season, Steele was selected by Bruce Feldman of The Athletic to his list of the top 100 "freaks" in college football. On November 8, 2022, he rushed for a career-high 198 yards and three touchdowns against Toledo. He also rushed for 192 yards against Kent State. He was awarded MAC West Offensive Player of the Week twice during the 2022 season. Through games played on November 19, 2022, Steele ranked ninth nationally with 1,376 rushing yards on 263 attempts (5.2 yards per carry).

On January 4, 2023, Steele committed to transfer to play at the University of California, Los Angeles, for the Bruins.

## Professional career

Steele was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent after the 2024 NFL draft. Steele notably made the Chiefs' initial 53 man roster out of training camp as a UDFA.

Steele made his NFL debut in the Chiefs 2024 season opener against the Baltimore Ravens on September 6, 2024 and had 2 carries for 3 yards along with a 28 yard kick return, with the Chiefs winning 27–20.