“The Donkey of Bethlehem”

 
© 2013 Thousand Word Images by Dustin Abbott

For some strange reason a donkey in Bethlehem has a certain poignancy to it. This handsome animal was laboring in a 1st century olive press in Nazareth Village, a little enclave within modern Nazareth dedicated to demonstrating what life was like in 1st century Nazareth. They are great helped by the site being full of excavated ruins from that period. I feel fairly confident that this was NOT the animal that carried a very pregnant Mary two thousand years ago. He had a very regal bearing nonetheless, and I felt compelled to make this portrait of him.

 
Technical information Canon EOS 6D, Canon EF 70-300L, Processed in Adobe Lightroom 5
Tags: Adobe Lightroom 5, Animal, Atmosphere, Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS, Canon EOS 6D, Desaturated, Dustin Abbott, dustinabbott.net, Eyes, Full Frame, High ISO, Israel, Portrait, Thousand Word Images, Travel, Warm, Donkey, Bethlehem, Christmas, Bethlehem Village