"An ox knows its owner, an ass its master's crib: Israel does not know, my people takes no thought." (Isaiah 1:3, The Jewish Study Bible)
The ox and ass are such a traditional part of Nativity art it may come as a surprise to learn they are not mentioned in the New Testament account of the Bethlehem birth. They found their way into the narrative largely due to this verse from the Hebrew Scriptures and appear in manger scenes dating from as early as the 4th century CE. In this composite picture of Nativity imagery in the on-line Sacred Art Pilgrim Collection, Holy Land Bible Illustrator Margaret Tarrant depicts a charmingly true-to-life donkey with other animals by the manger of the Baby Jesus (lower right) in contrast to the starkly-rendered ass in a wood engraving of the Nativity (upper middle) by French Printmaker Albert Decaris. In two stylized Christmas images, French-American Artist Jean Charlot gives us a donkey with extra long ears (lower left), while Czech Graphic Artist Alena Antonova depicts an animal looking more like a mule (upper right). My favorite donkey appears in the Nativity scene by Lithuanian Ex-Libris Maker Antanas Kmieliauskas (upper left) nuzzling its way into the blessed event by resting its head on the Virgin Mary. (John Kohan)