Sir: Your editorial 'Weakness of the Nativity myths' (24 December) left me wondering what it was you were protesting about. You make the bold claim that 'God became incarnate, an approachable human being, not a character in a story', but then seem to be doubtful as to whether or not he was attended by wise men. The Gospel writers seem to present the Nativity stories as a package, so we are not at liberty to choose between details.

Either Jesus was 'God in flesh' (in which case, are the stories of angels singing, wise men travelling from the East and Herod's massacre of the innocents so preposterous?) or he was not (and such stories are myths).

Yours sincerely,

DAVID GIBB

Oxford

24 December