Both the traditions of the stable and cave, however, represent symbolic departures from the text of the Gospels which make no mention of a stable. The Gospel of Luke, locates Christ’s birthplace in a private dwelling or inn (Greek: kataluma). Because there was no room in the lodging place, Mary was forced to use a manager for her child. The sheep, cattle and inn keepers, a common visual trope since the early middle ages, are visibly absent from the Gospel account. Further inspection of the Gospels reveals further departures from the traditional ‘Nativity’. Although the visit of the magi is recorded in Matthew, the text does not explicitly mention their number. The identification of three magi derives from a direct correlation with the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The appearance of three magi, however, did not become common until the sixth century; it would take until the tenth before they received their royal crowns. Gabriel is the final figure misplaced in our present-day Nativity scene. Although central to Annunciation, angels are not described as having visited the holy family at the time of Christ’s birth.