"DATELINE NBC" TO AIR SPECIAL ON THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST - FRIDAY, NOV. 11 AT 8PM

NEW YORK -- November 8, 2005 -- Of all the stories ever told, the birth of Jesus Christ is one of the most celebrated. However, only two out of the four gospels address the story of Jesus' birth, and they don't entirely agree. In a special edition of "Dateline NBC," Keith Morrison asks, "what if everything you thought you knew wasn't the whole story?" In an attempt to answer this profound question, Morrison takes viewers on a remarkable journey back in time to unravel the mystery.

The hour-long report, to air Friday, Nov. 11 at 8:00PM/ET, examines the theology of Mary's pregnancy and birth of Jesus through interviews with theologians Craig Evans, Scott Hahn, Dominic Crossan, Ben Witherington, Amy-Jill Levine and writer Lesley Hazleton. When Morrison questions if it all happened like the popular Nativity story says, some of the scholars say the New Testament is history, while others see it as a parable -- but a parable with a theological punchline.

David Corvo is the executive producer of "Dateline NBC."