midnight
The situation in which the two shepherds found themselves touched their imaginations , and they ceased to regret that they were in danger of missing a Christmas Day at Jerusalem . They listened to the sheep for a time , until the cry of a jackal startled the animals , and the flock dispersed . Then the two soldiers fell asleep once more . Shortly before midnight they awoke with a sudden start . A strange light gleamed in their faces , and the mist had almost vanished . The hill-sides and the sky above were bathed in a pearly light , while almost immediately above them they beheld a city , as it were let down from heaven and suspended in mid-air , beset with domes and minarets that flashed like jewels in the marvellous radiance that flooded all space . `` A miracle !