The Lord Has Come!
23/12/25 11:26
Was Jesus born in a stable? I'm reading the book "Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes" by Kenneth E. Bailey, who has lived in the Middle East most of his life. He argues that Jesus was born in a house and not in a stable. First of all, Joseph was from Bethlehem. He must have had friends and relatives there. Plus, in the Middle East, hospitality is well practiced and no one would turn away a pregnant woman! She didn't give birth the first night there, because Luke says, "While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born." When Luke says she "placed him in a manger," we think of a manger as being in a stable. But, Bailey argues, most houses were of one room, with a lower front for the animals, particularly a donkey. The manger lay between the animals and the rest of the house. In other words, the manger was inside the house! Finally, when Luke says, "there was no room for them in the inn," the word for "inn" refers to a guest room and not to a commercial hotel. The guest room was occupied, so they stayed in the main room of the house. Conclusion: Jesus was born in a normal house with friends and/or relatives. So much for our Christmas tradition of the stable! I recommend the book. Merry Christmas!
