We all know the story.
Pregnant Mary on a donkey.
No room at the Inn.
So Mary, Joseph, and the donkey decide to check in to the manger. Kings will know where it is.
But where exactly was Jesus born? For real.
Well, the story in the Bible states that Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem.
But a lot of people study these things. And many religious scholars continue to debate the Christian Messiah’s exact birthplace, with other candidates including Nazareth and Jerusalem.
And does this mean that we will have to move our manger scenes to a different part of our mantles?
Another thing. Regardless of which town Jesus was born in, scholars also continue to debate over whether he was born in a stable, a cave, or a house.
So. Bethlehem, for starters. This small city in modern-day Palestine is mentioned in the Bible multiple times as the site of Jesus’ birth — even before Jesus was born.
In fact, the Jewish Bible claimed that the Messiah would be born in the town of Bethlehem. Drawing a link between this Messiah and King David, Micah 5:2 declares: “But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.”
It continues.
After Jesus’ birth — though we don’t know exactly when Jesus Christ was born — Bethlehem was frequently mentioned in the Bible as his birthplace.
Luke 2:4-7 reads, “Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David.”
The Magi (Wise Men) also followed a star to Bethlehem after Jesus’ birth.
Also of note: King Herod later purportedly massacred all the baby boys under the age of two in Bethlehem in the hopes of killing Jesus, the Messiah.
So it looks like Bethlehem is the winner here for Jesus’ place of birth.
But here is the thing. Jesus is also referred to as a “Nazorean” (from Nazareth) and a Galilean (from Galilee) in the New Testament. And some of the Gospels don’t mention Bethlehem at all.
The Gospel of Mark, for example, which is considered the earliest of the Gospels, doesn’t identify Bethlehem as the place where Jesus was born.
“Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee,” Mark 1:9 explains, “and was baptized by John in the Jordan.”
Also. The Gospel of John seems to draw a stronger link between Jesus and Galilee than between Jesus and Bethlehem.
Meanwhile, the Book of Mormon states that Jesus “shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers.”
This has led some to question whether Jesus was born in Jerusalem or the lands surrounding it.
So, what is the bottom line here? Where was Jesus born? Most religious leaders and scholars agree he was born in Bethlehem, but he spent most of his childhood in Nazareth.
That said, there is still some debate about where Jesus Christ was born exactly.
As for the part about whether he was born in a stable, a house, or a cave, It’s all inconclusive. A mincing of words.
The thing to remember about stories that are passed down from generation to generation? Sometimes, the details get a little sketchy.
Like playing the game “Telephone” where the first line starts out: “June woke up one morning and found a magical white horse standing on the carpet in her house,”
and ends up on the other side of the “Telephone” circle, sounding like:
“A little girl rode a magical carpet over her white house one day when her horse would not wake up.”
And so it goes.
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“Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can’t remember who we are or why we’re here.” — Sue Monk Kidd
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“A story is a way to say something that can’t be said any other way.” — Flannery O’Connor
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“Great stories happen to those who can tell them.” — Ira Glass
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