X-Dreamers · Lab sheet

Bethlehem and the birth of Jesus

A Judean village on its ridge, rebuilt in 3D: the road in, a family house and the cave, the shepherds' fields, the Temple forty days later, the magi and the flight to Egypt. A good companion for Advent and Christmas.

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Bethlehem on its ridge, the Herodium beyond

A village house with the roof lifted away

Key facts

Joseph went from Nazareth to Bethlehem with Mary for a census, because he was of the house and family of David.
Mary laid the baby in a manger because there was no room in the kataluma, the word Luke also uses for a guest room.
Shepherds keeping watch by night heard the angel's news first, and hurried to find the baby.
Forty days later Mary and Joseph presented Jesus in the Temple and offered two birds, the offering of a poor family.
Magi from the east found the young child in a house and gave gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Warned in a dream, Joseph took the child and his mother to Egypt by night and stayed until Herod died.

Key verses

But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
Micah 5:2 · King James Version

6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luke 2:6–7 · King James Version

9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
Matthew 2:9–11 · King James Version

Talk about it

God chose a small village, a poor family and night-shift shepherds. What does that tell us about the kind of king Jesus is?
Which parts of the Christmas story we grew up with come from the Bible, and which from later tradition? Does the difference matter?
The shepherds hurried, the magi travelled far, Herod was troubled. How do people respond to Jesus today?

How sure can we be?

The Bible says

The manger, the shepherds, the presentation, the magi's gifts and the flight to Egypt are in Luke 2 and Matthew 2.
No innkeeper appears in Luke, and Matthew does not say there were three magi, only three gifts.

Our reconstruction

The village's houses and lanes are informed guesses based on excavated Judean villages.
The angel and the heavenly host are shown as soft light: Luke does not describe how they looked.
The ox and the donkey, Mary on a donkey and the camels come from later tradition, not the Gospels.

Still debated

House or cave: the cave tradition is early (Justin, about AD 155), but the place of the birth cannot be checked.
How Luke's census fits Quirinius, whom Josephus dates to AD 6.
Where the shepherds' fields were: tradition points to Beit Sahour.