I love the traditional Christmas story. A poor carpenter from Galilee and his new wife; their long and arduous journey to pay the Roman tax; that first Christmas eve in a stable; and Mary’s newborn asleep on the hay. The shepherds, the herald angels singing, the three kings, and even a drummer boy – all these are the traditional story of Christmas we have come to cherish.
I listened to a podcast recently with Dr. Jeffrey R. Chadwick, a BYU professor and archeologist. He says that the real first Christmas just didn’t happen that way. The setting we commonly portray is not anything like the real life circumstances which surrounded the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem more than two thousand years ago.
Because, in reality, Joseph was not a carpenter. He and Mary did not have to travel to Bethlehem to pay taxes. There were not any Roman soldiers there to harass them. Nor were there any traveling kings bearing gifts. Of course, there wasn’t any drummer boy. But there also wasn’t any hay on which the baby was laid. And, most surprisingly, there wasn’t even a stable! There was, however, a manger. That part of the story is absolutely authentic – that manger in which the newborn Jesus was laid. The New Testament specifically mentions that manger three different times in telling the story of Jesus’ birth. It even served as a sign from heaven.
No hay
In Israel it almost never snows. Grass is available and lush all year round. So there is no need to grow hay to feed animals.
Stone manger
It is, however, necessary to have a water trough for animals. When the springs are not flowing as much, water would have to be drawn from a well for the animals. So anyone with animals would have owned at least one carved stone water trough. They had to be stone because wood does not hold water as well and does not last very long. The animals tend to chew on them and destroy them. But it is very common to find water troughs carved out of limestone all over Israel.
Joseph and Jesus are described in the New Testament as being “carpenters”. The Greek word translated as carpenter is “tekton” which is the same root as our word “architect”. He is better described as a “builder” instead of a carpenter, but tekton was probably translated as carpenter because most homes in Europe were made of wood. But in Israel they are made of stone. So it is very likely that Joseph and Jesus were stone masons. This means that the stone manger is probably one that Joseph carved himself to provide water for their animals.
Joseph and Mary
The newly married Jewish couple did not go to Bethlehem to pay taxes. If you look at the word “taxed” in the bible you will see there is a footnote that says a better translation might be “enrolled” or “registered”. It was common at that time in Roman cities for all the residents to be registered in the city where they lived.
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should be registered.
And all went to be registered, every one into his own city.
Luke 2:1,3
So if they did not need to go to Bethlehem to be registered, why did they go there?
When Mary was visited by an angel she was told three things:
And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David
And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Luke 1:31-33
1. The baby’s name would be Jesus. In Hebrew this was “Jeshua” which means “salvation”
2. The baby would be the Son of God (Son of the Highest)
3. The baby would be the promised Messiah (that is the promise of being the king of the house of David for ever)
When the angel visited Joseph, he was given the same three pieces of information. Joseph and Mary knew the prophecies about the Messiah and they knew that He was supposed to be born in Bethlehem.
But thou, Bethlehem … out of thee shall he come forth … that is to be ruler in Israel;
Micah 5:2
They purposefully made the decision to move to Bethlehem to fulfill the prophecy. They also probably moved relatively early on in the pregnancy, so the images we have of Mary being 8 months pregnant riding on a donkey are not accurate.
At that time there were no real estate agents. When a person moved to a new city they typically bought land and built a home. The hills around Bethlehem are covered with limestone caves and it was common for people to live in the cave on their property while they built their house, so Joseph and Mary likely did the same thing. They bought some land and Joseph started to build their home while they lived in a limestone cave.
It probably became clear that their house would not be finished in time for the birth of Jesus, so they tried to find a guest room to rent. This would provide some more comfort for the delivery, and a hostess who could assist if necessary and provide meals. But none were available, so they went back to their limestone cave and Jesus was born at home and laid in the stone manger that His father had carved. That is where the shepherds found them.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
Luke 2:8-16
The wise men arrived a few weeks or months later, after their home was finished.
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judæa in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshiped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
Matt 2:1-2,11
This story paints a more accurate picture of what happened that first Christmas night.
The important thing to learn from this is that they were not mere unwitting victims of circumstance, driven to Bethlehem by forces beyond their control. When Mary’s baby was born in Bethlehem, it was neither a surprise nor a coincidence.
Source: Follow Him podcast
