It’s hard to believe that we’re at week 3 of our Revisiting the Christmas Story series for 2025. And it’s difficult to approach this week’s session without thinking about that familiar Christmas carol, O Little Town of Bethlehem. I look back with sadness as I realize how much I was missing as I sang that song, knowing so little about what the ancient town was like when Mary and Joseph arrived for that eternally significant visit. In view of that, let’s take another look at Bethlehem together and perhaps sing that song this Christmas with a different mental picture. 

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IT’s hard for us “Westerners” to relate to what day-to-day life in Bethlehem was like for those living there when Joseph and Mary arrived, but if we’re to understand the Christmas story as it actually unfolded, it’s profoundly important that we address some of the realities that governed their public and private interactions with one another at that time.

One Thing We Know ~
One of the things we tend to accept about Bethlehem without considering its impact on the Christmas story is its size. Our familiar Christmas song, “Oh Little Town of Bethlehem,” is probably accurate. The Prophet, Micah, described the town as little (Micah 5:2) hundreds of years earlier, and by the time Joseph and Mary showed up, Bethlehem remained a small, close-knit, family-oriented, agrarian community. Like most of the Middle East at that time, Bethlehem’s social structure was very communal, and ‘hospitality’ was more than expected. It was a foundational and virtually mandatory function of social life for all Jews, and it still holds true in some places today. In contrast to phrases in our individualistic culture like, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” Bethlehem’s residents were so communally connected that a characteristic phrase for them could easily have been, “What affects anyone in Bethlehem affects everyone in Bethlehem.” 

Luke called Bethlehem “the City of David” (Luke 2:4 NKJV) because it was the place of King David’s birth – and that was the town’s signature event and only claim to fame. In spite of its small size and lack of political or economic significance, every Jew would have learned about Bethlehem. From early childhood, Jewish children were taught about their religious, tribal, and national history, including the lineage of those leaders associated with God’s covenant relationship with Israel – and David was a standout in that category. 

Celebrity Status ~
Bethlehem was not only David’s birthplace, it was also Joseph’s hometown, and everyone living there would have known about Joseph and his family heritage. Middle Eastern historical and cultural theologian, Dr. Kenneth Bailey, suggests that Joseph’s direct lineage to David would have made him like ‘royalty’ in Bethlehem, and this, plus their cultural standards of hospitality, certainly would not have allowed Mary’s pregnancy to be ignored. He writes this: 

In every culture, a woman about to give birth is given special attention. Simple rural communities the world over always assist one of their own women in childbirth regardless of the circumstances. Are we to imagine that Bethlehem was an exception?…  … Surely the community would have sensed its responsibility to help Joseph find adequate shelter for Mary and provide the care she needed. To turn away a descendent of David in the “City of David” would be an unspeakable shame on the entire village. 

Beyond that, neither the language of the text nor the culture of the time support the story we hear repeated every year. Bethlehem was a very small town and not located on a major trade route, so there would have been no “inns” like those depicted in the traditional story. The “pay to stay” establishments that did exist in those days were virtually all situated on Roman roads and in larger towns and cities. Bethlehem not only failed to meet either of those criteria, but the language of the text itself also presents a different narrative. 

Not the ‘Inn” That We Imagine ~
The original Greek word for ‘inn’ that God inspired Luke to use in the birth narrative is not the same Greek word used to describe the kind of inn (or lodging place for travelers) that we usually think about. The appropriate Greek term for that kind of establishment is pandocheíon, a very different word and one that Luke used appropriately in describing the inn where the wounded man stayed in Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan:

So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn (pandocheion), and took care of him. (Luke 10:34 NKJV)

But to describe Joseph and Mary’s situation, Luke used the word, kataluma, which is the Greek word used to describe the guest chamber found in almost every 1st Century family home. The communal nature of the culture made providing some kind of guest chamber for travelers a standard part of home design at that time. And quite interestingly, we also find that kataluma is the same word appropriately chosen to describe the upper room where Jesus met with the disciples for the Last Supper:

Wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is the guest room (kataluma) in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?” (Mark 14:14 NKJV)

Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room (kataluma); there make ready. (Luke 22:11–12 NKJV)

Not the Only Option ~
Envisioning Joseph and Mary arriving at a home where there was no more space in their ‘guest room’ is much more realistic and reasonable than imagining them arriving at some Middle Eastern ‘Holiday Inn’ and having a gruff and compassionless night clerk point at the ‘No Vacancy’ sign. The more accurate picture is that Caesar’s decree requiring people to return to their ancestral homes for tax registration had resulted in the greatest family reunion Bethlehem had ever known – and the town’s guest rooms were rapidly filling up! 

In their ‘honor/shame culture’, visitors would have been offered space in the guest chambers of every home as long as there was room to be found. But the comment that there was no room for them in the ‘kataluma’ didn’t mean Joseph and Mary were turned away, rejected, or ignored. Given the social structure of the time, such a thing would have been inconceivable under any circumstances, but especially so in the case of a pregnant woman. But if the kataluma was full, there was another option that would have been offered.

Obviously, the guest chamber wasn’t the only room in the houses of 1st century Bethlehem. There was also a large living area where the family cooked, ate, and slept. If the guest chamber was full, rather than thrusting them out to fend for themselves, the homeowner’s first alternative would have been to invite them to share the family’s main living quarters. That would have been the kind of hospitality offered to almost any visitor in their situation, but given Joseph’s family connection in Bethlehem, to think that he would have just knocked on the door of some random person’s house is inconceivable. 

A Natural Response ~
Even in our day, if we had to return to our hometown for a mandatory, unexpected visit and there were no hotels, wouldn’t our first response be to seek out family members who lived there? Of course it would. And since it was Joseph’s birthplace, it would be very unlikely that he had no family members living there. The more likely scenario is that he had several direct family members in Bethlehem, and any one of them would have received both him and Mary with open arms and glad hearts. If their guest chamber was already occupied, they would have invited the couple into the family’s living quarters. 

But what about those manger scenes with all those sheep and goats and camels? Actually, most homes in 1st Century Bethlehem did have a closed-in area where livestock could be brought in to provide shelter and protection from predators at night. They were usually enclosed, cave-like areas beneath the main living quarters. They were separate from the living area, but easily accessible to it – and all of them were equipped with mangers. That space could easily have been cleaned out and made into an ideal secluded place where Mary and the town’s experienced midwives could conduct the birthing process and bring Jesus into the world. In any case, laying Him in a manger in that culture and time made perfect sense. It would have made a close, convenient, and functional temporary cradle.

A More Encouraging Picture ~
In conclusion, the traditional scenes we’ve been exposed to regarding Jesus’ birth aren’t supported either by the text or the culture. But beyond that, examining the glorious event in the context of the world where it happened also suggests questions like these:

• • Instead of leaving Mary and Joseph alone, cold and helpless, wouldn’t it be more like our loving Father to lead Joseph and Mary to a place where they had warmth, acceptance, provision, protection, and peace?
  • Wouldn’t it be more like the God we know, who loves like no other, to bring His Son who came to save the world into one that was surrounded by a loving family ready to receive Him, care for Him, and celebrate His coming? 

Maybe one of the lessons God wanted to teach the residents of Bethlehem, and all the rest of us, is that obeying the admonition to love our neighbors as ourselves sometimes means inviting someone in need into our personal space. But what grander message could Christmas convey than the story of how an ordinary family’s willingness to confront someone’s unexpected crisis with sacrificial compassion brought the Light of the World right into their living room! As we ponder the richer, fuller story of the glorious miracle of that night, what more beautiful way could we adorn the celebration of Jesus’ birth than to live out that kind of story in our own lives?

Next week … Our series continues with Part 4, “Drop-in Visits, Shocking Announcements, and News You Can Use.” Meanwhile, please feel free to share with others what you’ve learned in this post – and your insights and questions in our comments section.  

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Work Cited:  Bailey, Kenneth E. Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes. Downers Grove, Ill, Intervarsity Press, 2008.

“TWEETABLES” ~ Click to tweet and share from the quotes below.  Each one links directly back to this article through Twitter . . .

• • • Instead of leaving Mary and Joseph alone, cold and helpless, wouldn’t it be more like our loving Father to lead Joseph and Mary to a place where they had warmth, acceptance, provision, protection, and peace? @GallaghersPen (Click here  to Tweet)
    • Maybe one of the lessons God wanted to teach the residents of Bethlehem and all the rest of us is that obeying that admonition to love our neighbor as ourselves sometimes means inviting someone in need into our personal space. @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet) 
    • What grander message could Christmas convey than the story of how an ordinary family’s willingness to confront someone’s unexpected crisis with sacrificial compassion brought the ‘Light of the World’ right into their living room! @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet)

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