Some thoughts in the Advent and Christmas season — putting yourself in the story …
A little pondering about our stories of Advent and Christmas … we tend to see Biblical things from our cultural perspective … Let us try to visualize the story from the culture of the participants, with some insight from the languages in which the stories were first recorded …
Our image of an Innkeeper turning away Mary and Joseph is based on English translations of Luke 2:7: “no room for them in the inn”. The Greek word here is “kataluma”, which can be translated as “inn”, but might more appropriately be translated as “guest chamber”. “Mitzvah” is a Jewish religious duty commanded by God. “Hachnasat Orchim” is the mitzvah of “hospitality to guests”. Jewish homes of the era included enclosed multi-generational family compounds, often with provisions for a “kataluma” or guest chamber (for the mitzvah of “hospitality to guests”). In the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:34), when Luke specifically means “a public lodging-place”, Luke uses the Greek “pandocheion”, which is translated in English versions as an “Inn”.
My pondering = Luke meant there was no room in the guest’s quarters at Joseph’s relative’s house where they were staying (but, ‘kataluma’ =‘inn’ makes cultural sense for the early English translators & their audience.)
“… no guest room available for them” (NIV)
“… no lodging available for them” (NLT)
“… no place for them in the inn” (ESV)
“… no room for them in the inn” (KJV)
“… no guest room available for them” (CSB)
“… no place for them in the guest quarters” (ISV)
In the terrain around Bethlehem, the compound might include a stable for the family animals on the ground floor, or partially dugout basement. Family animals were housed for protection from weather and predators in natural or hand hewed cave, or basement, under the main living areas and their body heat helped keep the living areas warm in cold weather. There is an ancient “Church of the Nativity” in Bethlehem, so named because it is believe to be the place of Jesus’ birth: It is build over a hand hewed rock cave-stable.
So,let us indulge in a ‘fable’ to help us ponder if there even was an Inn, or Innkeeper (unlikely in a sleepy town of about 300 people near which Levites raised sheep for Temple Sacrifices):
You stand and admire your home … built by your Grandfather. He was also a carpenter (actually more like a general contractor since he worked with stone as well as wood), as was your father. This was once just a rocky hillside … a slight rise from the plain with a small shallow cave at the base. The house is built of rock, and incorporates the cave, enlarged by your grandfather, as part of the dwelling.
Outside there is an extended roof … out over support poles … your work shop in fair weather … and the covered entry to your home.
You enter your home. A couple of paces to your left is the Western wall of the house, built along the lower elevation of the small hillside rise. The wall here is essentially two stories high and extends some forty or so paces from where you stand to the North. There are four steps down to the level even with the entry to the small cave.
Looking to your right, about 15 paces away are the rock stair steps up to the living area above the cave. There are 22 steps. You survey the living area, which has a ladder up to the flat roof. The area at the top of the stairs is divided by low walls, about waist high, into three areas or rooms. The first is the area where you and your spouse sleep … During this time of the Roman census it has become the sleeping quarters for your male relatives that have come from afar. The second area is the common room and that includes a fire pit at the back, vented through the rock Eastern wall, the area where meals are prepared, and where a low table is provided for reclining to eat. The third area is normally used for storage, a sleeping area for your children, and a guest room. During this time of the census, it is the sleeping quarters for children and your female relatives that have come from afar.
Your Grandfather was very wise in his design of this abode. The cave area below the living quarters is the stable for the family livestock. They are generally only kept inside during the winter. The cave-stable area is essentially heated by the body heat given off by the animals. The heat rises to the top of the cave and provides warmth for the entire abode, minimizing the need for a fire to heat the quarters in cool or cold weather.
Your home is filled to near overflowing by your relatives that have arrived in town for the census. Late last night, your cousin Yoseph, also a carpenter, arrived with his pregnant wife Mariam. It is obvious that her time is near. Nothing passing for an actual “inn” during this census would be a fit place for a Hebrew girl to give birth with some measure of privacy. There is really no possibility for privacy in your living quarters either. However, one can not simply turn family away. The stable in your home is clean, and actually warmer than the living quarters. It is the only place Mariam may have some privacy; something demanded by Hebrew custom and belief for the birth of her child.
The family has decided that the stable is the best place for Mariam and her child. Your daughters have sweep the place out and your sons have brought in fresh, clean straw. Your women relatives have chosen those who will act as midwives for the birth. The hewn stone feeding trough, lined with fresh straw, will be an acceptable cradle for the new born.
It is a sad, yet joyful time. The reason for the gathering is for taxation, and the travel for some has been hard. However, this is a opportunity for family to come together; to see cousins and aunts and uncles one may never see again. To spin tales, exchange yarns. To speak with your cousin Yoseph about the skills of your mutual trade … and to rejoice in Mariam’s giving birth to a child. Yoseph has been strangely vague about his relationship to Mariam … and has hinted that there is something out of the ordinary about the child she carries … you stroll over to the stable area to talk with him about just what is going on …
The Roman ordered census’ purpose is to have a record of “who” everyone is in order to ensure taxes are collected from all subjects. The goal would be an accurate count with minimal disruption of activities that produce tax revenue. If you are a Roman official for Caesar, and desire people to travel to some “home” location to register, you certainly are NOT going to have them traveling (a) during the dead of winter, OR (b) during a muddy rainy season, because those conditions inhibit travel and may negatively affect the census count, OR (c) during a major period of crop preparation or harvest, since that is where your subjects produce income to pay taxes. Jewish men already set aside productive (taxable) activities three times each year for a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Oh, and the ancestral homes for the census are all in reasonable proximity to Jerusalem. As a wise Roman agent, Quirinius (See Luke 2), would be prudent to schedule the census during one of these pilgrimages.
For reasons we will not elaborate on now, let us consider Quirinius’ choice is the pilgrimage during “Sukkot” (Festival of Tabernacles, Tents or Booths – in the fall of the year).
With those considerations, back to our ‘fable’ —
Your discussion with your cousin Yoseph, was certainly interesting. Yoseph had traveled with Mariam — she needed to be with female relatives for her delivery, and they arrived early for Sukkot to register for the census and still allow Yoseph to make the 6 mile journey to Jerusalem during the week long festival with the other men as required by Jewish law.
For the Feast of Booths, you have also erected a “booth” or “sukkah” on the flat roof of the house, and a smaller one under your outside carpenter shop. You and your guests will spend a good part of each day staying in these three-sided structures topped with brush as is the custom for the festival – some of the hardier men may even sleep in these if it does not get too cold at night. You consider that you might just do that … it will give you some time to ponder the things Yoseph shared with you …
Now let us move forward two generations for our ‘fable’ …
Your grandfather’s grandfather built this house. You are named Yeshua, after a distant cousin of yours who was born in the stable in this abode, in the time of your grandfather. You are a member of the Jewish sect called ‘the way’, or now some Latin speakers call it ‘Christian’, after the Latin version of Messiah. For the babe born in your stable is now known as Yeshua HaMashiach, or Jesus the Messiah, or the Christ.
Last week was the Feast of Sukkot, and the local ‘church’ received a copy of the Good News according to the Apostle John. You were excited, for you knew John when you were young. The letter was in Greek … you speak Greek, the language of trade, but you are not very good at reading Greek … you can read Hebrew for it is the language of the Law and Prophets .. you also speak and read the common language of Aramaic. So, the Greek readers in the church read this Gospel to you, and convey the understanding in Hebrew. You understood the spoken Greek, and the Hebrew explanation … An WOW, just WOW. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” … The Greek “eskēnōsen”, dwelt, or Hebrew “tabernacled” among us. Literally, the very Word of God, became flesh and pitched his “sukkah” with us. Yeshua HaMashiach came to dwell in a temporary abode (as in the days of Moses) … in a “sukkah” among many “sukkot”.
This is worth pondering … Your grandfather told you that Yeshua was born in your stable, two generations ago during Sukkot. He was swaddled with strips of cloth used by the local Levite shepherds to keep first born lambs from bruising themselves (blemish free – acceptable for sacrifice in the Temple) … the very shepherds to which the angels appeared. He was laid in your stone manger, the same type manger used by the shepherds to feed the lambs to keep them ritually ‘clean’ (stone cannot become unclean).
Many sad things transpired after your grandfather’s days, the Temple was destroyed … there are no more sacrifices during Sukkot, some of your cousins were put to death before they were 2 years old by Herod in an attempt to kill Yeshua HaMashiach … He escaped to Egypt … His parents used the riches provided by the wise men from the East to survive that exile. But, just as your ancestors looked forward to the coming of Messiah, you know Messiah has promised to return … and all grief, shame, and pain will cease … God is Hope, Mercy, and Grace …
Just something to ponder … all is not what we might think in modern times …