All posts tagged: Bethlehem

Was Jesus born in a cave?

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Many might be surprised by the notion that Jesus was born in a cave, but essentially that is the claim being made by the Church of the Nativity, located in Bethlehem, that is built over the site of where it believes Mary gave birth to Jesus. The Lord’s actual birthplace was in a cave located below the church’s main altar, that can be accessed by two staircases on either side. In fact, the grotto where it claims Jesus was born is part of a larger network of caves that can be accessed from neighbouring buildings, but is now blocked by gates. But not everyone agrees that Christ was born in a cave. One common argument against it, is that Luke, who provided the most extensive narrative of the events surrounding Christ’s birth (Luke 2:1-21), does not mention a cave. Why didn’t he do this? It’s argued that Luke would have mentioned the cave if it was unusual. What was unusual to Luke, is that because there was no room in the inn, Joseph and Mary …

Bulla mentioning ancient Bethlehem found

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In 2012, archaeologists working with the Israel Antiquities Authority made a remarkable discovery in old Jerusalem. They found a bulla that mentioned the name of Bethlehem (House of Bread). This is the first mention of the famous town found outside the Biblical record. Bullas worked much like our signatures do today and were used to verify documents. Governmental and wealthy people used bullas to seal documents to verify that it was coming from them. They typically wore signet rings that pressed their confirming insignia into wax or clay, sealing the document. The Bulla in this instance was estimated to be 2,700 years old placing it from the first Temple period (1000 BC to 586 BC) referring to the first temple built by King Solomon. The Second Temple period refers to the temple rebuilt by Ezra and Nehemiah (upgraded by King Herod) and destroyed in 70 AD by the Romans. In this instance, the bulla was used to verify the shipment of taxes collected in Bethlehem being sent to Jerusalem. Referred to as a fiscal bulla, …

Daily Bread

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We all need our daily food to function well in life. But sometimes I think I need my spiritual food even more.  No wonder we pray, ‘give us this day our daily bread’ in the Lord’s Prayer. I really need to pray this often, especially during this busy Christmas season. Interestingly the city named Bethlehem also reminds me of spiritual food.  This is because Bethlehem in Hebrew literally means ‘House of Bread.’ I find it fascinating that Jesus was born in the ‘house of bread’ and he referred to himself as the bread of life: Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; he who comes to me will not hunger and he who believes in me will not thirst. (John 6:35 NASB) As I take the time to read and meditate on God’s word, I know it will help me keep my focus . He truly is the bread of life and my daily bread. It is really Him I hunger for this Christmas. May He fill all of us to the …