The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-01-04
BETHLEHEM.

At this season more especially does
the mind turn toward the holy land,
toward the little village of Bethlehem,
with its sacred and hallowed tradition;
hallowed as the center of so many inter
esting events that cluster on the hillside
beneath it's shadow. 1t was here in the
fields where Ruth "kept fast by the
maidens of Boaz to CLEAN unto the end
of barley harvest and of wheat harvest"
and where Boaz said to his reapers. Let
fall some of the handfuls of purpose for
her, and leave them that she may CLEAN
them, and rebuke her not" Here David
tended his focks and the shepherds re-
ceived the news that Christ is born"
In the city, the manger wherein he lay;
and from those distant mountains came
the kings bringing their offerings to the
young Child.
The most visited and conspicuous OBJ
ject in the little city to-day is the
Church of the Nativity or franciscan
monastery. The church is, like so many
of the Catholic churches, built in the
shape of a cross. The nave is adorned
with forty eight Corinthian columns.
There are the remains of some paintings
on wood and mosaic-upright, stiff and
unnatural. There is an altar dedicated
to the wise men of the East" at the
foot of which is a marble stair CORE
spending, the monks tell us, to the point
in the heavens where the star became
stationary over the spot where Christ
was born. The grotto is lined and
hoored with marble, and there are five
oratories on each side, supposed to rep
resent the ten cribs or stalls that the
stable in which our Lord was born con-
tanned. An inscription tells us, Here
Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin
Mary" and we know we are in the stable
to which tradition gives the honor of
being the birthplace of Christ, and to
which thousands of pilgrims and visitors
go every year.
But the walls are not the rough-hewn
stone and earth one would expect to
find in the caves the ancients used as
stables for their animals. Instead there
are marble and silver lamps and gold
and purple hangings. There is no pow
erty anywhere. no sign that this was
once lowly home wherein the OK and
the ass were kept in stormy weather.
No simple manger where Mary crept to
hide herself in her hour of trial. The
manger now is Of marble and supported
by marble columns, and seems more TT
ting for some naughty, dark-eyed daugh-
ter Of king Of Juda than the wife of
humble carpenter.
That Bethlehem is the city of Christ's
nativity there is no doubt, but that the
grotto in the rock is the spot where he
was born there are many who question.
They contend that the gospel gives no
authority for this, saying that the man.
ger belonged to an inn or khan; that it
was because the rooms above were filed
with guests that the holy family were
compelled to take up their temporary
abode in the court used to stable the
mules and the horses. But until the
doubters can prove that some other spot
has superior claim to this the world will
go on revering the little grotto beneath
the Church of the Nativity.
The church was erected in 327 by st.
Helena, the mother of Constantine.
The outer wall has small, narrow Sits
for windows and low opening for a
doorway. So low, in fact, is it that one
must stoop to enter. And when once
inside one does not realize one is in a
church, for there is smoking. chatting,
children playing, women sew
ing and nowhere visible an attitude Of
worship, although monks are moving
about here and there. Two drowsy SOL
diers guard the opening leading down to