The Irish standard., 1896-12-26


David, says ST Niche las ssis5
Bethlehem today has barely eight
thousand inhabitants, and its appearance
is not attractive. The streets are too
narrow for vehicles; in fact, there is but
one street in the town wide enough for
carriages, and it is so very narrow that
they cannot pass one another in it. The
streets are made for foot travellers, donk-
eys and camels.
Bethlehem is about five miles south of
Jerusalem. Leaving the larger city by
the Jaffa gate, we take a carriage and
ride rapidly over the fine road built but
a few years ago. The carriage we are in
and those we meet are wretched affairs.
The horses are to be pitied, first, because
they are not we'll cared for, and second,
because their drivers are regular Jehus
who drive them 'furiously" up hill and
down. In less than an hour we are in
the marketplace of Bethlehem, in front
Of the Church of the Nativity.
Let us suppose we have arrived on
Christmas eve, in time to wander about
and to become acquainted with the little
city.
OF course it has changed in appearance
since the time of the birth of Christ.
1t is larger and Better built. Now, as
then, the houses are of stone, and, as
cities and customs change but little in
the East, we may safely infer that mod
ern Bethlehem houses are much like
those of nineteen hundred years ago.
Perhaps some of the old buildings that
be standing. OF course the great Church
of the Nativity was not then erected, nor
were any of the large religious buildings
we see These are the memorials Of
later date, built in honor of Him whose
earthly life began here. One would have
to be unmindful Of his surroundings and
very unimaginative not to wonder what
the place was like on that night the an
niversary Of which we are celebrating.
+ We know that then, as On this Decem-
Der "a, it was filled with people. But
those people had come for different
purpose Augustus Caesar, the master of
the then known world, had ISSUED an i'm
perial decree ordering a general registra-
ton of all his subjects. This was for the
purpose of revising or completing the
tax-lists. According to Roman law, peo-
pie were to register in their own cities
that is, the city in which they lived, or
to which their village or town was at
tached. According to Jewish methods
they would register by tribes, families,
and the houses of their fathers. Joseph
and Mary were Jews, and conformed to
the Jewish custom. 1t was we'll known
that he and Mary were of the tribe of
Judah and family of David, and that
Bethlehem was their ancestral home.
Accordingly, they left the Nazareth
home, in the territory of Zebulum, and
came to David's' Gown city," in the ter
ritory of Judah.
They came down the east bank of the
Jordan, crossed the river at Jericho, and
came UP among the Judean hills and val
leys till they reached Bethlehem. It was
d long journey, and a wearisome one;
and, on arriving, a place of rest was the
first thing sought. Evidently they had
no friends living in the place; or if they
had, their houses were already filled. IT
was necessary that shelter be had, and
Immediately. In the khan, or inn, there
was no room; SO there was nothing to
do but occupy a part of the space pro-
vided for cattle: It was not an unusual
thing to do, and is often done today in
these Eastern villages. In fact, they
were about as comfortable there as in
any khan. At a khan one may procure
a cup of coffee and a place to lie down
on the floor; but each guest provides
his own bed covering. This was all
Joseph and Mary could have obtained in
the inn, had there been room for them.
And here in Bethlehem, in stable or
cave used for stabling animals, Jesus
was born, and Mary wrapped him in
swaddling clothes, and laid him in
~,