The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-01-13
The City Of Bethlehem.

It is a little city, and it does not
take many people to crowd it but, be
sides being the birthplace of Jesus, II
is the birthplace Of Israel's great war.
rior-king, David.
Bethlehem to-day has barely eight
thousand inhabitants, and in appear
ance 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 1t is so
very narrow that they cannot pass
each other in it. The streets were
made for foot travellers, donkeys, 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 find road
built but few years ago. The car
riage we are in and those we meet are
to be pitied, first, because they are not
will 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 appear
ance since the time of the birth of
Christ. It is larger, and better built.
Now, as then, the houses are of stone,
and, as cities and custom change but
little in the East, we may safely infer
that modern Bethlehem houses are
much like those of nineteen hundred
years ago. Perhaps some of the old
buildings that were in existence 80
long ago may still be standing. OF
course the great Church of the Nativi-
ty 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 surround
ings and very unimaginative not to
wonder what the place was like on
that night, the anniversary of which
We know that t1en, as on tt 8 De-
cember "a, it was filled with people.
But those people had come for a diff
ferent purpose. Augustus Caesar, the
master of the then known world, had
issued an imperial decree ordering q
general registration Of all his subjects.
This was for the purpose of revising
or completing the tax lists. Accord
ing to Roman law, people were to reg
lister in their own cities-that is, the
city in which they lived, or to which
their village or town was attached. Ac-
cordiug 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 be 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 Zebulun, and came 10
David's Gown city," in the territory of
Judah.
They came down the east bank of
the Jordan, crossed the river at Jeri-
cho, and came up among the Judean
hills and valleys till they reached
Bethlehem. 1t was 8, long journey
and wearisome one, and, on arriv-
ing, 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 1t
was necessary that shelter be had, and
Immediately. In the khan, or inn,
there was no room so there was MOTH
ing to do but occupy part of the
space provided for cattle. 1t was not
an unusual thing to do, and is often
done to-day in these Eastern villages.
In fact, they were about as comforta-
BILE there as in any khan. At a khan
one may procure cup of coffee and a
place to lie down on floor; but each
guest provides his own bed and cover
ing. This was all Joseph and Mary
could have obtained in the inn, bad
there been a room for them. And
here in Bethlehem, in stable, or a
cave used far stabling animals, Jesus
was born, and Mary wrapped him in
swaddling clothes and laid him in a
manger."