Mary, the Roman census, angelic messengers appearing to shepherds abiding in the fields, and the finding of the Baby Jesus in Bethlehem “wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger” (Lk 2:12). Matthew, on the other hand, tells us of St. Joseph’s dreams, a special star, the coming of the wise men, the flight into Egypt, and the slaughter of the innocents. Obviously, these two accounts of the Nativity are drawn from completely independent sources. On the other hand, they also manifest important similarities: l In theology: In both accounts, Jesus is said to be conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary. l In lineage: He was born to Mary and Joseph, the latter at least a descendant of King David. l In geography: Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea. l In chronology: His birth took place during the reign of the tyrant Herod the Great (who died somewhere between 4 and 1 BC). These similarities lend an initial probability that they have an historically factual basis. Some, however, remain controversial among historians working in the field. Born in Bethlehem? As surprising as it may seem, some historians doubt that Jesus actually was born in Bethlehem. Princeton scholar James H. Charlesworth, for example, notes that Jesus is never called “Jesus of Bethlehem” but always “Jesus of Nazareth.” Mark 1:9 states “Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee,” so Charlesworth considers that “If Jesus came from Nazareth, he may have been born there” (see Mt 21:11, Mk 6:1, Jn 1:45-46). The only strong evidence he presents in favor of this possibility, however, is that “Nicodemus is unable to reply to the charge that Jesus cannot be a prophet or the Messiah, because no prophet is to come from Galilee, which includes Nazareth” (see Jn 7:52). But in Luke’s Gospel, the designation of Bethlehem as Jesus’ birthplace is not tied to any prophecy. Rather, Bethlehem was just the temporary residence of Mary and Joseph, who had journeyed there for the Roman census. This explains why, although both Matthew and Luke report that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, they continue to call Him “Jesus of Nazareth” throughout their Gospels: because it was surely not the Jewish custom to name a person after a birthplace that was merely en route, but after their permanent family home, which in this case, as both Gospels tell us, was Nazareth. Finally, none of the early Christian writers outside of the Gospels report that Jesus was born in Nazareth, and none of the early Jewish polemicists (who attacked so many other aspects of the Gospel accounts) cast doubt on His birth in Bethlehem. In short, the preponderance of the historical evidence still strongly supports Bethlehem as the birthplace of Jesus Christ. Shepherds and caves Further corroboration of St. Luke’s Nativity accounts include the fact that there really were shepherds who tended flocks on the outskirts of Bethlehem in those days, and caves in the hillsides that were used as stables for animals (which is why an early Christian tradition holds that Jesus was born in a cave). Even the Christmas tradition that places an ox and an ass beside the stable stands to reason: If there was no room for Mary and Joseph in the “inn” in Bethlehem, so that Jesus had to be born elsewhere, and was laid in a “manger” (see Lk 2:7 and 2:16), then he was most likely born in a stable for sheltering animals. If Matthew and Luke were probably accurate on all the major aspects of the story of the Nativity of our Lord (the star, the wise men, the slaughter of the innocents, the location of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, the Roman census, the shepherds, and the manger), then they are not telling myths or concocting legends here. Rather, they are trying to inform their readers about events that they believed — and had good grounds for believing — really happened. And so can we. Dr. Robert Stackpole is the director emeritus of the John Paul II Institute of Divine Mercy. His new weekly web series, “Jesus of Nazareth: The Historical Evidence Behind the Greatest Story Ever Told,” begins on Monday, Dec. 1 on TheDivineMercy.org. Marian Helper • Winter 2024-25 • Marian.org 19 We invite you to send us your intentions for the Three Christmas Masses on Dec. 25 at the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy. Visit Marian.org/b64 to have your intentions remembered.
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