1Now in those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. 2This was the first enrollment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3All went to enroll themselves, everyone to his own city. 4Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to David’s city, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, 5to enroll himself with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him as wife, being pregnant.
6While they were there, the day had come for her to give birth. 7She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no room for them in the inn.
8There were shepherds in the same country staying in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock. 9Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people. 11For there is born to you today, in David’s city, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12This is the sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a feeding trough.” 13Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army praising God and saying,
14“Glory to God in the highest,
on earth peace, good will toward men.”
15When the angels went away from them into the sky, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16They came with haste and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby was lying in the feeding trough. 17When they saw it, they publicized widely the saying which was spoken to them about this child. 18All who heard it wondered at the things which were spoken to them by the shepherds. 19But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told them.
21When eight days were fulfilled for the circumcision of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
22When the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were fulfilled, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23(as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”), 24and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”
25Behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27He came in the Spirit into the temple. When the parents brought in the child, Jesus, that they might do concerning him according to the custom of the law, 28then he received him into his arms and blessed God, and said,
29“Now you are releasing your servant, Master,
according to your word, in peace;
30for my eyes have seen your salvation,
31which you have prepared before the face of all peoples;
32a light for revelation to the nations,
and the glory of your people Israel.”
33Joseph and his mother were marveling at the things which were spoken concerning him. 34Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary, his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which is spoken against. 35Yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
36There was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher (she was of a great age, having lived with a husband seven years from her virginity, 37and she had been a widow for about eighty-four years), who didn’t depart from the temple, worshiping with fastings and petitions night and day. 38Coming up at that very hour, she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of him to all those who were looking for redemption in Jerusalem.
39When they had accomplished all things that were according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. 40The child was growing, and was becoming strong in spirit, being filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.
41His parents went every year to Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover. 42When he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast; 43and when they had fulfilled the days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. Joseph and his mother didn’t know it, 44but supposing him to be in the company, they went a day’s journey; and they looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances. 45When they didn’t find him, they returned to Jerusalem, looking for him. 46After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the middle of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48When they saw him, they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us this way? Behold, your father and I were anxiously looking for you.”
49He said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50They didn’t understand the saying which he spoke to them. 51And he went down with them and came to Nazareth. He was subject to them, and his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. 52And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
REWRITE FOR HVSB—THIS IS FROM ZHBA
Concerning the birth of Jesus, Luke says that Mary was forced to give birth to Jesus in a manger, “because there was no room for them in the inn.” Early Christian tradition placed this manger in a cave, (or grotto). In A. D. 135, after he established a military post at Bethlehem during the Bar Kokhbah Revolt, Hadrian is said to have planted trees around (or above) a grotto “in which Jesus was born,” and erected statues of Tammuz (Adonis). Scholars theorize this was an effort to thwart Christian use of the grotto. Justin Martyr, an early second-century native of Shechem (modern Nablus), wrote “But when the Child was born in Bethlehem, since Joseph could not find a lodging in that village, he took up his quarters in a certain cave near the village; and while they were there Mary brought forth the Christ and placed Him in a manger.” A little later (early third century) Origen wrote, “…in conformity with the narrative in the Gospel regarding His birth, there is shown at Bethlehem the cave where He was born, and the manger in the cave where He was wrapped in swaddling-clothes. And this sight is greatly talked of in surrounding places, even among the enemies of the faith, it being said that in this cave was born that Jesus who is worshipped and reverenced by the Christians.”
The modern Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is almost universally accepted as being built over this grotto. The current church, while having been greatly modified and expanded, is largely the church built by Justinian in the sixth-century, having avoided destruction during the Persian invasion unlike the majority of churches of that period. Excavations carried out inside the church confirm historical records of an octagonal Constantine-era basilica underneath the current church. Mosaics floors have been found, containing the well-known ΙΧΘΥΣ (IXTHUS) symbol, as well as columns inscribed with crosses by later Crusader-era pilgrims.
See also Manger
Bibliography. ASB 1668, “Cultural and Historical Notes: The Birthplace of Jesus”.Bagatti, Bellarmino, “Gli antichi sacri de Betlemme in seguito agli scavi e restauri praticati dalla Custodia di Terra Santi” in Publications of the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum, Vol. 9, (Jerusalem: Franciscan Printing Press, 1952).Cornfield, Gaalyah, Archaeology of the Bible: Book by Book, David Noel Freedman, ed., (New York: Harper and Row, 1976), 279-280.Finegan, Jack, The Archaeology of the New Testament: The Life of Jesus and the Beginning of the Early Church, (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1992), 29-30.Gonzalo Baez-Camargo, Archaeological Commentary on the Bible, (New York: Doubleday & Co., 1984), 219. Gutman, S. and A. Berman, “Communication” Revue Biblique, 77, (1970), 583-585.Sharon, Moshe, Corpus Inscriptionum Arabicarum Palaestinae, Vol. 2 (Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill, 1999), 180.Against Celsus, 1.51, (ANF 4.418). Dialogue With Trypho, 78, (ANF 1.237).
[1]As opposed to the other Bethlehem, which is in Galilee. See Joshua 19:15.
[2]Jews continue to venerate the traditional site of Rachel’s tomb, near the entrance to the modern city. Although considered the third holiest site in Judaism, and has a very ancient tradition, the modern tomb is almost certainly not the original tomb of Rachel, since the current site is five miles south of the southern border of the territory of Benjamin, where Rachel’s tomb is said to have been (1 Sam 10:2).
[HAC1]Need Bible translation if other than NIV