The birth of Jesus is one of the most important events in human history. God became man so he could save all humanity from sin. It is an event celebrated throughout the world every year, even by those who do not profess to be Christians, and it is celebrated by followers of Jesus every day of the year. The account of his birth is both interesting and exciting. Two of the four gospels share the account of his birth, but one particular detail has led people to believe Jesus was born in a barn or a cave full of animals. Could this be true? Was the savior of all humanity born in a dirty space designed for animals, or are there some details we are missing in the narrative?
Luke, in his account, provides us with some important information:
“And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”
We know from historical accounts that a manger in this era of time was a feeding trough for animals. It likely would have contained hay or a similar substance for the cows, sheep, and donkeys to eat. In Western society, we assume that if there was a manger in the room, there must have also been animals in the room. Where are animals kept in the 21st century? In barns or outdoors. This has been practiced in most of the Western world for a long time. So, it is easy, from a Westernized perspective, to assume Jesus was born in a barn of some type. The problem is that we cannot interpret this passage from a Western perspective. We must consider how animals were cared for 2,000 years ago in the Near East.
Kenneth Bailey’s research of the culture in this era revealed that barns or stables were very uncommon and likely only used by royalty or the very wealthy to house their many horses.[1] The same may have been true for the Roman army, but the average person would not have a barn, and these types of structures would not be found throughout a city. Bailey also discovered that the average family would have a few animals. It would be common to have a cow, donkey, or sheep to provide milk, wool, and labor services. You may be wondering where these animals would be kept if there was no barn. The answer is simple. They were brought into the house each night.
Bringing the animals into the house served two purposes. First, it provided protection for the animals so a thief would not come along and steal them in the middle of the night. Second, it provided more body heat to warm up the house on a cold night. Houses were constructed with this in mind and had a separate room for the animals. This room was divided from the main room of the house by a wall or partial wall. Most families lived, slept, and ate in one large room, unlike the multi-room structures we have today. Mangers were placed near the dividing wall or sometimes built into the wall, to provide food for the animals. This can explain the use of manger in Luke’s account, and there is one other word we need to consider.
The other word used in Luke that is interesting is καταλύματι (katalymati), most often translated as “inn” in the biblical text. Once again, we cannot project our Westernized view onto the story. The city was not full of modern hotels with thousands of rooms. While there may have been some places offering lodgings, it is more likely that Luke was referring to a guest room within a house. Some houses were constructed as described above, and others had an additional room used for guests, and this same word is translated as “guest room” in Mark 14:14, and Luke 22:11. Animals in the house and guest rooms instead of inns can help us interpret these passages to understand that Jesus was likely born in a living room of a house and laid in the manger a few feet away. We should also consider the cultural context of the situation.
Near Eastern societies were largely collectivist societies that looked out for the community. One was not focused primarily on his or her individual needs but on what was best for the community at large. Additionally, the biblical narrative tells us Joseph was from this city, which means he would have likely had relatives in the area. It is highly unlikely that people in this society, especially relatives, would ignore a traveling pregnant woman about to give birth and send her off to a barn to bring life into the world.
If this is the case, why didn’t Luke just tell us that Mary and Joseph stayed with some friends or relatives, and since the guest room was already occupied, Mary gave birth in the living room while the guys waited outside? Luke’s indented recipient would have already understood some of these details. If one wrote a letter to someone today and shared that he drove home for Christmas to avoid crowded air travel, the reader would understand that he was avoiding long TSA lines, cramped seating, potential delays, and all the frustration that comes with it. The writer would not need to include details the reader would intrinsically know.
Do we know for certain that Jesus was born in a house? No, we do not. But we can ascertain, knowing the historical and cultural norms of the day, that the likelihood he was born in a barn is very close to zero percent. So, the next time you see a nativity scene, just smile and remember what you learned today.
[1] See Bailey’s work, Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels, for more details.