By Truck to Bethlehem...sort off..

Today has been a day for driving across from New Mexico into Arizona.  

What?

As I worked on things I put on the video of, 'BigRig Travels,' in the background.

This is live, usually, from the front of a truck travelling across the USA from one spot to another.  

OK, it is not the most exciting thing you will see, depending on various car drivers that pass by, but it does show the real USA as we pass.

For example, this day has been spent in an almost straight road passing by land that is almost all scrub.

The view is constantly the same.  Scrub at either side, an occasional turn off to a town, and then more flat land for miles ahead, a blue sky for much of the way also.  

I keep asking myself why they forced the Indian's off the land as there is nothing to be made of it out here.   What is here?  Why do Wilmslow and Flagstaff exist?  What keeps people here in the middle of nowhere?

Anyhow, by the time he reached Flagstaff we saw hills  in the distance, towering above the area.  Vast miles of low lying land, actually 6000 feet above sea level, and sky filled the day for the driver.  You can see on those 'Virtual Railfan' cams that Flagstaff gets snow early and deep and it lies for a while.  

The Highway was busy, especially near towns, but at times scarce vehicles were noted.  The job of a long distance truck driver is great if you like being on your own for hours at a time.  This left me regretting not taking those £2 an hour driving lessons back in 1971.  I would have loved a wee van to run around delivering in.

Our friend Psephizo makes some interesting points regarding the birth of Jesus.  He, and indeed other worthies, believe Jesus was born in a house, similar to those found in that area even today.  The description given, and the picture provided, offer one interpretation from those who have travelled in that are during the last 200 years or so.  The style of house has changed little, as those travelling during the 19th century found.  

The house is usually a one roomed building, often with an area beneath or alongside for the animals.

The 'manger' however, from which the animals were fed, lay in the corner of the living room.  This is because there was only one room, and all lived within one room.  

This rather poor shot I took within a small Byzantine house at the Temple in Jerusalem.  As far as I can recall this was the entire house, note how small it is!  I stand on a raised platform, about 4 ft wide, that stretched across the room.  I took this to be the sleeping area.  Bethlehem homes may have been similar in size, with added rooms according to your wealth.  This Essex town has many grand aged houses which began 500 years ago as one room, after which wealth enabled other rooms to be added, this is an old practice.  The writers of these articles imply the house where Mary and Joseph stayed at that time, connected to the family, possibly some say Josephs actual home, while Mary came from Nazareth, possibly, but certainly he would be welcomed by family of some sort.  

The animals next door would reach in, or come in to eat from the manger.  You will understand the cultural differences, but remember houses divided between humans and animals were common in various parts of the Atlantic Islands until comparatively recently.  

Possibly this example is better:

This makes more sense to me. Quite how it operated, the family in one room, the animals, the kids, I have no idea, but this does mean the thought of Jesus in a stable, or a cave as I have thought for some time, is ruled out.  

'Katalmya,' is the word used for a guest room and implies there was no room for the couple in the 'guest room,' so Jesus was born in the living area.  This is why he was placed in a manger, not in a separate building but in a crowded house. 

Not my idea of Christmas...

Of course we are reading from clever people who understand the background, the local attitudes and both Greek and Hebrew.   We rely on those who have travelled in the past, and Historical insights, often unknown to those who translated the scriptures in the days of long ago.  This proves our need to study and understand what is said, not what is believed today.

It changes my outlook.

Jesus was born at the poor end of society, to a girl about 14 years of age, in a crowded house, and left in the feeding bowl.  Quite a start for the Son of God and the ruler of all.