Was Jesus born in Nazareth or in Bethlehem ?

[paarsurrey1]

Was Jesus born in Nazareth or in Bethlehem, please ?

Regards

[bluethread]

[Replying to post 1 by paarsurrey1]

He was born in Bethlehem and grew up in Nazareth.

[marco]

Was Jesus born in Nazareth or in Bethlehem, please ?

Regards

Does it matter? The Bethlehem story may be a piece of embroidery to fill in the gaps about Christ's nativity. To align with Scripture, Jesus was accorded birth in Bethlehem. He was given the birthdate 25th December and he rose from the dead on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. So his birth and death details are fanciful.

Micah 5: 1-2 ""But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."

But of course the story may have been written to comply with the prophecy. Christ's life seems to be an echo of various statements in the Old Testament.

[paarsurrey1]

Was Jesus born in Nazareth or in Bethlehem, please ?

Regards

Does it matter? The Bethlehem story may be a piece of embroidery to fill in the gaps about Christ's nativity. To align with Scripture, Jesus was accorded birth in Bethlehem. He was given the birthdate 25th December and he rose from the dead on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. So his birth and death details are fanciful.

Micah 5: 1-2 ""But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."

But of course the story may have been written to comply with the prophecy. Christ's life seems to be an echo of various statements in the Old Testament.

Does one mean that it is not real but a fiction, please?
If yes, under what principles/rules one discerned it to be fiction from reality, please.

Regards

[marco]

Does one mean that it is not real but a fiction, please?
If yes, under what principles/rules one discerned it to be fiction from reality, please.

How does a detective determine that someone is lying? Is it so hard to see that choirs of angels didn't fill the skies in the Middle East to celebrate a human birth? Do we really suppose something calling itself George or Gabriel flew down to tell Mary she was pregnant without having known any male? In what way could a gigantic star indicate the location of a stable south of Jerusalem? Where is the corroborative secular evidence of the three Eastern potentates who took it into their heads to "follow a star" ?

I suppose we all have different levels of credulity. Go well.

[SaulToPaul]

[Replying to post 4 by paarsurrey1]

It is very real. Do not get discouraged. You either believe what the bible says in it's entirety, or you do not. Remember this, that there is no partiality with Jehovah.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem, because Joseph was required to go to the hometown of his tribe for a census (Luke 2:1-7), but the three wise men never visited the manger. At Matthew 2:11, the Gospel clearly says "When they went into the HOUSE..." A manger is not a house. It is a long open box or trough for animals to feed from. The three wise men visited him in Nazareth, a city of Galilee, AFTER Jesus, Mary and Joseph had returned from Bethlehem. Also, the three wise men were bad men. And, are you ready for this? Christmas is not Jesus's birthday. His birthday was actually in late September, early October. How do we know this? Luke 2:8 states that "There were also in the same region shepherds living out of doors and keeping watch over their flocks during the night." Do you have any idea how cold it is in December in northern Israel? If Christ's birthday was important, the exact date would be recorded.

There are many things that you need to know the answers to, but you need to continue to diligently search, pray, meditate, and read the Bible. All things are there for you to find. Do not get disheartened because of people like the one above my reply.

Continue to ask questions. Seek and you will find. I highly recommend reading from The New World Translation. Google "what is the most accurate translation of the bible". This is the Bible I trust.

-Paul

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 6 by SaulToPaul]

Hello Paul (and welcome!!)

I have to agree, Luke gives some nice details that allows us to see the progress in the story. Many people don't note that by the time the astrologers visited Mary and Joseph they were living in a house. They later moved to Egypt and following that to Nazareth.

JW

[marco]

[Replying to post 4 by paarsurrey1]

It is very real. Do not get discouraged. You either believe what the bible says in it's entirety, or you do not. Remember this, that there is no partiality with Jehovah.

Welcome to the forum.

Jehovah was partial to the Israelites but I suppose you intend to say that when one reads the Bible, one does not discard parts that displease. That being so, it is odd that you do this very thing, changing what's recorded, moving from accepted interpretation, to an idiosyncratic one.

It is hardly likely that Rome would have sanctioned vast movements of people to their place of birth for a census. Of course Rome was keen on holding censuses for tax purposes among other things and a head count was what mattered. The unlikely trek to Bethlehem with a pregnant woman is presented so as to comply with prophecy.

[liamconnor]

Best question I have seen from you you so far, in my opinion. Please keep this kind of thing up.


My guess is, he was born in Nazareth. The Lucan/Matthean accounts were probably historical reconstructions, perhaps their own or a tradition which they knew. Obviously the Mican prophesy led many Jews of the period to assume that the Messiah would be born in David's home town. The historical claim he was at least from Nazareth is/was very strong. Thus some felt the need to place his actual birth in Bethlehem.

[liamconnor]

[Replying to post 3 by marco]

Does it matter?

It matters for people who are interested in what is true, whether it be a philosophical statement, an historical claim, or a mathematical equation.

I realize that many here do not care about what is true; they only care about whether what they oppose can be lambasted and what they approve can be sugarcoated.

I for one want the truth; hence, I do not defend inerrancy, though I remain a Christian.

What kind of thinker are you, Marco?