Where was the Birth Place of the Lord Jesus?

The Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Is this the birth place of Jesus Christ?

Where was the Birth Place
of the Lord Jesus?

by Cooper P Abrams III
*All rights reserved.

The Nativity scene we see so often is of Jesus being born in a stable that sheltered animals has always bothered me. I grew up in a small town in rural eastern North Carolina and I have seen a lot of stables. Even the best kept ones are dirty smelly places because they house animals. I have never been able to understand how such an unclean place where donkeys and other animals resided was where Mary gave birth to the Lord Jesus Christ. Several years ago, a pastor friend of mine sent me an article that gave biblical evidence that Jesus was not born in an animal stable behind an inn where donkeys and other animals were kept, but in a more appropriate place. The following is the result of my research.

Tradition, not the Bible, says that Jesus' birth place was in cave over which the Basilica of the Nativity was built in Bethlehem. Roman Emperor Constantine, built a Basilica1 over this cave in the 4th Century at the request of his mother, Helena. It was destroyed and the present basilica was built by Emperor Justinian in 530 AD. Origen of Alexandria (185 - 254 AD) wrote that it was generally accepted that Jesus was born in a cave at Bethlehem which could be visited in his day. 2

Clearly the city of Jesus’ birth was Bethlehem as Micah 5:2 prophesied and as the Gospels of Matthew, Luke and John confirm. (Matt. 2:1; Luke 2:4, 15; John 7:42) Luke proclaims the birth place as Bethlehem, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” 1 Samuel 17:15, confirms Bethlehem as the City of David, “But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.” But where in Bethlehem was Jesus born? The fact is that the New Testament does not mention the exact place in Bethlehem of where Jesus was born. Nowhere does the Bible record that Jesus was born in stable attended by donkeys, chickens, and cows as many nativity scenes present. In the past it was speculated that because there was no room for Joseph and Mary in the Inn, and that he was born in the stable behind the inn where the animals were kept. This conjecture is false and is a good example that shows us we should not apply speculation to God’s word. All the New Testament specifically says is that Jesus was laid in a manger in Bethlehem.

The popular conception that the word "manger" refers to a trough where animals were fed may be accurate. However, it could mean simply a stall. The Greek word which is translated in our English Bibles "manger" is Yatnh phat-ne (pronounced fat'-nay). The definition of the word is of a "stall" where animals are kept and in Luke 13:15 is translated as such. In the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) the word means a stall or a crib (See Proverbs 14:4). The question is what kind of "stall" or manger is the New Testament referring to and what kind of animal was fed or housed there.

Although the New Testament does not tell us where in Bethlehem Jesus was born, the Old Testament does. Micah 4:8 states, "And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem." Thus the Old Testament clearly states that the Messiah would be born at the "tower of the flock" (Hebrew: Migdal Edar).

The phrase "tower of the flock" is the Hebrew phrase "Migdal Edar" [mig-dawl ay-der] and means a "watch tower of the flock". In ancient times this was a military tower erected to view into the valley on the edge of Bethlehem to protect the city. Several of these military towers are recorded in the Old Testament (See Judges 8:71, 9:46, 9:51; 2 Kings 9:17, 18:8; Nehemiah 3:1) The tower at Bethlehem is first mentioned in Genesis 35:21, "And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar" ("tower of Edar" - Migdal Edar). After Jacob left Bethel he came to Edar (the tower) and there Rachel began hard labor and as she delivered Benjamin she died and was buried there in Ephratah which is Bethlehem" (Gen. 35:19). After burying Rachel, Jacob moved his flocks beyond the tower of Edar. This would pinpoint the location as being near to what is present day Bethlehem. Clearly, this establishes that Migdal Edar, "the tower of the flock" was in Bethlehem in Bible times.

Rachel's Tomb Before it was annexed by Israel (before 1995)

Rachel's Tomb today (since 1995)

The oldest tradition, based upon Genesis 35:16-20; 48:7, points to a place one mile north of present day Bethlehem and 4 miles from Jerusalem. We do not know what were the bounds of ancient Bethlehem when Christ was born there, but we know the area called Bethlehem was larger than it is today. The references to present day Migdal Edar are in reference to present day Bethlehem and not the Bethlehem of biblical times which was certainly greater. Genesis 35:19 and 48:7 both state that Rachel was buried at "Ephrath, which is Bethlehem."

"And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem." (Genesis 35:19)
"And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when yet there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath; the same is Bethlehem." (Genesis 48:7)

It must be noted that Ephrath or Ephrathah was the ancient name for the area that later was called Bethlehem. According to Genesis 35:19, after Jacob buried Rachel he "moved his flocks beyond the tower of Edar" or "Migdal Edar." The location of Rachel's tomb today is outside, on the outskirts of present day Bethlehem, but clearly it was not when Jacob, buried his wife there. Clearly the area which is called Bethlehem in biblical times covered a greater area than does present day Bethlehem and the Tower of the Flock was in that city.

This watch tower from ancient times was used by the shepherds for protection from their enemies and wild beasts. It was also the place ewes were safely brought to give birth to the lambs. In this sheltered building/cave the priests would bring in the ewes which were about to lamb for protection. These special lambs came from a unique flock that was designated for sacrifice at the temple in Jerusalem.

Rabbi Short states, "According to Edersheim in The Life And Times Of Jesus The Messiah, in Book 2, Chapter 6, states, "This Migdal Edar was not the watchtower for the ordinary flocks that pastured on the barren sheep ground beyond Bethlehem, but it lay close to the town, on the road to Jerusalem. A passage from the Mishnah (Shekelim 7:4) 3 leads to the conclusion that the flocks which pastured there were destined for Temple sacrifices."4

In addition, Migdal Edar is also mentioned by the Jewish Targums and is translated "The Anointed One of the flock of Israel". 5 Thus, Targum Yonatan, cited by Rabbi Munk, paraphrases Genesis 35:23 and Micah 4:8, "He spread his tent beyond Migdal Edar, the place where King Messiah will reveal Himself at the end of days." What are we to make of all of this information from the writings of the rabbis? First, we know that Migdal Edar was the watchtower that guarded the Temple flocks that were being raised to serve as sacrificial animals in the Temple. These were not just any flock and herd. The shepherds who kept them were men who were specifically trained for this royal task. They were educated in what an animal, that was to be sacrificed, had to be and it was their job to make sure that none of the animals were hurt, damaged, or blemished."6 These lambs were apparently wrapped in "swaddling cloths" to protect them from injury and also were used to wrap the Lord Jesus.

Thus, with the establishment of Temple worship in Jerusalem, the fields outside of Bethlehem became the place where a special group of shepherds raised the lambs that were sacrificed in the Temple. Being themselves under special Rabbinical care, they would strictly maintain a ceremonially clean stable for a birthing place. The Tower of the Flock was used for birthing ewes, and the surrounding fields were where these shepherds grazed their flocks. These shepherds customarily kept their flocks outdoors twenty-four hours a day every day of the year, but brought the ewes in to deliver their lambs where they could be carefully cared for. It was to this place that Joseph took Mary. It was in this special place at "Migdal Edar" that Christ was born! How do we know? Micah 4:8 tells us so!7

Prophetically, "Migdal Edar" is the exact place in Bethlehem for Christ to be born. Micah was God's prophet who was warning Israel of the coming captivity. He used the authenticating prophecy of the Assyrian captivity of the Northern Kingdom (soon to occur when he foretold it) to serve as a reminder to Israel of God's promised Kingdom. God wanted them to know that even though they would be taken from their land because of their disobedience that He would restore them in time. Micah 4:7 establishes the context of the passage and clearly is a Messianic prophecy of the coming of the Millennial Kingdom when Jesus Christ will reign over Jerusalem forever. ". . .LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever." In other words God was assuring Israel that He would fulfill His promises to them of the Kingdom. In Micah 4:8 the word is rendered "tower of the flock" (marg., "Edar"), and is used as a designation of Bethlehem, which figuratively represents the royal line of David as sprung from Bethlehem.8

In this setting, Micah (Micah 4:8) uses the prophecy of the Babylonian captivity of the Southern Kingdom as a pledge to guarantee (authenticating prophecy) of the birth of Christ at "Migdal Edar" at Bethlehem which is exactly where it took place! Micah prophesied that as surely as Assyrians would soon carry away Israel in the North, so the Messiah would come and establish His kingdom, the "first dominion, the kingdom shall come to Jerusalem." The verse states that as surely as Babylon would carry away the tribe of Judah, in the South, into captivity, so the Messiah would arrive at the Tower of the Flock. This prophecy was one other evidence that later proved that Jesus was the Messiah, but one that Israel ignored in rejecting Him as their Messiah.

Who were the shepherds who first received the news of the birth of the Messiah?

           Luke 2:8-18 records that there were shepherds in the fields keeping watch over their sheep by night. Who then were these shepherds? Without question these were shepherds who resided near Bethlehem They were none other but the shepherds from "Migdal Edar" who were well aware that the Targum hinted and many of the rabbis taught that Messiah might well be announced from "Migdal Edar" at Bethlehem. The angels only told the shepherds that they would find the Babe wrapped in "swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." There was no need for the angels to give these shepherds directions to the birth place because they already knew. These were the men who raised sacrificial lambs that were sacrificed in the Temple. When the angelic announcement came, they knew exactly where to go, as Luke 2 indicates, for the sign of a manger could only mean their manger at the tower of the flock! You cannot explain the meaning or direction of the sign they were given or their response unless you have the right manger and the right shepherds!9

           Typically, "Migdal Edar", (the tower of the flock) at Bethlehem is the perfect place for Christ to be born. He was born in the very birthplace where tens of thousands of lambs, which had been sacrificed to prefigure Him. God promised it, pictured it, and performed it at "Migdal Edar". It all fits together, for that's the place the place where sacrificial lambs were born! Jesus was not born behind an inn, in a smelly stable where the donkeys of travelers and other animals were kept. He was born in Bethlehem, at the birthing place of the sacrificial lambs that were offered in the Temple in Jerusalem which Micah 4:8 calls the "tower of the flock."
           John the Baptist in John 1:29 proclaimed of Jesus, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." Jesus is presented in the Bible as being "in type" as a sacrificial lamb. It was not by chance but by choice that Christ identified His death with the time of the observance of the Passover. Peter spoke of our redemption as wrought by the "precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot"( 1 Pet. 1:19); and Paul told us that "Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us" ( 1 Cor. 5:7). Even the first fulfilled type by which Christ is to be revealed in Heaven is as the Lamb (Rev. 5:6-13)10 .

Concluding remarks
Is the cave under the Basilica of the Nativity the birth place of Jesus?

           Edersheim says that Migdal Edar was close to the town, on the road to Jerusalem11. A modern topographical map shows the traditional place of the Shepherd's Field as being about 300 meters from the Basilica of the Nativity on the edge of Bethlehem.12 The site has a long history as the place of the birth of Christ going back to Origen of Alexander in the 2nd Century who said that Jesus was born in a cave located in Bethlehem.13 It is entirely possible that this cave or grotto was used to keep sheep and that this is where the tower of the flock was located, but it has not been proved. Other's have purported the location of the "tower of the flock" in another location in the vicinity which has not been thoroughly excavated. The tower of the flock being a tower built of stones does not exist today and archaeology has not found its ruins. However, based on biblical record, Micah 4:8, and other evidences we must conclude that it was not the stable of an inn where donkeys and other animals were kept was not a tower.
           God's word tells us that Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, of Judah in the city of David at a place called the "tower of the flock," It is not important that we can go today to the exact spot where He was born. And even if we could, would that help us spiritually? I have been to Israel and seen Jerusalem, and many of biblical places, but what I saw has little semblance to what it looked like in Jesus' day.
           For a time I tried to imagine what it looked like during Bible times, but it proved to be a futile effort. As a student of the Bible I also realized that God is not through with this area and this very place the Lord Jesus will return and set up His earthly Kingdom, which He promised to the Jews. It is going to greatly changed again in the future. What really got my spirits lifted and my mind souring was the realization that as a child of God, born again by the Holy Spirit, saved by God's free gift of grace, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, I too one day will return to Israel and will abide in His Millennial Kingdom and serve the Lord throughout all eternity. His coming, His life, death, burial and resurrection has assured me of that truth. The significance of His birth is that in God's time Jesus came exactly as God promised and that as sure as His past promises have been kept, so will His promises for the future. By the way, that was the promise in Micah 4:8. I rejoice and thank God for His sure promises.
           Galatians 4:4-5 "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons."

End Notes:
1 Basilica. An oblong building ending in a semicircular apse used in ancient Rome especially for a court of justice and place of public assembly. Later the name was used to describe an early Christian church building consisting of nave and aisles with clerestory and a large high transept from which an apse projects and given ceremonial privileges by the Roman Catholic church.
2 Origen of Alexandra, "Against Celsus" in Volume 1, Chapter 51. "In regards to the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, if anyone, after studying Micah's prophecy and the history recorded in the sacred writings by the disciples of Jesus. If needing to have additional sources of evidence, Let him be aware that the Scriptures are confirmed and the Gospel involving his birth, for there can be seen the cave located in Bethlehem where He was born and the manger where He was wrapped in swaddling-clothes. And this site is talked about with great interest in all the surrounding countries. Even among the enemies our faith it is being said that in this cave Jesus was born, the One who is worshiped and revered by the Christians."
3 Mishnah. The Mishnah was the first recording of the oral law of the Jews or its Rabbinic Judaism. The word means "repetition" which means it was memorized material. It is the major source of rabbinic teachings of Judaism. Next to the Scriptures the Mishnah is the basic textbook of Jewish life and thought, and is traditionally considered to be an integral part of the Torah revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai.
4 Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, From the manger in Bethlehem to the baptism in Jordan, The nativity of Jesus the Messiah, Book 2, Chapter VI, Hindrickson Publishers:1993, p131.
5 Targum. The Targum is an Aramaic translation of the Hebrew Bible (Tanak) which was written during Israel's seventy year captivity in Babylon. Aramaic is one of the Semitic languages, an important group of languages known almost from the beginning of human history and including also Arabic, Hebrew, Ethiopic, and Akkadian (ancient Babylonian and Assyrian).
6 Rabbi Mike L. Short, Migdal Edar,http://www.mayimhayim.org/Rabbi%20Mike/Migdal%20Eder.htm
7 James E. Smith, Where was the Birth Place of the Lord Jesus, Baptist Bulletin December 1979.
8 M.A. Easton, Easton's Illustrated Bible Dictionary,Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. 9 Edersheim, p131.
10 Smith.
11. Edersheim, 131.
12 Bethlehem City - Palestine, Sacred Destinations http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/bethlehem-map
13 Origen.
*All Rights Reserved.
(December 26, 2004)