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Tue May 3 10:41:24 EDT 2011
would stay for an extended time at a costly inn when they had relatives in
Bethlehem. In non-Western cultures it is common still today to stay with
relatives even if it means very cramped quarters. Only rich people can
afford to stay for weeks in inns or hotels. So, an alternative reading of
the text has Mary and Joseph staying with unnamed relatives. Since many
people had flocked to Bethlehem, other relatives have already filled up the
available guestroom upstairs, which left only the empty room downstairs,
normally used by animals, and the only piece of furniture was probably an
empty stable.
Happy Christmas, with or without the inn.
Iver Larsen
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