How Do We Know Where Jesus Was Born?

We do, in fact, know where Jesus Christ was born. The textual, archeological and historical record is pretty conclusive.

The New Testament tells us Jesus was born in the little village of Bethlehem in Judea about six miles from Jerusalem.

If you visit Bethlehem today the centerpiece of the town is the ancient Church of the Nativity, controlled by the Greek Orthodox Church and for many decades in a ruinous state, it has been carefully restored and is now in the best condition it has been in for a very long time.

As you make your way down the South aisle you enter a couple of chapels that lead through an arch and down an ancient stairway down to the lower level. This lower level is the grotto–the cave that is the spot of the birth of Jesus Christ. On the floor is a metal star that marks the very spot and pilgrims kneel to kiss the place of the birth of the Son of God.

The skeptic will observe all this and nod knowingly and smile at the naïveté of the pilgrims. “Sure, sure. but really. The location where Jesus was born? I thought it was in a lowly stable. What’s all this about a cave? Oh, I get it, a wooden shed would have disappeared in time, but a cave remains part of the topography. That’s convenient isn’t it?”