No Room in the Inn?

One of the places long sought in the Christmas story is the inn at Bethlehem.  Was Bethlehem large enough for an inn?  Did Bethlehem's location provide a sufficient business opportunity for such an establishment?  Scholars have debated these questions for years.

Yes, Bethlehem was small.  No, Bethlehem was not that isolated.  The world passed nearby.  An inn was possible.

The answer really rises and falls on the meaning of "inn."   Rather than the inn we commonly picture, "kataluma" is better interpreted as "guest room."  Homes of the 1st Century often had a large family room for all and another room for storage or "guests."

Joseph was from Bethlehem which certainly meant that he had family there.  Hospitality called for opening the guest room especially for kin.  But the decree of the powers that be called for all natives of Bethlehem to return home.  The guest room was already occupied by other family members from afar.

What remained for Mary and Joseph was an area of the home where the animals were placed for protection from thieves and to provide necessary heat.  In Bethlehem, homes were built to include the natural caves in the vicinity for such use.

While this understanding does not completely answer our questions regarding that holy night long ago, it is somewhat more comforting than a tired and tested "innkeeper" who turns the holy family away with the harsh words, "no room in the inn."  There is profound good news still in the announcement that a Savior has been born and He can be found among extended family albeit in a manger, a feeding trough.  In Bethlehem, "the House of Bread," the hungry of the world can find the Bread of Life.