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Show IN" a place built, like Bethlehem, in many cases against the soft limestone rock it often happens that the existence of a cave v.he,re the house was to be was a great at traction since, it . offered a ready made, dry, above ground cellar as well as a specially suitable spot for the household animals and for a storeroom. It would seem tint Joseph Jo-seph was at last able to get room in some such back portion of a house, and there, we are told, Mary bore her divine Son. A cave below the high altar cf the Church of the Nativity is now shown as the very place where this august event transpired; a little recess, re-cess, shaped like a clam shell, its floor of marble wrought into a star in the center, bearing in Latin the words, "llore Jesus Christ Was Born of the Virgin Mary." A row of lamps hangs round the outer edge, the right to attend to them be' ing a jealously watched mutter, each of the ancient churches, the Greek, the Latin, the Armenian and the Coptic, having one or more of these under its care. The evidence for this site is 60 strong that most persons accept it as sufTicient, reaching up, as it does, to within living memory of the days of the apostles. But even if this be an illusion the fact remains that in this petty village the Saviour of the world wa9 made man for our redemption. re-demption. No wonder that we read of the anthem of the angels, for' surely nothing could draw forth the interest of the heavenly population like the exceeding grace God was showing to sinful man. The scene of the visit of .the shepherds shep-herds is pointed out as on a rough slope, facing the village, at some distance- to the east, Bethlehem lying ly-ing far -above on its mountain seat. One can follow the shepherds in their journey to see the unspeakable wonder. They would go along the rich valley of Boaz and then up the terraced hill by a path still in use, nor is it unin6tructive to reflect I that, while simple shepherds were led. by angels to the manger, the high priest and the great of Jeru- salem,- so near, slept through that most illustrious night of all nistory, quite unconscious of what had happened. hap-pened. But we know of it, and may God grant that if we cannot go with 1 the shepherds to Bethlehem we may j one day go to the right hand of God j and worship him there, who that night lay a little child in Mary's arms. Dr. Cunningham Geikie. |