Mike Dumais

They walked. Any beast they had would have carried their belongings or supplies.

They left earlier than most other folks who would have been registered in place in Nazareth. 

Joseph may have had family in his building business, they would have probably traveled with them if they went, however, we know that Mary did not have the benefit of midwives, or anyone else during delivery, so it appears they were alone. 

If they were with people or clan members, they would surely have swapped places due to Mary's condition. They probably didn't have much company, or other relatives. 

If possible they would have walked various parts of the road with other Jews they met along the way, especially as they skirted Samaria. 

They were going to Jerusalem for what they knew would be a little bit of an extended stay. It was the fall of the year, and festival season was quickly approaching: Trumpets, Yom Kippur, Tabernacles. Joseph needed to go to Bethlehem, his ancestral home, to register for the census, Mary was pregnant and due soon. 

They left Nazareth, Mary's home town a little early so she wouldn't deliver on the road, Joseph could register, they would be in Jerusalem for both the holidays and the dedication of their child at the Temple as required. 

They ended up in the basement of the Tower of the Sheep, It was probably in pretty good condition because the priests would have just finished selecting lambs for the upcoming festivals and there were strict protocols on how that facility was maintained, including clean swaddling cloth, removal and burning of excrement & waste, clean water lavers, salt and etc.

They approached from the NE by E. They would have traveled east of Samaria as they traveled south, hooked a right north of Jerusalem and bypassed it, crossed down the valley heading mainly westward and up towards Bethlehem. 

The road was becoming more crowded as they approached Jerusalem and the road to Bethlehem would have been busier than usual due to the census. The trip would have taken about 10 days due to Mary's condition, and they probably slept in the open at least several nights on the way. 

They probably did not need to go searching in Bethlehem for a place to stay, folks on the road would have told them it was full. 

They would have seen the watchtower at a small distance, Joseph would have known exactly what it was (this is his home town), the suitability and the opportunity to get off the road would have seemed a blessing to them.

It would have been, for the day, a fairly pristine environment that they encountered. A perfect provision, by a Holy God for His chosen Son.

February 09 2015 • 3 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report