+DEV+ Antiquity In Bethlehem

Date: June 3, 2015 11:59 PM

Topic: +DEV+  Antiquity In Bethlehem

Antiquity In Bethlehem

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." Micah 5:2

Scripture Focus: John 7:25-44

Nine kilometers, six miles... Bethlehem is not far south of Jerusalem. From the first Christmas forward, we have known where the Messiah was born. The chief priests and teachers of the law didn't hesitate when wise men from the East who had followed the star so they could worship the newborn king asked where He was to be born. It was an issue for the "wise" religious leaders in Jesus' adult ministry who thought He'd come from a city in the region of Galilee and couldn't be the Messiah. 

The issue for modern scholars has been whether there is any proof that Bethlehem was even around. In May, 2012, the Israeli Antiquities Authority announced the finding of a seal dating back to the 1st Temple period making mention of Bethlehem, long before the time of Jesus' birth. The age of the tiny clay seal, discovered in a dig outside the old walls of Jerusalem, is the first non-biblical proof that the city was more than just a fabled town with a manger. Jesus was and is real - on this earth and in hearts today.

Insight: Thank you, Lord, that we can trust your word and that, even more, we can trust the one "whose origins are from of old."

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