Q. 1. Where was Jesus born? Some priests refer to a cave while others refer to a stable. This is confusing.

A. 1. The Bible does not tell us that Jesus was born in a cave or a stable. The Gospel of Luke only refers to a newborn being wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. [Lk. 2:1-10]

Because there was no room in the inn, many have concluded that Jesus was born in a stable because of the "manger" mentioned above. In the days of the birth of Jesus, a manger referred to an open box or feeding trough for livestock.

In that era, a typical Jewish family lived on the second floor of their dwelling. The first floor was reserved for the animals where they were kept at night to protect them against any type of danger. A benefit from this practice is that the heat from the animals would rise and warm up the second floor to a certain degree.

It is more reasonable to believe that Mary and Joseph where allowed to stay on the first floor where the animals were located. Not having a bed for Jesus, a manger was used to keep Him off the floor.

The records of the exact location of Jesus' birth are lost forever. We will never know where exactly He was born. But we do know that it was not a cave or a stable as we have today.