We can picture in our imagination how they had been busy making preparations for the journey, securing the necessary food for themselves and for the animals. This was placed in bags and baskets and then strapped on the back of one of the animals. Mary rode another one, and probably Joseph walked along by their side. No doubt there was a great caravan, as many people were going to the same place for the same purpose.

At the present time in that country are to be seen many caravans consisting of great numbers of people, some of whom are riding, while others are walking and driving their animals. These are heavily laden with various kinds of produce for trading.

No Room in the Inn.

IN Palestine and some other Oriental countries are places built or prepared at or near villages, and occasionally by the wayside of a well-traveled road, for the benefit of travelers. These places are not what we would term hotels,

but they serve as stopping-places for the weary travelers of that country-places where they may feed their beasts of burden and rest for the night.

Some of these places have a building of some sort, in which the travelers may find shelter, eat the food they have brought with them, and lie down upon the earthen floor to sleep. Such a place is called an inn. In connection with this is an enclosure for the animals; although in many places the two are separate, the place for animals being only a parcel of ground enclosed by a stone wall with an opening for an entrance. Some of these places have no roofs, but others have.

Here the beasts are relieved of their heavy loads while they eat, and rest for the night. Ofttimes the whole caravan, both beasts and people, occupy the same quarters.

Doubtless in this kind of place Joseph and Mary stopped when they came to Bethlehem, "because there was no room in the inn." Luke 2:7.

People had been coming from every direction

18

THE MAN OF GALILEE.

and crowding into the little city so as to be ready to pay the tax that had been imposed, and they had occupied every available house and filled the inn to overflowing. Consequently Joseph and Mary had to content themselves to dwell for the night among the animals of the

caravan.

The Babe of Bethlehem.

THE time had now come for the birth of the child that had been promised.

While they were at Nazareth, the angel, in speaking to Joseph about Mary, said, "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins." Mat. 1:21.

The angel said to Mary, "He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." Luke 1: 32, 33.

They were now in the city where the Lord de

signed that the child should be born. "And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him in swaddling-clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn." Luke 2:6, 7.

Never was a babe born that created such a sensation and stir among the people. The Holy Ghost and angels revealed his advent into the world to devout men and others, and kings and rulers were made to fear his power. It was the appearance of a light that was soon to break forth with the brilliancy of heaven.

Where He Was Born.

NCT only does the Bible tell us the name of the city of his birth, but it tells the kind of place in the city in which he was born.

The prophet about seven hundred years before this time said: "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thou

sands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth." Micah 5: 2-4. This is similar to the words spoken to Mary by the angel hundreds of years afterwards. Luke 1:32, 33.

Bethlehem is noted as being the birth-place not only of the Savior, but also of David. It is sometimes called the "city of David." It was the burial-place of Joab's family, and near by Rachel was buried. It was the home of Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz. On the way to it Ruth expressed her fervent love for Naomi, her motherin-law, and said:

"Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return. from following after thee: for whither thou