5 Greatest Myths About Jesus Christ's Birth

The events surrounding the birth have been retold so many times and in so many ways – in plays, poetry, books and movies – that most people have a distorted view of the true events. The only accurate record is found in the Bible.

"Mary arrived in Bethlehem the night she gave birth."
The Bible doesn’t suggest this. They could have arrived weeks earlier. God’s Word simply says, “while they were [in Bethlehem], the days were accomplished that she would be delivered” (Luke 2:6). Arriving in town well before her due date would make more sense.

"Christ was born on Christmas Day."

A very early Christian tradition said that the day when Mary was told that she would have a very special baby, Jesus (called the Annunciation) was on March 25 – and it’s still celebrated on the day. Others believe Christmas is celebrated on this day because it was already popular in ancient religious celebrations as the birthday of the sun. If you take a close look at Scripture, it indicates that this is an unlikely date for Christ’s birth. Although it’s not impossible, it seems unlikely that Jesus was really born on December 25.

"Jesus was born in a stable, because there was no room in the inn."

The Greek word being translated to “inn” here is kataluma. That word can mean “inn,” but it doesn’t have to. The only other time kataluma is used in the New Testament is in reference to the well-furnished guest room where Jesus ate the Last Supper with His disciples. The word “manger” here does mean an animal feeding trough, but at the time, a family’s animals were often brought into the house itself at night to protect them from theft.

"‘Manger’ is another word for stable."

The word is derived from the French verb “manger,” meaning “to ear.” Thus, in the Nativity story, Mary may have had one at her disposal, despite not being in the immediate vicinity of a stable.

"Three kings came to visit Jesus on the night He was born."

While this is a popular belief, the Bible doesn’t say that any kings or camels visited young Jesus. It does report wise men (“magi”) came, but it does not say how many. Since the word “magi” used in the Bible is plural, there were apparently at least two, and there could have been more – even several more. The Bible mainly mentions three costly gifts they presented – gold, frankincense and myrrh, but this doesn’t necessarily indicate the number of magi.