der of the
government, send men around from house to house to write down the names;
but in Palestine, when they wanted the number of the people, everyone,
no matter where he lived, had to go to the city or town where his
forefathers had lived and there register his name with all the others
who belonged to the same tribe or family. Now, the forefathers of St.
Joseph and the Blessed Virgin belonged to the little town of Bethlehem
(Luke 2); so they had to leave Nazareth where they were then living and
go to Bethlehem. This was shortly before Christmas. When they got to
Bethlehem, they found the place crowded with people who also came to
enroll their names. They went to the inn or hotel to seek for lodging
for the night. The hotels there were not like ours. They were simply
large buildings with small rooms and no furniture; they were called
caravansaries. A man was in charge of the building, and by paying him
something persons were allowed the use of a room. No food was sold
there, so travelers had to do their cooking at home and bring whatever
they needed with them. When the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph went to
the inn they found all the rooms occupied. Then they went up and down
the streets looking for some house where they might stay. Nobody would
take them in, because St. Joseph was old and poor and had no money, or
little, to give. They were refused at every door, a very sad thing
indeed. What were they to do? It was growing dark, and the lights most
likely were being lighted here and there in the houses. The old towns
were not built as ours are, with houses on the outskirts growing fewer
as we advance into the country. They were surrounded by great walls to
keep out their enemies. There were several large gates in these walls,
through which the people entered or left the city. At night these gates
were closed and guarded. Nearly all the people lived within the walls
and the country was lonely and almost deserted. Only shepherds were to
be found in the country, and they lived in tents, which they carried
about from place to place, as soldiers do in time of war. Such was the
country about Bethlehem. As St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin could not
find anyplace to stay in the town they were forced to go into the
country. They must have suffered also from fear because the country was
infested with wolves and wild dogs, so fierce that they sometimes came
into the towns and attacked the people in the streets. Besides, many
r