“Away In A Manger”

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We all grew up with a certain image of the birth of Jesus Christ. When I say certain, I mean that we were certain that we knew all the facts and the modern depictions just supported this image. So, imagine my recent mind-blowing transformation when I found out that the image I have always known is not EXATCTLY true.

Before I go any further, allow me to reassure you that I am not about to debunk or disrespect anyone’s religion. Historically speaking, when I find out that what we were taught in school is not the truth, I find it interesting to dig a little and find out the true facts about a subject. So, while I will tell you what I found, this will not be sacrilegious, just eye opening. I apologize in advance if it offends anyone.

So, let’s dig in. Now, I have always accepted the story that Mary and Joseph were traveling to Bethlehem. When they got there, there was no room at the inn so they had to stay in the barn with the animals and that is why Jesus was placed in a manger. Again, every modern depiction of this event roughly shows the same thing. While reading a book recently, the idea of Jesus being born in a cave was brought up. This led me to do some reading to find the truth.

If you look up “birthplace of Jesus Christ”, the cave theory pans out. There is a sight in Bethlehem that has been sanctioned the birthplace of Jesus and it is, in fact, a cave. The book of Luke Chapter 2:7 states:

“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”

However, the Greek word for “inn” is “kataluma”, which also can be translated to “guestroom”. It is believed that Mary and Joseph were not trying to stay in a hotel style inn. They were staying with family. When they got there, the guestroom was already full of relatives. Being that Mary was in her final days of pregnancy, the only space available that would accommodate a birth would be this cave where animals were kept.

This scene would stay in the minds of Christian followers. People would have to create their interpertation described in the bible with their own imaganation, that is until Christmas Eve in 1223. It was Saint Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) who had the idea of recreating the scene. In his own words, he wanted to:

“represent the birth of that Child in Bethlehem in such a way that with our bodily eyes we may see what he suffered for lack of the necessities of a newborn babe and how he lay in manger between the ox and ass.”

So, Saint Francis requested and received permission from Pope Honorious III (1148-1227) to recreate the event of the birth of Jesus. Wanting to be as accurate as possible, he found a cave just outside of the town of Greccio, Italy. He hired actors to portray Mary, Joseph and even a new born baby to play Jesus. On either side of the Babe of Bethlehem were a live donkey and ox. As the crowds arrived carrying candles and torches, the scene was lit by lit fires. Hundreds of thousands of people make this pilgrimage to the site of the first nativity each year.

Saint Francis's first nativity scene placed baby Jesus in a manger or what is commonly known as a feeding trough for animals in a stable-like setting. Over the years, this has been interpreted as a barn, which is where our modern depiction of the nativity scene comes from.

Our story does not qute end there however. Being the proud Philadelphian that I am, I have found the Philadelphia connection the the manger.

In 1882 there was an anti-Masonic journal known as “The Christian Cynsure”. Included in the “Children’s Corner” section of the March 2, 1882 publication, was a poem submitted by an anonymous author. The tile and introduction read as follows:

“Luther's Cradle Song:
The following hymn, composed by Martin Luther for his children, is still sung by many of the German mothers to their little ones.”

However, this tidbit that was widely accepted as fact, has since been debunked. There are a number of reasons that Martin Luther could not have written the hymn. In 1895, a collection of Christmas hymns was published under the title “Around the World with Christmas: A Christmas Exercise”. It featured hymns representing various countries. Included in the collection was one under the title “Cradle Song”. Today it is known as “Away In A Manger”.

Who was the author of this collection of hymns? It was Irish-American William J. Kirkpatrick (1838-1921). Although he was born in Ireland, young William immigrated to to Philadelphia in 1854 at the age of 17. As a hymnwriter, he wrote some very notable hymns such as “'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus”, “A Wonderful Savior is Jesus My Lord” and "Lord, I'm Coming Home”.

However, it's his writing of “Away In A Manger” that is most remembered today. After his death in 1921, William J. Kirkpatrick was laid to rest in the Summit section, lot 655 at Laurel Hill West Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, Pa.

When I took this photo, selected a name and researched the story in 2022, it was completely random. However, in the summer of 2023, my daughter, Savanna and I began our journey of discovering Laurel Hill Cemetery. It was by chance, that I heard Dr. Joe Lex tell the story of Kirkpatrick's life and heard the mention of this particular hymn. I find it interesting how life comes full circle.

I never condemn anyone for what they believe. There is no right or wrong. I happen to find the actual history of things to be more interesting than what we are taught. Given what I have learned from this, I will continue to admire and adore the barn-style nativity for its beauty and legend. Knowing what I know now, I will keep all of it in mind while admiring the nativity each year.

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Photographer's Guide (EXIF):
Camera: Canon Rebel T-6
Aperture: F11
Shutter Speed: 0.6 seconds
ISO: 100
Exposure Bias: -1.7
Focal Length: 20mm
Mode: Aperture
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“Away In A Manger”

If you look up “birthplace of Jesus Christ”, the cave theory pans out. There is a sight in Bethlehem that has been sanctioned the birthplace of Jesus and it is, in fact, a cave. The book of Luke Chapter 2:7 states:

“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”

“represent the birth of that Child in Bethlehem in such a way that with our bodily eyes we may see what he suffered for lack of the necessities of a newborn babe and how he lay in manger between the ox and ass.”

“Luther's Cradle Song:The following hymn, composed by Martin Luther for his children, is still sung by many of the German mothers to their little ones.”

“Luther's Cradle Song:
The following hymn, composed by Martin Luther for his children, is still sung by many of the German mothers to their little ones.”