Christmas in Bethlehem LbNA #2290 (ARCHIVED)

Planted by Cherieph and rtrw

Difficulty - easy to find, but following the trail may be a bit of a
challenge
Time - One to one and a half hours including stamping in
Directions to starting place - From the intersection of Routes 132
and 61, head west. Take your first right on Munger Lane. Shortly,
you will see a gate on your right with signs for the Bethlehem Land
Trust. If there is no room to park there, you should be able to find
a spot around the town and then walk back.

Details you should know -
According to the sign, no horses, dogs, bikes or smoking on this
trail.
Every year the town of Bethlehem has a Christmas Town Fair. In 2002
it will be December 6th and 7th. On those days you will need to park
at the fairgrounds north of town and take the available shuttle bus
into town.
Cherieph used her head and traced the map on a piece of notebook
paper. If you have a photographic memory, don't bother, otherwise
you will probably find it helpful in figuring out where the trails
intersect. All you need are main trail heading north and the two
bumps on the left. It should look like a backward capital "B".
There is a map near where you park and quite close to the cemetery,
too

Details you don't need to know -
We planned this as a fun advent activity as it, basically, tells the
Christmas story. Someone once told me the word "Bethlehem" means
house of bread in Hebrew. A house of bread is a bakery. Jesus is
called "the Bread of Life" in the bible. Isn't it quite clever of
God to have the Bread of Life (one of the names in scripture for
Jesus) be born in a bakery, so to speak.

Clues: and Christmas Carols to sing as you stroll

Census Decree Letterbox - O little town of Bethlehem, How still we
see thee lie! Above thy deep and dreamless sleep The silent stars go
by; Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light; The hopes
and fears of all the years Are met in thee to-night

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be
taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that
took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went
to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of
Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because
he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register
with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a
child. -The Gospel of Luke, Chapter 2, verses 1-5

Head down the main trail which goes basically north between the stone
walls I wish were in my yard. You will see a sign on the right for
the meadow trail followed immediately by an old cellar hole.
Underneath the largest rock is the census decree.
Here is more info you don't need. All our Sunday school stuff since
we were kids showed Mary riding on a donkey as she traveled the 70
some miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem. According to my favorite
historian, the people who were rich enough to own a donkey then would
be equivalent to people who own a Jaguar now. Middle and lower class
folks all walked wherever they went. For a little more detail and
Joseph's side of the story, keep reading…

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was
pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she
was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph
her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to
public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after
he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a
dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary
home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy
Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the
name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All
this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they
will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us." When Joseph
woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took
Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave
birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. - The Gospel of
Matthew, Chapter 1, verses 18-25


No Room at the Inn Letterbox - Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head. The stars in the
bright sky looked down where he lay, The little Lord Jesus asleep on
the hay

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she
gave birth to her first born, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and
placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the
inn. - The Gospel of Luke, Chapter 2, verses 6 and 7

Tuck the decree back in place and continue in the same direction down
the trail for a few minutes. You will pass a small stream on your
right and soon come to a clump of hemlocks followed by some sawn
logs, dinner plate size, on your right, as well. On the other side
of the trail there is a breach/opening in the stone wall. Stand on
the right side of the breach close to the stone wall. Take a sharp
right and one giant step. No Room at the Inn is tucked away by your
foot. Please, always be very gentle with, and respectful of old stone
walls. They are not only historically valuable, they are hard to
create. OK, lecture on stone walls is over.
Interestingly (probably only to me), this stamp is the one that made
me fall in love with carving. Back to our story and more
interesting, yet fairly useless info. Mangers are feeding troughs
for animals and in Israel they are made of stone, not wood. Also,
the "stable" where Jesus was born was probably more like a cave than
any barn we know. Not much wood in Israel, but there are plenty of
caves.


Do Not Be Afraid Letterbox - Hark! the herald angels sing Glory to
the new-born King! Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners
reconciled! Joyful, all ye nations, rise, Join the triumph of the
skies; With th' angelic host proclaim Christ is born in Bethlehem!
Hark! the herald angels sing Glory to the newborn King


And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping
watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to
them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were
terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring
you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in
the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the
Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in
cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the
heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his
favor rests." The Gospel of Luke, Chapter 2, verses 8 - 14

Keep on going until you reach the wonderful old cemetery at the edge
of the preserve. Great stones, including Joseph Bellamy and Sarah
Hillhouse Bellamy. Joseph was a student of the great Connecticut
preacher, Jonathan Edwards, and the first minister in Bethlehem. I
think it's interesting that Sarah had a lovely flower and bud over
her name on their mutual stone while Joseph has nothing. According
to a web site I found, Joseph had the first theology school in our
country in his home. OK, more clues, fewer obscure observations.
Head to the southwest corner of the cemetery, passing the unique
stone of Katherine Paisley Brown. In a cedar near the corner is Do
Not Be Afraid.

Spread the Word Letterbox - Go, tell it on the mountain,Over the
hills and everywhereGo, tell it on the mountain,That Jesus Christ is
born. While shepherds kept their watching Over silent flocks by night
Behold throughout the heavens There shone a holy light.

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds
said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that
has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried
off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the
manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what
had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed
at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these
things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and
seen, which were just as they had been told.
The Gospel of Luke, Chapter 2, verses 15 - 20


Return to the trail from whence you came. If you didn't follow our
initial advice about the map, take another look now because you will
need it. As you head down the path, take your first right on a trail
to the southwest. After a large bend to the left you stroll through
a grassy pricker area. Some conifers (seems like Christmas trees
would be appropriate) are guarding stone wall on both sides of the
trail. There's a downed tree just in front of the wall on the right.
At its base is Spread the Word.
Trivia time! The shepherds were most likely not a bunch of old guys,
but boys who were teenagers and younger. Shepherding was typically
kid stuff.


Follow the Star Letterbox - We three kings of Orient are; Bearing
gifts we traverse afar, Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder star. O star of wonder, star of light, Star with
royal beauty bright,Westward leading, still proceeding, Guide us to
thy perfect light.

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King
Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the
one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the
east and have come to worship him." When King Herod heard this he
was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called
together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he
asked them where the Christ was to be born. "In Bethlehem in Judea,"
they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: " 'But you,
Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the
rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the
shepherd of my people Israel.'" Then Herod called the Magi secretly
and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He
sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for
the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go
and worship him." After they had heard the king, they went on their
way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until
it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the
star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the
child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.
Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold
and of incense and of myrrh. -The Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 2,
verses 1-11

Once regaining the main trail by the stone walls and fence posts,
make a right turn onto a trail with a few small white markers telling
you what kind of trees you are looking for. There are only a few, but
the one that is of most interest to you is the pignut hickory on the
right. On the left side of the trail you should see a fallen tree.
In the root end is Follow the Star. And we are dying to know what a
pignut looks like.
King Herod was a gifted architect/builder. He rebuilt the temple in
Jerusalem, and many palaces for himself around Israel including the
now famous fortress at Masada. He used no slave labor, but rather
paid his workers and craftsmen well. Herodian, the palace he named
for himself, is just outside Bethlehem and you can walk around in the
remains to this day. It has a huge 12 foot deep swimming pool at
the bottom of the hill that was 230x150 feet. This isn't terribly
impressive until you learn that it's virtually desert conditions.
Herod was great with water supply.


Wise Guys Letterbox - Your time is short. Sing all the rest of the
carols you can think of. Silent night, joy to the world, angels we
have heard on high, O come, all ye faithful…

And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they
returned to their country by another route. When they had gone, an
angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said,
"take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until
I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him."
So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left
for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was
fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I
called my son." When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by
the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in
Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in
accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.
-The Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 2, verse 12-16

When you arrive at a junction in the trail at a medium sized hemlock,
turn left. In the winter you will be able to see some tan buildings
across the road. You will pass a labeled sugar maple and then go
down a slight slope to a pile of cut logs. The Wise Guys are hiding
out there. Perhaps this is the route they took to get home? Keep on
going down the trail and you will be back to the cellar hole. Turn
right and head back to you vehicle
These comments aren't for kids -
Herod was a major sicko. Killed the little boys in Bethlehem and
murdered many of his own family including a wife he loved for
absolutely no good reason. When he knew he was going to die, he had
his troops round up many leaders in Israel and lock them up. I could
be wrong, but I think it was thousands. He ordered his army to kill
them all once he died. He knew no one would mourn him, but he was
going to make sure there was mourning occurring at the time of his
death. Can you imagine someone as paranoid as King Herod hearing
someone say they were looking for the newborn king of the Jews? We
are very glad the Magi went home by another route. Oh yes, nowhere
in scripture does it say there were three kings, wise men or magi, and
we don't know any of their names.


Please enjoy our boxes, but more importantly, the real reason we have
Christmas. Now that's something to celebrate.