The Accommodations of Joseph and Mary in Bethlehem: Κατάλυμα in Luke 2

The identity of the κατάλυμα in Luke 2.7 has been debated among Western scholars for over five hundred years. Proposals have ranged from an inn to a guest room. This article argues that the term κατάλυμα has a generic sense of ‘place to stay’ and that the final clause of Luke 2.7 should be rendered...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Carlson, Stephen C. 1968- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Cambridge Univ. Press 2010
In: New Testament studies
Year: 2010, Volume: 56, Issue: 3, Pages: 326-342
Further subjects:B Census
B Lukan infancy account
B Betrothal
B Luke 2.7
B marital chamber
B κατάλυμα
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Summary:The identity of the κατάλυμα in Luke 2.7 has been debated among Western scholars for over five hundred years. Proposals have ranged from an inn to a guest room. This article argues that the term κατάλυμα has a generic sense of ‘place to stay’ and that the final clause of Luke 2.7 should be rendered ‘because they had no space in their place to stay’. Moreover, three clues in the context—Joseph's compliance with the census order, the betrothal of Mary, and the manger—suggest that the accommodations presupposed by Luke are a marital chamber too small for giving birth.
ISSN:1469-8145
Contains:Enthalten in: New Testament studies
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1017/S0028688509990282