A Book Review – Before Bethlehem, by James Flerlage

At this time of year we see the familiar Nativity scene as part of many Christmas decorations or pageants. The stories we hear and the scenes we view have been handed down in oral and written traditions for the past 2000 years. But how much do we really understand about the family and culture Jesus was born into? Are we at all familiar or aware of what daily life was like at that time in history?

Obviously we know there were Kings, and there were shepherds, and there were carpenters. But unless you have an avid interest in history, especially Biblical history, the realities of life 2000 years ago are probably not part of of your visual concept of the time of Jesus birth. We read the Gospel stories as Christians, but Jesus was born a Jew in a nation occupied by Rome. Do we really understand what the political and religious climate of that time was like and how these circumstances influenced people of faith?

I found myself drawn to this historical fiction novel, Before Bethlehem, simply because the title fit the season.  I’m also curious about Biblical history . The book will make you think, and wonder, and possibly appreciate Christmas even more because knowing what the culture was like at that time makes the miracle of Jesus birth very real.

I don’t know how historically accurate it is, however the author does a good job of making it historically believable. The story is told by James, the stepbrother of Jesus. James is the youngest son of Joseph. The scene is Judea about a year before the birth of Jesus, and the plot takes us through the events leading up to the betrothal of Joseph and Mary and through to the early days of Jesus life.

James, who is about 15 at the time, works as an apprentice for his father Joseph along with his uncle and cousins. Joseph’s first wife had died 7 years earlier. Joseph is commanded by the Roman Prince Antipas to report to Tiberias for work, which is practically the equivalent of becoming a slave to Roman rule, and puts his family and livelihood in great danger. However, the High Priest has other plans for Joseph, plans that put Joseph’s family in even greater danger as they struggle between the religious and political forces of the times.

Joseph wrestles with maintaining his spiritual integrity while trying to keep his family together. They witness abhorring violence at the hands of the Romans, and abuses of power by their own religious leaders. As his family’s faith and hopes are threatened by scandal and scorn, James struggles to become a man.

There is a well described journey from Galilee to Jerusalem and back where we experience the touching relationship between Joseph and James. Throughout the story we get a glimpse of how a father educates and prepares his son for the future, in terms of both faith and practical realities.  In this fascinating account of what it might have been like before Jesus birth, we are kept spell bound by religious and political intrigue, as well as by the thought processes and relationships within Joseph’s family.

The characters are well developed and the historical setting is well researched. Having been to Israel and Bethlehem myself I find this historical recreation fascinating. There are many delightful tidbits that are unexpected, such as the character of Mary, as well as other minor players. I find it gives me greater insight into the Old Testament.

Flerlage gives us enough historical detail to recreate our understanding of the Nativity.  Although the story is fiction and the author interprets Biblical history through his own theological bias, the story gives us much to contemplate. The most obvious question when we read the Biblical account of Jesus conception might be: If Joseph knew he was not the father of Mary’s unborn child, what really stopped him from turning her over to the authorities to be stoned for her infidelity?