But Jesus according to JohnвЂ™s Gospel is never associated with Bethlehem, but with Galilee, and more specifically, Nazareth. John mentions a debate where some Jewish people referred to the prophecy which claimed that the messiah would be a descendant of David and come from Bethlehem. This is not to say that John was unaware of BethlehemвЂ™s significance. Jesus finds his first disciples, does several miracles and has brothers in Galilee. The Gospel of John, written approximately 15 to 20 years after that of Mark, also does not associate Jesus with Bethlehem. Yet Mark doesnвЂ™t identify Jesus with the city Bethlehem. But King David was not born in Nazareth, nor associated with that city. The opening chapter of Mark says that Jesus is from вЂњ Nazareth of Galilee.вЂќ This is repeated throughout the Gospel on several occasions, and Bethlehem is never mentioned.ДЄ blind beggar in the Gospel of Mark describes Jesus as both from Nazareth and the son of David, the second king of Israel and Judah during 1010-970 B.C. The Gospel of Mark is the earliest account of JesusвЂ™ life, written around A.D. What makes it more difficult is that neither the other Gospels, that of Mark and John, mentions JesusвЂ™ birth or his connection to Bethlehem. Swen PfГ¶rtner/picture alliance via Getty Images Raymond Brown, another scholar on the Gospels, also states that вЂњthe two narratives are not only different вЂ“ they are contrary to each other in a number of details.вЂќ MarkвЂ™s and JohnвЂ™s GospelsДЄ Nativity scene showing the birth of Jesus in a manger. John Meier, a scholar on the historical Jesus, explains that JesusвЂ™ вЂњbirth at Bethlehem is to be taken not as a historical factвЂќ but as a вЂњtheological affirmation put into the form of an apparently historical narrative.вЂќ In other words, the belief that Jesus was a descendant of King David led to the development of a story about JesusвЂ™ birth in Bethlehem. The differences between Matthew and Luke are nearly impossible to reconcile, although they do share some similarities. Luke also mentions that Joseph, Mary and Jesus leave Bethlehem eight days after his birth and travel to Jerusalem and then to Nazareth. There is no guiding star in LukeвЂ™s story, nor do the shepherds bring gifts to baby Jesus. Luke says these shepherds were notified about JesusвЂ™ location in Bethlehem by angels. After the birth, Joseph and Mary are visited not by wise men but shepherds, who were also overjoyed at JesusвЂ™ birth. Jesus is born in a manger because all the travelers overcrowded the guest rooms. The Gospel of Luke includes no flight to Egypt, no paranoid King Herod, no murder of children and no wise men visiting baby Jesus. Since Joseph was a descendant of King David, Bethlehem was the hometown where he was required to register. They journey to Bethlehem in response to a census that the Roman emperor Caesar Augustus required for all the Jewish people. The Gospel of Luke starts with Joseph and a pregnant Mary in Galilee. The Gospel of Luke, an account of JesusвЂ™ life which was written during the same period as the Gospel of Matthew, has a different version of JesusвЂ™ birth. Instead, they travel north to Nazareth in Galilee, which is modern-day Nazareth in Israel. Matthew also says that after Herod dies from an illness, Joseph, Mary and Jesus do not return to Bethlehem. It then mentions how Joseph, Mary and infant Jesus leave for Egypt to escape King HerodвЂ™s attempt to assassinate all young children. When the wise men went to Herod with the news that a child had been born to be the king of the Jews, he made a plan to kill all young children to remove the threat to his throne. The Gospel explains that after their visit, Joseph has a dream where he is warned of HerodвЂ™s attempt to kill baby Jesus. These were valuable gifts, especially frankincense and myrrh, which were costly fragrances that had medicinal use. Overjoyed, they worship Jesus and present gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The Gospel says that the star of Bethlehem subsequently leads them to a house вЂ“ not a manger вЂ“ where Jesus has been born to Joseph and Mary. It goes on to describe their meeting with the local Jewish king named Herod, of whom they inquire about the location of JesusвЂ™ birth. The story begins with wise men who come to the city of Jerusalem after seeing a star that they interpreted as signaling the birth of a new king. According to the Gospel of Matthew, the first Gospel in the canon of the New Testament, Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem when Jesus was born.

Jesus christ of nazareth birth