The traditional understanding of the Christmas story is well-established in Christian imagination: Mary and Joseph arrive in the town of Bethlehem as strangers, only to find "no room in the inn." With nowhere to go, they find shelter in a lonely stable and Christ is born into the company of livestock.

But what if that story has been shaped more by Christian tradition than what's actually in the text? We take an in-depth look at the birth of Christ as told in Luke's gospel and unpacked by Dr. Kenneth Bailey in Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes. With a keen understanding of ancient Near Eastern culture and Greek language, Bailey helps us see a much more realistic version of the Christmas story, full of richness and beauty that has been overlooked for centuries.

Click here to download the excerpt of Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes
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