The Bible In Paintings 13 – NO ROOM AT THE INN

Fine Art America ^ | c.2,200 BC - c.95 AD | by the Father, Son & Holy Spirit

[Hebrews 11:6]

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N O

R O O M

A T .. T H E

I N N

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L U K E .. 2
New International Version, emphases added
Abrdgd: the complete text is in your Bible

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Resources to CLICK:
To read LUKE 2 in full
To hear MAX McLEAN reading it
To hear a DRAMATIZATION of it
To see an ANIMATION of
Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John

Harmony of the Gospels

5
B. C.
Bible Timeline

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LUKE, Chapter 2

1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.

4 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. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born….

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1 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by WILLIAM BRASSEY HOLE, 1906
"Joseph and Mary Arrive in Bethlehem"

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2 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by JAMES TISSOT
"Saint Joseph Seeks a Lodging in Bethlehem"

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3 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by CARL RAHL
"Joseph and Mary on a Hostel Search"

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4 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by CORNELIS MASSIJS, 1543
"Arrival of the Holy Family in Bethlehem"

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5 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by ADRIAEN COLLAERT, 1585
"Joseph and Mary Are Refused at the Inn"

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6 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
"The Holy Family on a Hostel Search"

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7 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by JAN MATSYS, 1558
"Mary and Joseph Find No Lodgings in Bethlehem"

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8 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by JOSEPH PARROCEL
"Joseph and Mary search for a place to stay
in the gloom of night"

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9 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by THEODOOR GALLE
"Joseph and Mary Are Refused at the Inn"

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10 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
"Mary and Joseph Seeking Shelter in Bethlehem"

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11 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by SIMON DE VOS, 1664
"Arrival in Bethlehem—Refusal of the Innkeeper"

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12 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by FRANS HUYSNAAR, 1558
"Mary and Joseph at an Inn"

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13 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by HARRY ANDERSON
"No Room at the Inn"

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14 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by DON RYAN
"No Room in the Inn"

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15 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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16 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by MARTEN VAN CLEVE
"The Interior of an Inn With Mary and Joseph
Refused Entry at the Door"

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17 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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18 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by ABRAHAM WILLEMSENS
"Mary and Joseph at the Inn"

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19 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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20 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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21 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by MIKE MOYERS
"No Room"

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22 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by VICTOR PAUL MOHN
"No Room at the Inn"

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23 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by MICHAEL TOREVELL
"No Room at the Inn"

24 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by ARTHUR MELVILLE
"Christmas Eve: 'And there was no room for them in the inn'"

25 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
"The Arrival in Bethlehem (No Room in the Inn)"

26 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by ABEL GRIMMER
"December: No Room at the Inn"

27 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

28 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by ROBERT T. BARRETT
"No Room at the Inn"

29 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by HAROLD COPPING
"No Room in the Inn"

30 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by MARGARET TARRANT
"No Room at the Inn"

→ a n d... f i n a l l y ←

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31 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by MICHAEL RIESER, 1869
"On the Evening before Christ's Birth"

[Hebrews 11:6]

֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎
֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎

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Preview of
COMING
ATTRACTIONS

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SNEAK PEEK: Next time,
IT'S A BOY!
IMMANUEL

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֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎
֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎

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[Hebrews 11:6]

The Bible in Paintings

[etabeta]

So well illustrated by various artists, from Tissot to Copping to Barret! I am partial also to #10 by the Portuguese 17th c. painter Bento Coelho da Silveira. Now to look at previous pages to see what I have missed.

[Hebrews 11:6]

A hearty “Welcome back, Alba!” You were missed by many.

[Richard Axtell]

I am drawn to the style of the Arthur Melville painting. It has an innocence and sincerity that is lost nowadays. I would go back to that time if I could. But since I am allowed to see that, I know that God is here.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Hello, Richard—thanks for contributing. I find it fascinating that God, in his wisdom, has placed each of us in exactly the right location and era for us.

[left that other site]

Hi Dan!

Happy Sunday!

[Hebrews 11:6]

I know you didn’t knock ‘em dead this morning. Did you knock ‘em alive?

[doubled]

A question: How old is Joseph? I started wondering on The Angel Visits Joseph threads and this one brought it back to mind. In the paintings he appears to be anywhere from 20 to 60.

[Hebrews 11:6]

You noticed images showing him appearing to be 60, but please believe me when I say I omitted some showing him even older, up to 75-80! Some artists are ridiculous. For example:

The Bible never states, references or implies Joseph's age. Joseph left Mary a widow, which many use as a basis for inferring his greater age. It's speculative--your guess is as good as anyone's.

[left that other site]

Well, since we were outdoors, and the temps hovered around 44 degrees, I would guess I knocked them out cold.

[Hebrews 11:6]

LOL!

[Forgiven_Sinner]

I really like Tissot’s painting because it looks just like Old Jerusalem today.

The word for ‘inn’ in this verse is ‘kataluma’ which can be translated ‘guest room’. The standard housing design had a guest room. Basically, none of Joseph’s relatives would let them into their homes, perhaps because they were considered ‘unclean’ because of Mary’s ‘illegitimate pregnancy.

When I was in Israel, the speculation was that they were in a shepherd’s cave or barn. Another possibility is they were in someone’s home in the barn portion which would be under the main living portion of the house.

It’ll be fun to get all these details straightened out after Jesus’ return.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Yes, there are a thousand and one such curiosities.

I like your speculation about rigidly-prudish relatives, although one can certainly imagine that a large census-driven influx made for space at a premium. But to refuse any woman in labor....

[Albion Wilde]

But to refuse any woman in labor....

Childbirth can be quite loud, distressing to others in the house, and very messy. There were no laundromats. Being on nice clean straw might have been preferable all the way around.

I'm going with the "space at a premium during the census" theory above.

[Hebrews 11:6]

You’ll recall the perpetual fame promised by Jesus for the woman who poured the expensive perfume over him. Someone, I suspect, forfeited similar notoriety by missing this opportunity for the ultimate in hospitality.