Was Jesus Born in Jerusalem?
Millenial Star 17 April 1882 - Byu Collection - Google Book - Contributor Full Text
Objection:
The Book of Mormon disagrees with the Bible ; for in the Book of Alma it is stated, And behold, he (Jesus) shall be born of Mary at Jerusalem.
This quotation is a dishonest one, from the fact that it only gives a portion of the text, and ends in the middle of a sentence. It is like a certain man's argument, who affirmed that he could prove from the Bible that there was no God; and to substantiate his assertion, quoted a portion of the opening sentence of the fourteenth psalm, "There is no God." But the sentence in its completeness reads, " The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God," which entirely changes the sentiment and meaning of the passage. So this quotation from the Book of Alma, is greatly changed when the context is read. It is as follows;
"And behold, he shall be born of Mary at Jerusalem, which is the land of our forefathers." Showing that it is the country, not the city, that is referred to.
If this statement be an error, or Joseph Smith were an impostor, of all mistakes this is one of the most unlikely that he would make ; for if there was any book that he was acquainted with, that book was the New Testament; and if he knew anyone thing of Christ's history, he certainly knew that the Savior was not born In the city of Jerusalem. And even if there had been a conspiracy between him and his scribes, how utterly ridiculous is it to think that Martin Harris, who knew the Bible from Genesis to Revelations, or Oliver Cowdery, who was a schoolmaster, would have permitted him to make such an egregious blunder; one that everybody would detect. But there is no error. He simply translated after the manner of the speech of the Nephites. They did not know the land from whence their fathers came by the same name as we moderns do; it was not "Palestine," " Judea," nor "the Holy Land" to them; they called it "The land of Jerusalem;" and in that land Christ was most assuredly born. In this passage there is no ambiguity, it is the land, as is specifically stated, not the city that is spoken of: "He shall be born of Mary at Jerusalem, which is the land of our forefathers."
It was the almost universal custom among the Nephites to call any designated region of country by the same name as its largest or chief city. In this way we find mentioned in the Book of Mormon both the lands and cities of Ammonihah, Bountiful, Desolation, Helam, Lehi, Manti, Morianton, Moroni, Mulek, Nehor, Nephi, Nephihah, Noah, Shem, Shilom, Zarahemla, etc.
It will be noticed that the lands and cities of the Nephites generally bore the name of some distinguished person known in their history, and were not fancy or whimsical names as are so many given to cities and places now-a-days. This arose from a well understood custom prevalent among that people, which is thus explained in the Book of Alma:
"Now, it was the custom of the people of Nephi to call their lands, and their cities, and their villages, yea, even their small villages, after the name of him who first possessed them; and thus it was with the land of Ammonihah." — Alma, viii, 7.
To prove beyond all dispute that the land of Israel's inheritance on the Asiatic continent was called by the ancient inhabitants of America the "Land of Jerusalem" we will quote from other passages in the Book of Mormon:
"Now when Amnion and his brethren separated themselves in the borders of the land of the Lamanites, behold Aaron took his journey towards the land which was called by the Lamanites. Jerusalem; calling it after the land of their father's nativity; and it was away joining the borders of Mormon." — Alma xxi, 1.
"And now it came to pass after I, Nephi, had made an end of teaching my brethren, our father, Lehi, also spake many things unto them, how great things the Lord had done for them, in bringing them out of the land of Jerusalem. And he spake unto them, concerning their rebellions upon the waters, and the mercies of God in sparing their lives, that they were not swallowed up in the sea. And he also spake unto them, concerning the land of promise, which they had obtained: how merciful the Lord had been in warning us that we should flee out of the land of Jerusalem." — 2 Nephi;
"Wherefore, thus saith the Lord, I have led this people forth out of the land of Jerusalem, by the power of mine arm, that I might raise up unto me a righteous branch from the fruit of the loins of Joseph." — Jacob ii, 25.
In fact the expression the "Land of Jerusalem," when Canaan is meant, is used more than thirty times in the Book of Mormon; the Savior himself in his ministrations among the Nephites using this phraseology to accommodate himself to the understandings of that people. He says:
"I will remember the covenant which I have made with my people * * * that I would give unto them again the land of their fathers for their inheritance, which is the land of Jerusalem, which is the promised land unto them for ever, saith the Father." 3 Nephi xx, 29.
And a little farther on He adds: "Then will the Father gather them together again, and give unto them Jerusalem for the land of their inheritance.— 3, Nephi, xx, 33.
Another Individuals Take on this:
Let us test this:
The Old Testament says that the City of David is AT JERUSALEM, and the New Testament says that the City of David is called Bethlehem.
2 Samuel 5
6 And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, THE INHABITANTS OF THE LAND, who said to David, "You will not come in here, but the blind and the lame will ward you off"-thinking, "David cannot come in here."
7 Nevertheless, David TOOK the stronghold of ZION, that is, THE CITY OF DAVID.
8 And David said on that day, "Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him get up the water shaft to attack 'the lame and the blind,' who are hated by David's soul." Therefore it is said, "The blind and the lame shall not come into the house."
9 And David LIVED IN THE STRONGHOLD AND CALLED IT THE CITY OF DAVID. And David built the city all around from the Millo inward.
2 Samuel 9
7 And David said to him, "Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you ALL THE LAND of Saul your father, and YOU SHALL EAT AT MY TABLE ALWAYS."
10 And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master's grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master's grandson SHALL ALWAYS EAT AT MY TABLE." Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
11 Then Ziba said to the king, "According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do." So Mephibosheth ATE AT DAVIDS TABLE, LIKE ONE OF THE KINGS SONS.
13 So Mephibosheth lived IN JERUSALEM, FOR HE ATE ALWAYS AT THE KINGS TABLE. Now he was lame in both his feet.
Wait a minute...
Q: How can Mephibosheth eat AT THE KINGS TABLE IN JERUSALEM when THE KINGS TABLE was located OUTSIDE JERUSALEM in the CITY OF DAVID, the stronghold called ZION???
A: The City of David is AT Jerusalem.
(By your petty standards, the Bible must no longer be true, unless the largest table in history were to extend from the City of David all the way to Jerusalem)
2 Samuel 11
1 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. BUT DAVID DWELT AT JERUSALEM.
2 It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose FROM HIS COUCH AND WAS WALKING ON THE ROOF OF THE KINGS HOUSE, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful.
Q: How can David DWELL AT JERUSALEM while arising FROM HIS COUCH OUTSIDE JERUSALEM in the City of David?
A: The City of David is THE LAND of Jerusalem.
2 Samuel 12
31 And he brought out the people who were in it and set them to labor with saws and iron picks and iron axes and made them toil at the brick kilns. And thus he did to all the cities of the Ammonites. THEN DAVID AND ALL THE PEOPLE RETURNED TO JERUSALEM.
Q: How can David and all the people return to Jerusalem when most of them lived OUTSIDE OF JERUSALEM, including David?
A: They lived IN the LAND of Jerusalem, which is AT JERUSALEM.
2 Samuel 15
14 Then David said to all his servants who were with him AT JERUSALEM, "Arise, and let us flee, or else there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Go quickly, lest he overtake us quickly and bring down ruin on us AND STRIKE THE CITY with the edge of the sword."
Q: How can David and his servants with him AT JERUSALEM flee from Jerusalem when they lived OUTSIDE Jerusalem in the City of David?
A: “AT JERUSALEM” includes the Land of Jerusalem, which includes the cities outside of Jerusalem as well.
2 Samuel 20
3 AND DAVID CAME TO HIS HOUSE AT JERUSALEM. And the king took the ten concubines whom he had left to care for the house and put them in a house under guard and provided for them, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up until the day of their death, living as if in widowhood.
Q: How can David go to his house AT JERUSALEM when he lived in the City of David OUTSIDE JERUSALEM according to 2Samuel 5:9 and the rest of the context of 2Samuel?
A: The Land of Jerusalem includes all the cities AT JERUSALEM.
The City of David = Jerusalem
And in case you were still confused as to where exactly the City of David, which is AT JERUSALEM, was located:
Luke 2
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, TO THE CITY OF DAVID, WHICH IS CALLED BETHLEHEM, because he was of the house and lineage of David
So, the Old Testament says that the City of David is AT JERUSALEM, and the New Testament says that the City of David is called Bethlehem.
The Book of Mormon is not inconsistent by saying that the Messiah would be born AT JERUSALEM.
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More context:
2Chronicles 20
15 And he said, "Listen, ALL JUDAH AND INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the LORD to you, 'Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's.
20 And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, JUDAH AND INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM! Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed."
27 Then they returned, EVERY MAN OF JUDAH AND JERUSALEM, AND JEHOSHAPHAT AT THEIR HEAD, RETURNING TO JERUSALEM WITH JOY, for the LORD had made them rejoice over their enemies.
Interesting, this is the context of the Book of Mormon. The Land of Jerusalem includes ALL Judah, for this context is the southern kingdom of Judah, with a King over THE LAND, or Kingdom— which includes the “House of Bread”, or Bethlehem— which is AT JERUSALEM, The City of David.
Notice that even though ALL JUDAH lived OUTSIDE JERUSALEM, distinct from the “inhabitants of Jerusalem” 2Chronicles 20:27 clearly states that they returned TO JERUSALEM.
Jeremiah 1
15 For behold, I am calling all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, declares the LORD, and they shall come, and every one shall set his throne at the entrance of the gates of JERUSALEM, AGAINST ALL ITS WALLS ALL AROUND AND AGAINST ALL THE CITIES OF JUDAH.
The Land of Jerusalem = ALL THE CITIES OF JUDAH
Jeremiah 25
18 JERUSALEM AND THE CITIES OF JUDAH, its kings and officials, to make them a desolation and a waste, a hissing and a curse, as at this day;
Jeremiah 44
6 Therefore my wrath and my anger were poured out and kindled in THE CITIES OF JUDAH AND IN THE STREETS OF JERUSALEM, and they became a waste and a desolation, as at this day.
Ezekiel 36
37 "Thus says the Lord GOD: This also I will let the house of Israel ask me to do for them: to increase their people like a flock.
38 Like the flock for sacrifices, LIKE A FLOCK AT JERUSALEM DURING HER APPOINTED FEASTS, SO SHALL THE WASTE CITIES BE FILLED WITH FLOCKS OF PEOPLE. Then they will know that I am the LORD."
Bethlehem was one of these WASTE CITIES in the LAND OF JERUSALEM , THE KINGDOM OF JUDAH.
Q: Why was their no room in Bethlehem at the inn for Joseph and Mary?
A: Because “the flocks” were gathered AT JERUSALEM for the Feast of Passover— “flocks” by the thousands were AT JERUSALEM by commandment, FILLING THE WASTE CITIES, TO INCLUDE THE “HOUSE OF BREAD”, OR BETHLEHEM, THE CITY OF DAVID, which is AT JERUSALEM.
The whole context of the Book of Mormon talks about the Land of Jerusalem, which is the Southern Kingdom, or Judah, and ALL cities that are included.
The Book of Mormon aligns with this prophecy in Ezekiel that connects to the Messiah being born AT JERUSALEM, as ALL males of age were commanded to be AT JERUSALEM during that time of the Feast of Passover, thus “filling the waste cities” AT JERUSALEM— which includes Bethlehem.
You are exposed.
You are petty.
Your agenda is clear. ---