Not so fast with the mythologization, Giorgione
Doing some comparative religion reading, I came across an interesting theory that was suggested by the late Lawrence Stager, "an archaeologist and academic" as his Wikipedia page states.
In the spirit of the season, I'm sure I'm not the only one who remembers getting dragged to church on Christmas or Christmas Eve and hearing the story of baby Jesus being born in the manger because there were no rooms available, so Joseph and Mary were shut out in the cold with the animals.
Stager suggests, based on archaeological evidence of Israelite homes from that era, being put into the manger isn't quite such an insult. Comparable to Shakespeare leaving his wife his "second best bed" not being a slap in the face—it was quite likely the bed they shared as the best bed would be reserved for guests—it's a cultural custom that has changed over time.
In the case of the manger story: while Israelite families ate, slept, and entertained on the second floor of a home, the first floor was where animals and other items were kept. Maybe not the most enticing place in the world and I'm sure it smelled like cow pie roses, but it is also safe and not as hardscrabble as the story recounted in churches would lead you to believe. It's closer to an (unconventional) small motel owner offering his basement because every room is checked out. You want to make sure you're not checking into the Bates Motel, sure, but so long as that's not the case, decent chance you're safer than in one of the rooms.
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