THIS is a helpful guide to the significance of Bethlehem in the Jewish and Christian story, but it often left me wanting more. I wish I had read the notes for leaders of discussion groups first. Then I would have realised why, for me, this biblical scholar left so many loose ends.

The book starts from the completely reasonable premiss that few people know of the other important Bible characters associated with the “little town”. So, we have Rachel, who died and is buried here; Ruth the Moabite, who married again here; David, who was born here; and Elijah, whose association is more tangential, resting on tradition rather than text. And then there is Jesus, of course.

The stories of each figure are told in a straightforward way with a considerable amount of biblical text; so we don’t have to go hunting for it. The author makes useful extra comments to contextualise the stories and, very valuably, demonstrates how the Qur’an honours each figure as well.

What he doesn’t do is interrogate the texts, because, as emerges in the leaders’ notes, he doesn’t want to prejudge the level of biblical knowledge which people will bring and how they might respond to biblical criticism. I would have valued more examination of the texts themselves.

Nevertheless, the book comes into its own when the author draws out some of the parallels with the plight of Palestinians in this tragically besieged town today. He isn’t heavy-handed in doing this, often restricting himself to a paragraph or two at the end of the chapter, but the questions that follow invite readers to work on the often painful implications of these parallel stories.

A further strength of this book is the author’s obvious knowledge of the terrain. He knows the geography, the traditions, and the legends, and we are able to broaden our picture of Bethlehem through such personal knowledge. Not surprisingly, we are left to be amazed and contrite that the international community has allowed these revered holy places to be so abused today.
 

The Rt Revd John Pritchard is a former Bishop of Oxford.

Advent in Bethlehem: Reflections on scripture and Bethlehem today
Nicholas Taylor
Sacristy Press £12.99
(978-1-78959-401-0)
Church Times Bookshop £11.69