According to the Christmas story, Mary was forced to give birth to Jesus in a stable because there was no room at the inn. Today, nearly all of Bethlehem’s 5,500 hotel rooms are empty.

As the story has been told, Mary gives birth to Jesus in a stable as there was no room at any inn for her and her husband ... about a “ruler coming out of Bethlehem,” Smail said.

According to the Christmas story, Mary was forced to give birth to Jesus in a stable because there was no room at the inn. Today, nearly all of Bethlehem’s 5,500 hotel rooms are empty.