Was Jesus Christ born in Jerusalem or Bethlehem?

What do the Mormons think about this issue? The Book of Mormon is considered scripture for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. According to this Christian church, Smith received divine revelation and was told directly by God what to write (in the same way that Muslims believe Muhammad received divine revelation and was told directly by God what to write). Alma is one of the books in The Book of Mormon. Alma 7:10 reads as follows: “And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God.”

What does the King James version of the Bible say about the issue of where Jesus was born? In Matthew 2:1, it reads as follows: “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the King; behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem.” And in Micah 5:2, it reads as follows: “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of these shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”

But wait! There is a third possibility. Galilee, to be exact. Based on archaelogical evidence, done in the 1990s, there is a certain amount of archaelogical evidence that suggests that Jesus was not born in the North, but in the South, in the Galilee region. What do you think? Obviously, where He was born is not nearly as important as the fact that He was born in the first place. The message of His life (and particularly death) is far more important than the intellectual establishment of his birthplace, but it is an interesting point to ponder.

Sources: The King James version of the Bible

The Book of Mormon of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

http://www.archaeology.org/0511/abstracts/jesus.html