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people coming co Jerusalem for the
Holy Days, ic is readi ly under–
scandable why such "guesrchambers"
would be in Bechlehem as well.
Acrually, chese "guescchambers"
were primarily in the prívate bornes
of people who had opened up thei:–
rooms for che influx of people
attending che Feasc.
Rather than remaining at borne as
pregnant women might have done,
Mary had co come ro Berhlehem, and
while residing in the "overflow"
rown of Bethlehem ( there being no
rc.....n for tbem excepr in a manger) ,
Christ was born.
With chis evidence, we can con–
fidently place the birth of Christ
somecime in che early autumn,
undoubcedly in che seventh Hebrew
month. Ic could noc possibly have
been in any orher season.
We have Chrisc's miniscry com–
mencing in aucumn, A.D.
27,
right
near His 30th year. This places His
birth in che early aucumn of
4
B.C.
Also, che rime for the eighth
course of Abijah indicares that John
che Baptisc was born very near che
first of Nisan,
4
B.C. - the early
spring. Chrisr was born six monrhs
after John - or again, in che early
aucumn.
We know thar chis particular caxa–
cion mentioned in Luke was reckoned
afcer che Jewish manner. The civil or
harvesr year also ended in che early
aucumn.
And roo, chere was no room in che
"guestchamber," for chere were many
people scaying in Bechlehem for a
period of rime. This again corrobo–
rares che early autumn birch - dur–
ing che festival period of che Hebrew
sevench month.
But still, with all chese indications
of che proper season of Chrisc's birth,
we srill do not know che exacr day!
God never intended us ro determine
ic
1
Write for our free booklet
The
Plain Truth About Christmas.
lt
explains che rruth about many of che
pagan superstitions we have inherited
from childhood. O
PLAIN TRUTH September·October 1972
What
Our
Readers Say
General Comments
I would like tO thank you at this time
for your wonderful magazine. Even
though l am not always in agreement,
che articles are well wcitten and well
researched. Yours is a truly contempo·
rary magazine.
Dale R.,
Sauk Village, lllinois
An Arab Speaks to His People
1
just finished reading the article, ··An
Arab Speaks to His People,"
a~d
1
must
write tO tell you what a refreshmg expe·
rience it was. Rarely does one have the
opportunity
to
see such thoughtful and
factu al words from Arabic sources.
While Mr. el-Gamma! undoubtedly is
criticized by che majority of the
Ar~b
people now, in
f~ture
.years .che
y
Wl~l
realize what a cred1t he 1s to h1s people s
welfare.
One point which Mr. el-Gamma!
touched upon , but did not sufficiently
emphasize, was the dismaying fact that
all
Arab countries are dictatorships of
one va.riery or another. Democracy
would not only radically change Arab
foreign policies for the better, but
would create a new domestic world for
the poor, oppressed Arab peoples. They
will enjoy their freedom from war, and
we all will enjoy their freedom from
war, and we aiJ will enjoy their freedom
from hatred for their Jewish brethren.
Bernard H. W. ,
Seattle, Washington
lt was a great pleasure
t<>_
read
th~
article "An Arab Speaks tO H1s People
in the July issue of your marvel?us
magazine.
1
fouod it truly
~nlig~te~g
and candidly accurate. Havtng hved
10
the Middle East for a few years myself,
1
fiod Mr. el-Gamma! very opeo minded,
aod very weli ioformed. His view of the
situation on both sides is very unbiased
for an Arab. l truly admire that, aod so
do many of my friends who bave read
this article. W e hope that we shall con–
tinue tO find more such informative
articles in
The
PLAIN TRUTH, and more
also by
Me.
el-Gamma! on che
A~b
situ·
ation, as that part of the world 1s very
fascinacing. So keep up the good work,
and thanks again for such enjoyable
reading.
Nancy H.,
Vancouver, British Columbia
July's ..
An
Arab Speaks to His People"
by Raouf el-Gamma! was truly remark·
able for its clarity and honesty.
Me.
el·
Gamma! obviously knows what he's
talking about, and has che courage tO cut
through the propagandistic murk that
surrounds the subject of the Arab refu–
gees. Rarely, in all my years of studying
tbe same subject, have
1
seen a more
honest analysis. Thanks for this excelieot
article.
Joel A.,
Palo Alto, California
The Truth About lreland
1
enjoyed your arcicle on lreland in
the July PLAIN TRUTH. : .
:
Being a
nadve of Belfasc (but res1dmg for the
moment in the far·off Prulippines ), I feel
1
can now be objective and offer a bit of
constructive cri:cicism in the rigbt spirit.
You mendoned that the Catholics
were shut off from ·•. . . newer housing
facilities as they carne along ..." and
that they settled back into their crowded
urban ghettos. Th.is may bave been. t':'e
way back in the early days of che
~htrues
or forties. However,
1
would pomt out
that pracdcally all the presenr. trouble is
taking place
in
the new housmg
estat~
of Ballymurphy and Andersonstown
(10
Belfast) and Creggan (in Londonderry)
built by the Protestant Gover.nment. as
subsidised government hous1ng
w1~
low renes, for che minority. The Catholic
Church requested that their people be
together tO make parishes easier tO
handle. These estates have become
ghettos ooly because they have been
abused by the people inhabiting them.
l feel you could bave given the
Northern Ireland Government sorne
credit - they have done many things
for che minority. All the civil rights
demands were mee by them before the
I.R.A. started their terrorism in fuli
strength. Civil Rights is not what the
minority want as you know, but ratber a
united l reland.
C. A.,
Manila, The Philippines
I found the artide "Tbe Truth About
Ireland" in che June issue of
The
PLAJN
TRUTH very enlightening, but
~ay
l. be
permitted to poiot out a small htstoncal
error? You state that James II was tbe
son of Charles Il, bm in facc, James was
Charles' younger brother. Charles the
second had no legidmate hcirs. Also,
William of Orange assumed che chrone
only by virtue of his wife Mary, the
eldest daughter of J ames by his first wife
Anne Hydc. Although you did not state
to the contrary on this point, I feel that
it could cause misunderstandings if
(Continued on inside back cover)
19