Nothing Unusual Ever Happens Here

NOTHING UNUSUAL EVER HAPPENS HERE by Ray Pritchard Bethlehem, December 25, 2000 Years Ago””It’s been a quiet day in our little town. Local police reported no suspicious activity in the last 24 hours. The Greater Hebron Chamber of Commerce said yesterday that they project a 50% increase in tourism next year as a result of the decree by Caesar Augustus. Since Bethlehem is only five miles south of Jerusalem, we can expect a steady stream of travelers. Abraham ben Sirach, manager of the Bethlehem Visitors Bureau, announced that the annual Judean Shepherds Convention will return to town for the fourth straight year. The local inns are booked solid for the next few nights. Jacob Samuelson, proprietor of the Bethlehem Inn, reported that all his rooms were reserved six months ago by a fig-traders caravan from Beersheba. The local rabbis’ council met yesterday to discuss the appearance in Jerusalem of three visitors from Persia. Reportedly, they told King Herod that they were seeking someone born “King of the Jews.”