Right next to the Holy Grail.

(snark)

steal it?

https://www.newsweek.com/hobby-lobby-iraq-antiquities-evangelicals-632434
Christian Retailer Hobby Lobby Stole Middle East History to Make a Bible Museum in Washington

By whom? And what does that matter?

The case for Jesus' birth in Bethlehem is an interesting one. Jesus was known to be from Galilee, but this presents a serious problem with his messianic claim as the messianic prophecy dictates the messiah must be born in Bethlehem, the ancestral home of King David.

Early Christians had little interest in where Jesus was born until they began to realize the problem with the messianic claim. The story of the Nativity doesn't appear in Mark, thought to be the earliest gospel in the canon. It was later the story of the birth in Bethlehem was concocted. The official story is that Jesus' father was required by the Romans to return to his ancestral home for the official census. So sounds like a great cover story, yes? We now have the motivation why a couple with a very pregnant wife would travel 80 miles on a donkey. Oh wait, no we don't. The Roman census in question did not cover Bethlehem or Galilee, nor did it require anyone to travel anywhere which would be completely unnecessary and illogical. The purpose of the census was taxation, and Roman subjects were taxed by their place of residence, not place of birth.

But hey, why let reality interfere with a great myth, right?

With just an old piece of wood, one can dupe the rubes into believing the impossible.

Of new testament sites. Then they conveniently appeared.

Thanks!

She was one of the biggest rubes in history.

but I rarely hear anything about Helena's role. The ancient literature is quite clear on her being, in your words, a "tourist of New Testamant sites."

"Brother Francesco Patton, the custodian of the Franciscan order in the Holy Land, said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had asked Pope Francis to borrow the entire manger, but the pope decided to send a tiny portion of it to stay permanently in Bethlehem."

So, yeah, they have the whole thing in Rome, but they broke off a piece for these vatos.

but what do I know. I am just a lowly atheist.

to the wood fragments from the ark.