One holy night. Mother told me I shouldn’t make the trip. But we couldn’t risk the consequences of defying a command of Caesar.

“Joseph is a good man,” I told her. “He’ll take care of me.”

“What do men know of birthing a child?” she said, choking back tears.

She’d tried to prepare me as best she could. I had the bundle of swaddling clothes she had given me for the baby, the birthing blanket to put underneath me, and plenty of rags for my time of impurity.