Strange Story: The Birth of Jesus Part 13 A Cave-House

“Up” got to work right away to turn this cave with a stagnant lake in it into a habitable dwelling.

First he rolled large rocks into the crevasse that had developed and was letting in rainwater as it ran down the hill. Then he placed continually smaller rocks in the gaps that were left. When all the gaps were filled, he found clay and packed the clay tightly into the tiny gaps left by the stones. Then he repeated the process several times to make a thick layer of clay. Finally he put dirt over it and tried to plant something that would grow there and hold the soil in place.

After that he had to drain the lake. To achieve this purpose he waded into it barefooted and found the deepest place. Then he dug that part even deeper. Now he could use a crude bucket to scoop water and carry it outside. After many hours the lake was gone and all that remained was the hole he had made. When the hole was almost empty, he started bringing in dirt to fill the hole, cover the area where the lake had been and absorb the little bit of moisture that was left. After many loads of dirt, they had a new dirt floor that was packed smooth.

Then he proceeded to build a makeshift front to their “house.” He started by using bits of wood he could find here and there. He promised “Reb” that he would build a proper stone front in time, but for now a wooden facade would have to do. When it was done it looked like it had been pieced together with scraps as indeed it had been. But there were a few large window openings with lattices which could let in some light and some fresh air.

By this time he had prepared a place for a cooking fire outside under a small overhang.

Now they would be safe from the elements, from animals, and from the prying eyes of malicious people.

The entire time that he did this work he kept bringing firewood for their fire (which was women’s work) and going to town to buy food. By the time he was done turning the cave into a house “Reb” was feeling much better and able to get around fairly well. The baby was doing fine and appeared to any casual observer to be a normal baby. Now it was time for “Up” to find profitable work.

To navigate to Part 14 of this story click on The Birth of Jesus Part 14 The Caravan.