The Cave of the Nativity
Preserved but no longer current.
The tradition that the rock cave near Constantino's basilica, S. Maria a Praesepio, is the birthplace of the Saviour dates from the time of St. Jerome (d. 420), when Bethlehem had been a wood- covered wilderness since it was devastated by Hadrian three hundred years earlier.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “The Cave of the Nativity” mean?
The tradition that the rock cave near Constantino's basilica, S. Maria a Praesepio, is the birthplace of the Saviour dates from the time of St. Jerome (d. 420), when Bethlehem had been a wood- covered wilderness since it was devastated by Hadrian three hundred years earlier.
Is “The Cave of the Nativity” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.