The story of Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus is familiar to many, but beyond its spiritual significance, it carries valuable economic lessons. This narrative ...

Mary is visited by the angel Gabriel, who tells her she will bear the Son of God. Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem to take part in Herod's census, where Jesus is born.

This means that Joseph has to go from Galilee south to Judea—from Nazareth to the root system of his family tree, Bethlehem—to register. Mary, in her very pregnant state, has to travel the rutted ...