p. 205 | The Ancient Inn by F. S. DeHass

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Mar 27, 1884

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 13.

The Ancient Inn.

By F. S. DeHass

An Eastern inn, or khan, never was a house of entertainment in the sense that Americans understand a hotel to be. Such accommodations as provision, bed, and other comforts at an inn, are unknown in the Orient, and belong exclusively to Western civilization. In the East all travelers carry their own bedding and provision with them, and must dress their own food, kindle their own fire, and spread their own table. An Oriental inn is merely a place of shelter from the storm, or protection from robbers, where a man and his beast can safely lodge for the night free of charge. A portion of the khan was assigned to the beasts, generally one side, and travelers who came in late, if they found the khan full, would have to make their beds in the manger with the horses and camels, as Joseph and Mary were forced to do. These caravansaries, or inns, were sometimes very rude, simply a rough wall built round a house or natural caves in the rocks, as appears to have been the case at Bethlehem. Many of these grottoes are still used as stables in the neighborhood, and some of them as dwellings by the Arabs.

Until superseded by convents, every village had its khan; they were also found along the great lines of travel. These inns were considered sacred property. No invading army ever disturbed them. Generally there was but one khan in a place, and in a small town like Bethlehem there never could have been but one. When once an inn was established, through the liberality of some prince or man of wealth, it became public property consecrated to hospitality, and could never be appropriated to other purposes.—Bible Lands, by F. S. DeHass, D. D.