December 10, 2025 by Jessica LM Jenkins
The Forgotten Women of Christmas

"Let us consider the forgotten women of the Nativity. Women whose presence would have been understood and assumed by the original audience of the gospels, but whom history has long forgotten. A midwife, the neighbor women, extended family—these women would have surrounded the Virgin Mary as she gave birth."

"Let us consider the forgotten women of the Nativity. Women whose presence would have been understood and assumed by the original audience of the gospels, but whom history has long forgotten. A midwife, the neighbor women, extended family—these women would have surrounded the Virgin Mary as she gave birth."

Amongst all the decorating and bustle, arranging the large ceramic nativity set was my special duty as a child. Every year I’d gather books to pile under a sheet, creating hills and valleys over which the magi and shepherds would travel to visit the holy family.

But that nativity set, like almost all others, had one major flaw—the only woman present is Mary. This leads some to wonder, where are the women? Were only men involved with the nativity story? Do women actually matter to God? Are they secondary to salvation history? Is the gospel inherently masculine?

As we wrestle with these questions, often caused by cultural narratives around womanhood and Christmas, let us consider the forgotten women of the Nativity. Women whose presence would have been understood and assumed by the original audience of the gospels, but whom history has long forgotten. A midwife, the neighbor women, extended family—these women would have surrounded the Virgin Mary as she gave birth.

Some might argue that nativity sets should only include the people directly presented in Matthew 2 and Luke 2: Mary, Jospeh, baby Jesus, the shepherds, the magi, and the angels. Thereby we should not add these women to our nativity sets or story because they were not explicitly mentioned.

However, cows, donkeys, and sheep are an expected part of a nativity set, even though none of them are directly noted to have been present in scripture (sheep are implied by the presence of shepherds, but not the others). This is an interesting dynamic, including animals while excluding women. Therefore, in this article we will reconsider the forgotten women of the nativity and why their presence matters to our understanding of Christmas and the gospel.

Where are the women? Were only men involved with the nativity story? Do women actually matter to God? Are they secondary to salvation history? Is the gospel inherently masculine? Share on X

Mary’s Female Relatives

The image most of us have of Mary and Joseph’s journey from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem is of a poor young couple walking by themselves along a deserted road with help from a donkey.

This image misses the travel customs of the time period. People rarely traveled alone, usually preferring caravans for safety. The reason Joseph left Nazareth was because of the census, so most likely other people from that region also needed to make the same journey.

Mary was engaged to Joseph when she conceived (Matthew 1:18). Joseph kept their engagement, which many likely viewed as an admission of “guilt” for fathering the child. Though pregnancy during the period of betrothal wasn’t encouraged—since the betrothal was a form of legal marriage, the pregnancy wouldn’t cause wide-spread shame. Mary and Joseph were official married and cohabitating, even without consummation, at the time Jesus was born (Matthew 1:24-25).¹ Their families would want both the mother and baby cared for.

In this communal culture, Mary’s female relatives (mother, mother-in-law, aunts, etc.) would hardly allow her to travel while pregnant without someone to help her on the journey and at the potential birth. These female relatives likely would have attended the birth of Jesus, if not delivered him themselves.

The Hostess and Neighbors

Another woman who likely could be included in our nativity stories and scenes is the woman who provided hospitality for Mary and Joseph. Unlike our common depictions of Jesus’ birth in a stable, Judean peasant families likely kept their livestock inside their one-room home at night and during cold weather.² In a land without cribs, the manger would have been a stable piece of furniture available to anyone who needed a secure holding spot for a rolling infant.

But what about the “inn?” The Greek word kataluma, often translated “inn,” is used later in Luke for the upper-room in which the last supper took place (Luke 22:11; Mark 14:14).³ This word indicates a special guest area of a house, not a separate hotel for travelers.⁴ The fact that there was no more room in the guest-room could have been because of the size of the party traveling from Nazareth, or because a guest of higher status than Joseph was already occupying the space.

Traditions of hospitality indicate that the entire community would have felt intense shame had they evicted a pregnant woman from their homes, especially one who was married to a son of David, in the city of David. Their hostess would have welcomed them to stay in the main part of the family home with them if the guest room was unavailable, perhaps giving up her own bed for the new mother and baby.

The unlikelihood Jesus’ birth occurring in a stable is increased when we consider the shepherds saw nothing wrong with the living arrangements of their Messiah. Surely, after learning from the angels that this baby was their Savior, the Messiah, they would have found Him a more honorable place to stay if Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were indeed sleeping in a barn.

Other neighbors may have come to assist or pitch in with the physical necessities needed to care for the influx of visitors the host family was entertaining. Certainly, the shepherd’s wives, and possibly shepherdesses, listened with wrapt attention to the Good News the angels shared. They may have been aware of the birth, or even present – but the announcement of the heavenly messengers likely caught everyone’s ear.

In a communal culture, Mary’s female relatives would not allow her to travel while pregnant without someone to help her on the journey. These female relatives would have attended the birth of Jesus, if not delivered him themselves. Share on X

The Midwife

One of the oldest traditions surrounding the Nativity story is the presence of a midwife. She is included in the Protoevangelium of James as well as ancient Greek Orthodox icons. Though the Protoevangelium of James diverges greatly from the details of Jesus birth found in Luke 2, the inclusion of the midwife showcases ancient assumptions about childbirth and the necessity of experience birth workers.⁵

This midwife, not Jospeh, was most likely the one who helped Mary with the delivery.⁶ Joseph may not have even been allowed in the room when baby Jesus was born.⁷

Jesus’ birth was not a lonely affair off in a dark barn away from the people he was coming to save. Jesus’ birth was protected and surrounded by women doing the life-giving care they had been doing for thousands of years. They used all of their wisdom, knowledge, and tenacity to care for and protect him in his most vulnerable hours. Even ancient art and retellings of the birth story show at least one midwife, traditionally named Salome.⁸

Significance of the Forgotten Woman

Whereas the Gospel of Matthew tells us that Jesus would be known as Emmanuel–God with us, the Gospel of Luke shows us how God would life among His people. Jesus was born not in a cold, lonely stable, but rather in a warm home surrounded by women ready to wash and care for His body.

A the most significant moment in history, women were the ones to witness God’s born in the flesh. As Elizabeth was the first one to give voice to the identity of the Messiah, so now these humble travelers and Bethlehemite women were the first to touch God Himself. They washed, swaddled, and handed Jesus back to his mother to nurse.

All throughout salvation history, women have had significant roles. To Eve, God promised a future seed who would crush the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15). To Elizabeth, God provided insight into the identity of the Messiah. To Mary, God gave the honor of carrying the baby to term and raising him as her own. To the forgotten women, God bestowed on them the privilege to be the first ones to see their savior as a man. To the female disciples, God appeared as the risen savior, to be seen and touched.

Our nativities may leave women out of the story, but God never has. These women are not forgotten to Him. At every step, women have partnered with God in unique ways to bring His good news to all people.

For unto us is born a savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Download a copy of “The Forgotten Women of Christmas” nativity coloring page here!

A more accurate cultural picture–inviting your Advent coloring skills!–of the birth of Jesus. ©Jessica LM Jenkins.

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Jesus’ birth was protected and surrounded by women doing the life-giving care they had been doing for thousands of years. They used all of their wisdom, knowledge, and tenacity to care for and protect him in his most vulnerable… Share on X

*Editorial Note: In case you missed it, our wonderful Advent series, “Watching and Waiting for God,” first written in 2023, has returned to our homepage for the Advent season. ~CK

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Jessica LM Jenkins

Jessica L.M. Jenkins holds an MA in Israel Studies and an Advanced MDiv in Biblical Languages. Her research explores the historical context of the Bible, women of the Bible, and gender roles. Passionate about God’s nearness, she creates content that considers the hurting, weary, and marginalized.

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