The Creation Museum, the showplace for illustrating a literal understanding of the Bible, has a Christmas surprise for visitors. There will be no Christ child in a stable in the annual Nativity display.

Jesus, says founder and director Ken Ham, was born in a house in Bethlehem.

Even though last year's Christmas extravaganza at the Petersburg, Ky., museum did have the creche scene classic Christ-child-manger-in-the-stable scenario, Ham says that this year they're going with a "real challenge to tradition."

They're cosseting the Holy Family in a "representation of a typical first-century house" to follow what he considers current, authentic scholarship.

"We have these Westernized ideas that are not consistent with what the Scripture actually says and the culture Scripture is dealing with," says Ham.

He explains that some researchers have said since the 1800s that archaeology shows people in those times would have kept their valuable animals like an ox or a donkey indoors in the lower level of their homes, even homes built into caves for warmth and protection.

Think about it. Joseph would have been returning to his ancestral home for the census. The Bible says that while they were there "the days were fulfilled for her to be delivered," which could have been several days. No way are they going to send away a woman who is pregnant to a stable. It makes more sense that they found a home with a family but there was no room upstairs in the family living quarters so they were sheltered by the manger at the lower level.

Just in case this all confuses the 20,000 folks expected to visit the museum's display, there will be an actor playing a Palestinian archaeologist giving talks every half hour based on findings from the Associates for Biblical Research, says Ham.

During the December weekend activities (details here) there will be living nativity scene with creatures from the museum's petting zoo, a marketplace and, of course, 21st-century lighting displays, too.

Plus, says Ham, every visitor will get booklets on salvation and an introduction to the real purpose of the museum, which gets most of its press on its commitment to the six-day story of Creation.

We're here to say the Bible is true, from Creation through Christ, the creator is our savior."

Do you find it intriguing that the museum, devoted to literalism, would push the envelope this far into "cultural interpretation?" Where else could that lead?