Bethlehem
City south of Jerusalem in the West Bank. See West Bank.
At a glance
| Source | Author | Role | In one line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Which path would the three wise men have walked? | xkcd’s What If? | turning point | One version of the star-following path does pass through Bethlehem. |
Which path would the three wise men have walked? — xkcd’s What If? (2026)
Source: Original · Readwise highlight
their path actually takes them through Bethlehem.
- Role: turning point
- In the article: Starting from Jerusalem and walking towards a star, the wise men wander off in most versions; in the night-walking version the computed path actually passes through Bethlehem before wandering on and eventually circling Botswana.
- Why it matters: The joke’s payoff: the arithmetic briefly agrees with the Christmas story.