Church of the Nativity « See The Holy Land

Milk Grotto

Shepherds’ Field

Field of Ruth

Tomb of Rachel

Herodium

In Scripture:

Massacre of the Holy Innocents: Matthew 2:16-18

Administered by: Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land

Tel.: 972-2-2742425

Open: Apr-Sep 6.30am-7.30pm, Oct-Mar 5.30am-5pm (grottos closed on Sunday mornings)

: Codex Amiatinus, the oldest surviving manuscript of St Jerome’s Vulgate Bible (© Bibliotheca Laurentiana, Florence)

: Bas-relief of St Jerome over the place where his body lay before being transferred to Rome (Seetheholyland.net)

: “Once the place of St Jerome, priest and doctor of the Church” (Seetheholyland.net)

: Page from the Codex Amiatinus (© Bibliotheca Laurentiana, Florence)

: St Jerome on pillar outside St Catherine’s Church (Mohamed Yahya)

: St Jerome with skull at his feet, outside St Catherine’s Church (David Niblack)

: Mosaic over altar in St Jerome’s Cave (Seetheholyland.net)

: Chapel where St Jerome was originally buried (Seetheholyland.net)

: Chapel in St Jerome’s Cave (Seetheholyland.net)

References

Brownrigg, Ronald: Come, See the Place: A Pilgrim Guide to the Holy Land (Hodder and Stoughton, 1985)

Freeman-Grenville, G. S. P.: The Holy Land: A Pilgrim’s Guide to Israel, Jordan and the Sinai (Continuum Publishing, 1996)

Gonen, Rivka: Biblical Holy Places: An illustrated guide (Collier Macmillan, 1987)

Inman, Nick, and McDonald, Ferdie (eds): Jerusalem & the Holy Land (Eyewitness Travel Guide, Dorling Kindersley, 2007)

Joseph, Frederick: “Bethlehem”, Holy Land, winter 2002

Murphy-O’Connor, Jerome: The Holy Land: An Oxford Archaeological Guide from Earliest Times to 1700 (Oxford University Press, 2005)

Saltet, Louis: “St. Jerome”: The Catholic Encyclopedia (Robert Appleton Company, 1910)

Wareham, Norman, and Gill, Jill: Every Pilgrim’s Guide to the Holy Land (Canterbury Press, 1996)

External links

St Jerome (Catholic Encyclopedia)

Jerome (Wikipedia)

Milk Grotto

Filed under: Israel and Palestine - Outside Jerusalem,Locations — Tags: Bethlehem, chalk, Church of the Nativity, Franciscan, Jesus, Joseph, Mary, milk, Milk Grotto, mothers, Our Lady of the Milk — 1:52 pm

West Bank

Inside the Milk Grotto church (© Custodia Terrae Sanctae)

A short distance south of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is a shrine called the Milk Grotto, on a street of the same name.

An irregular grotto hollowed out of soft white rock, the site is sacred to Christian and Muslim pilgrims alike. It is especially frequented by new mothers and women who are trying to conceive.

By mixing the soft white chalk with their food, and praying to Our Lady of the Milk, they believe it will increase the quantity of their milk or enable them to become pregnant.

Rows of framed letters and baby pictures sent from around the world to the Milk Grotto testify to the effectiveness of the “milk powder” and prayer. (The powder is available only at the shrine; it may not be ordered from overseas.)

Spilt milk turned stone white, tradition says

According to tradition, while Mary and Joseph were fleeing Herod’s soldiers on their way to Egypt, they stopped in this cave while Mary nursed the baby Jesus. A drop of Mary’s milk fell upon the stone and it turned white.

Milk Grotto church (Seetheholyland.net)

The grotto has been a site of veneration since the 4th century, the first structure being built over it around AD 385.

From as early as the 7th century, fragments from the cave were sent to churches in Europe. The site was recognised by a proclamation of Pope Gregory XI in 1375.

The Franciscans erected a church around the Milk Grotto in 1872. The people of Bethlehem and local artisans expressed their love for the site by decorating the shrine with mother-of-pearl carvings.

In 2007 a modern chapel dedicated to the Mother of God was opened. It is connected to the Milk Grotto church by a tunnel, which enabled the addition of a further chapel in the basement.

Other sites in the Bethlehem area:

In Scripture:

The escape to Egypt: Matthew 2:13-15

Administered by: Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land

Tel.: 972-2-2743867

Open: 8am-5pm (Sun closed noon-2pm)

: Mary with Jesus at the breast, in the Milk Grotto (© Bethlehem University)

: Wise Men pay homage, Milk Grotto (Seetheholyland.net)

: Crowd at the new Milk Grotto church (© Custodia Terrae Sanctae)

: Inside the Milk Grotto church (© Custodia Terrae Sanctae)

: Mary and Jesus in the money, Milk Grotto (Seetheholyland.net)

: Milk Grotto church (Seetheholyland.net)

: Inside the Milk Grotto (Seetheholyland.net)

: Altar in the Milk Grotto church (© Custodia Terrae Sanctae)

: Entrance to the Milk Grotto (Seetheholyland.net)

: Prophet Elias in the Milk Grotto (© Bethlehem University)

: Altar in the Milk Grotto (Seetheholyland.net)

: Flight into Egypt, in the Milk Grotto (Seetheholyland.net)

: King David in the Milk Grotto (© Bethlehem University)

: Close-up of altar tableau (Seetheholyland.net)

: Inside the Milk Grotto (© Custodia Terrae Sanctae)

: Adoration chapel in Milk Grotto (Seetheholyland.net)

References

Gonen, Rivka: Biblical Holy Places: An illustrated guide (Collier Macmillan, 1987)

Inman, Nick, and McDonald, Ferdie (eds): Jerusalem & the Holy Land (Eyewitness Travel Guide, Dorling Kindersley, 2007)

External links

Bethlehem (Custodia Terrae Sanctae)

Chapel of the Milk Grotto (Wikipedia)

Grotto of the Nativity

Filed under: Israel and Palestine - Outside Jerusalem,Locations — Tags: Adoration of the Magi, Bethlehem, cave, Christmas, Church of the Nativity, Grotto of the Manger, Grotto of the Nativity, St Jerome, star, Three Wise Men, West Bank — 4:54 pm

West Bank

Grotto of the Nativity (Darko Tepert)

Far from the Christmas-card image, the place of Christ’s birth is a dimly-lit rock cave. Instead of a star above, a 14-point silver star on the marble floor of the Grotto of the Nativity bears the words “Hic de Virgine Maria Jesus Christus natus est” (Here Jesus Christ was born to the Virgin Mary).

Entry is from Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity. Steps to the right of the iconostasis (the carved screen standing in front of the main altar) lead down to the subterranean cave.

Rectangular in shape, the cave measures about 12 metres by 3 metres. Like the church above, it is in the possession of the Greek Orthodox Church.

The rough rock of the first Christmas has given way to marble facings and, in the words of biblical scholar E. M. Blaiklock, the cave is “hung and cluttered with all the tinsel of men’s devotions”.

On feast days the cave is lit by 48 hanging lamps. Following a serious fire in 1869, three of the walls are protected by heavy leather drapes backed with asbestos.

Manger covered with marble

Grotto of the Manger (Seetheholyland.net)

At a slightly lower level is the Grotto of the Manger. The rock shelf has been covered with marble, but the original rock may be seen around the manger. The dimensions match those of feeding troughs cut into the rock by Bedouins.

When the original church was built in the 4th century, the Grotto of the Nativity was enlarged to make room for pilgrims and at that time a silver manger was installed.

St Jerome, whose own cave was nearby, did not approve: “If I could only see that manger in which the Lord lay! Now, as if to honour the Christ, we have removed the poor one and placed there a silver one; however, for me the one which was removed is more precious . . . .”

Stone trough from the 9th century before Jesus was born, found at Megiddo (Seetheholyland.net)

A small altar in the Grotto of the Manger is dedicated to the Adoration of the Magi, the Three Wise Men described in Matthew’s Gospel as coming from the East (probably Persia) to worship the newborn Jesus. This is where the Catholics celebrate Mass.

Other sites in the Bethlehem area:

In Scripture:

The birth of Jesus: Luke 2:1-20; Matthew 1:18-25

The visit of the Wise Men: Matthew 2:1-12

Administered by: Greek Orthodox Church

Tel.: 972-2-2742440

Open: April-September, Mon-Sat 6.30am-7.30pm. October-March, Mon-Sat: 5.30am-5pm (5.30pm in January, 6pm February-March). Grotto opens at 11.30am on Sundays.

: Pilgrim venerates star marking Jesus’ birthplace, in Grotto of the Nativity, Bethlehem (Seetheholyland.net)

: Stone trough from the 9th century before Jesus was born, found at Megiddo (Seetheholyland.net)

: Grotto of the Nativity (Darko Tepert)

: Grotto of the Manger (Seetheholyland.net)

: Steps down to the Grotto of the Nativity (James Emery)

: Effigy of Christ child in Grotto of the Nativity (Seetheholyland.net)

: Church of the Nativity (Seetheholyland.net)

: Altar in the Grotto of the Nativity (© Custodia Terrae Sanctae)

: Artwork in Grotto of the Nativity (© Custodia Terrae Sanctae)

: Star marking birthplace of Jesus (Berthold Werner)

: Altar in Grotto of the Manger (© Custodia Terrae Sanctae)

: Lamps hanging over the manger (Seetheholyland.net)

: Close-up of star at birthplace of Jesus (© Custodia Terrae Sanctae)

: Nativity scene in Grotto of the Nativity (© Custodia Terrae Sanctae)

References

Blaiklock, E. M.: Eight Days in Israel (Ark Publishing, 1980)

Brownrigg, Ronald: Come, See the Place: A Pilgrim Guide to the Holy Land (Hodder and Stoughton, 1985)

Freeman-Grenville, G. S. P.: The Holy Land: A Pilgrim’s Guide to Israel, Jordan and the Sinai (Continuum Publishing, 1996)

Gonen, Rivka: Biblical Holy Places: An illustrated guide (Collier Macmillan, 1987)

Inman, Nick, and McDonald, Ferdie (eds): Jerusalem & the Holy Land (Eyewitness Travel Guide, Dorling Kindersley, 2007)

Joseph, Frederick: “Bethlehem”, Holy Land, winter 2002

Murphy-O’Connor, Jerome: The Holy Land: An Oxford Archaeological Guide from Earliest Times to 1700 (Oxford University Press, 2005)

Petrozzi, Maria Teresa: “The Nativity Grotto”, Holy Land, winter 1997

Wareham, Norman, and Gill, Jill: Every Pilgrim’s Guide to the Holy Land (Canterbury Press, 1996)

External links

Bethlehem (Custodia Terrae Sanctae)

Church of the Nativity (Wikipedia)

Church of the Nativity

Filed under: Israel and Palestine - Outside Jerusalem,Locations — Tags: 25, Armenian Orthodox, Bethlehem, Catholic, cave, Christ's birthplace, Christmas, Church of St Catherine of Alexandria, Church of the Nativity, Constantine, Greek Orthodox, Jesus, Justinian, Midnight Mass, St Jerome, Three Wise Men, Unesco, West Bank, world heritage site — 4:08 pm

West Bank

Entering Church of the Nativity (Seetheholyland.net)

Entering the church that marks the site of Christ’s birthplace means having to stoop low. The only doorway in the fortress-like front wall is just 1.2 metres high.

The previous entrance to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem was lowered around the year 1500 to stop looters from driving their carts in. To Christians, it seems appropriate to bow low before entering the place where God humbled himself to become man.

Today’s basilica, the oldest complete church in the Christian world, was built by the emperor Justinian in the 6th century. It replaced the original church of Constantine the Great, built over the cave venerated as Christ’s birthplace, and dedicated in AD 339.

Before Constantine, the first Christian emperor, the Romans had tried to wipe out the memory of the cave. They planted a grove dedicated to the pagan god Adonis, lover of Venus, and established his cult in the cave.

As St Jerome wrote in AD 395, “The earth’s most sacred spot was overshadowed by the grave of Adonis, and the cave where the infant Christ once wept was where the paramour of Venus was bewailed.”

Invading Persians spared the church

Grotto of the Nativity (Darko Tepert)

The Gospels do not say that Jesus was born in a cave, but there are written references to the Nativity cave as far back as AD 160. Even today in the Judean hills, families live in primitive houses built in front of natural caves used for storage or to shelter animals.

When the original Church of the Nativity was built, the cave was enlarged to make room for pilgrims and a silver manger was installed.

St Jerome did not approve: “If I could only see that manger in which the Lord lay! Now, as if to honour the Christ, we have removed the poor one and placed there a silver one; however, for me the one which was removed is more precious . . . .”

Persians invaded Palestine in 614 and destroyed many churches. They spared the Church of the Nativity when they saw a mosaic on an interior wall depicting the Three Wise Men in Persian dress.

In 1482 King Edward IV sent English oak and tons of lead to renew the roof. In the 17th century the Turks looted the lead to melt into bullets. The roof rotted and most of the rich mosaics on the walls of the nave were ruined.

When Unesco put the basilica on its list of world heritage sites in 2012, it was also deemed to be endangered because of damage due to water leaks. A $US15 million restoration of the church’s roof, walls and mosaics began in 2013.

Christmas is observed on January 7

Columns of red limestone in Church of the Nativity (Seetheholyland.net)

Today’s Church of the Nativity is cool and dark, its interior bare with no pews. Wall mosaics from the 12th century — depicting saints, angels and Church councils — have had their original sheen restored.

The restorers even uncovered a 2-metre mosaic of an angel that had been lost for centuries.

Trapdoors in the floor allow glimpses of the mosaic floor of Constantine’s basilica. The red limestone pillars were quarried locally. Many are adorned with Crusader paintings of saints.

Steps to the right of the iconostasis (the carved screen, adorned with icons, that stands in front of the main altar) lead down to the Grotto of the Nativity.

As the ornamentation, icons and lamps in the front of the church suggest, the basilica is now almost wholly a Greek Orthodox place of worship. The Armenian Orthodox own the northern transept. The Catholics have the site of the manger and the adjoining altar next to the Nativity grotto.

So while Christians in the Western world celebrate Christ’s birthday on December 25 of the Gregorian calendar, the church at his birthplace still has 13 days to wait for the Orthodox, using the old Julian calendar, to celebrate it on January 7. Then the Armenians celebrate Jesus’ birth and baptism together on January 19.

Rediscovered mosaic of an angel (© Piacenti Restoration Center)

Rediscovered mosaic of an angel in Church of the Nativity (© Piacenti Restoration Center)

So where does the televised Christmas Eve service on December 24 come from? The adjoining Church of St Catherine of Alexandria, which is Catholic.

Other sites in the Bethlehem area:

In Scripture:

The birth of Jesus: Luke 2:1-20; Matthew 1:18-25

The visit of the Wise Men: Matthew 2:1-12

Administered by: Greek Orthodox Church, Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land, Armenian Apostolic Church

Tel.: 972-2-2742440

Open: April-September, Mon-Sat 6.30am-7.30pm. October-March, Mon-Sat: 5.30am-5pm (5.30pm in January, 6pm February-March). Grotto opens at 11.30am on Sundays.

: Mosaic floor from Constantine’s church, in Church of the Nativity (Seetheholyland.net)

: Sunbeam in Church of the Nativity (James Emery)

: Bells above Church of the Nativity (© Israel Ministry of Tourism)

: Close-up of lamp in Church of the Nativity (Seetheholyland.net)

: Steps down to Grotto of the Nativity (James Emery)

: Grotto of the Nativity (Darko Tepert)

: Inside Church of the Nativity, with trapdoors revealing earlier mosaic floor (Seetheholyland.net)

: Grotto of the Manger (Seetheholyland.net)

: Looking into Manger Square from Church of the Nativity (© Israel Ministry of Tourism)

: Entering Church of the Nativity (Seetheholyland.net)

: Columns of red limestone in Church of the Nativity (Seetheholyland.net)

: Hanging lamps in Church of the Nativity (Seetheholyland.net)

: Detail of mosaic floor from Constantine’s church, in Church of the Nativity (James Emery)

: Door in Church of the Nativity (Seetheholyland.net)

: Armenian convent belltower adjacent to Church of the Nativity (Seetheholyland.net)

: Doorway to Church of the Nativity (© Custodia Terrae Sanctae)

: Entrance to Church of the Nativity (Picturesfree.org)

: Effigy of Christ child in Church of the Nativity (Seetheholyland.net)

: Icon of Mary and Jesus in Church of the Nativity (Seetheholyland.net)

: Star medallions in Church of the Nativity (Seetheholyland.net)

: Rediscovered mosaic of an angel (© Piacenti Restoration Center)

: Pillar painted by Crusaders with image of a saint in Church of the Nativity (Seetheholyland.net)

: Wall decoration uncovered during renovation of Church of the Nativity (Seetheholyland.net)

References

Baldwin, David: The Holy Land: A Pilgrim’s Companion (Catholic Truth Society, 2007)

Bastier, Claire, and Halloun, Nizar: “Restoration: Revealing the glories of the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem”, Holy Land Review, winter 2016

Blaiklock, E. M.: Eight Days in Israel (Ark Publishing, 1980)

Brownrigg, Ronald: Come, See the Place: A Pilgrim Guide to the Holy Land (Hodder and Stoughton, 1985)

Chabin, Michele: “Church of the Nativity’s Face-Lift Reveals Ancient Treasures”, National Catholic Register, June 15, 2016

Freeman-Grenville, G. S. P.: The Holy Land: A Pilgrim’s Guide to Israel, Jordan and the Sinai (Continuum Publishing, 1996)

Gonen, Rivka: Biblical Holy Places: An illustrated guide (Collier Macmillan, 1987)

Inman, Nick, and McDonald, Ferdie (eds): Jerusalem & the Holy Land (Eyewitness Travel Guide, Dorling Kindersley, 2007)

Joseph, Frederick: “Bethlehem”, Holy Land, winter 2002

Martin, James: A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Holy Land (Westminster Press, 1978)

Murphy-O’Connor, Jerome: The Holy Land: An Oxford Archaeological Guide from Earliest Times to 1700 (Oxford University Press, 2005)

Wareham, Norman, and Gill, Jill: Every Pilgrim’s Guide to the Holy Land (Canterbury Press, 1996)

External links

Bethlehem (Obethlehem.com)

Church of the Nativity (Wikipedia)

Bethlehem (Custodia Terrae Sanctae)

Church of St Catherine of Alexandria

Filed under: Israel and Palestine - Outside Jerusalem,Locations — Tags: "most helpful" saint, Bethlehem, Bethlehem parish church, Catherine wheel, Chapel of the Holy Innocents, Christmas Eve, Church of St Catherine of Alexandria, Church of the Nativity, Crusader, Midnight Mass, St Catherine of Alexandria, St Jerome — 3:42 pm

West Bank

Christmas Midnight Mass in St Catherine’s Church (© Custodia Terrae Sanctae)

The midnight Mass beamed from Bethlehem to television viewers worldwide on Christmas Eve is celebrated in the Church of St Catherine of Alexandria.

This 19th-century church adjoins the 6th-century Church of the Nativity, built over the cave where Jesus was born. It even shares a wall with the Nativity church.

The Church of St Catherine is the parish church for Bethlehem’s Catholics. It is also often used by groups of pilgrims.

Martyr broke torture wheel

Christmas lighting in the courtyard of St Catherine’s Church (© Custodia Terrae Sanctae)

And who was St Catherine of Alexandria? Though she has been widely venerated in both East and West, there are few reliable facts about her life.

According to the traditional story, this early 4th-century martyr from Egypt was of noble birth and well educated. At the age of 18, she challenged the emperor Maxentius (or his father, the emperor Maximian) for persecuting Christians and worshipping false gods.

The enraged emperor ordered her to be tortured on a wheel — hence the term “Catherine wheel”. But when Catherine touched the wheel, it broke. She was then beheaded and tradition says angels carried her body to Mount Sinai, where in the 6th century a church and monastery were built in her honour.

This latter part of the story was, however, unknown to the earliest pilgrims to the mountain. It was two or three centuries later that the story of St Catherine and the angels began to circulate.

St Catherine of Alexandria has been ranked with St Margaret and St Barbara as one of the 14 “most helpful” saints in heaven. She is also one of the saints reputed to have spoken to St Joan of Arc.

Complex of caves under church

The Bethlehem church dedicated to St Catherine was built in 1882 on the ruins of the Crusader church and monastery belonging to the Augustinians. Beneath the paving of the cloister are the foundations of an earlier monastery, possibly that of St Jerome (whose statue stands on a pedestal in the cloister).

A door in the southwest corner of the cloister leads to a Crusader chapel. The chapel walls are decorated with remnants of Crusader wall paintings, which were partially restored in 1950.

A narrow stairway on the right hand side of the nave leads down into a complex of caves and rock-cut chambers.

These contain a number of chapels. They include the Cave of St Jerome, who translated the Vulgate version of the Bible; St Joseph’s Chapel, recalling the dream in which an angel warned Joseph to take the Holy Family to Egypt; and the Chapel of the Holy Innocents, commemorating the children massacred by Herod.

Other sites in the Bethlehem area:

In Scripture:

An angel warns Joseph: Matthew 2:13-15

Massacre of the Holy Innocents: Matthew 2:16-18

Administered by: Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land

Tel.: 972-2-2742425

Open: Apr-Sep 6am-7.30pm, Oct-Mar 5.30am-5pm (grottos closed on Sunday mornings)

: “Once the place of St Jerome, priest and doctor of the Church” (Seetheholyland.net)

: St Anthony’s chapel in St Catherine’s Church (Seetheholyland.net)

: Main door of St Catherine’s Church (Seetheholyland.net)

: Entrance to St Catherine’s Church (James Emery)

: Chapel in St Jerome’s Cave under Church of St Catherine (Seetheholyland.net)

: Chapel of St Joseph under St Catherine’s Church (Seetheholyland.net)

: Main altar in Church of St Catherine (Seetheholyland.net)

: Mosaic over altar in St Jerome’s chapel (Seetheholyland.net)

: Courtyard and cloisters of St Catherine’s Church (Seetheholyland.net)

: Interior of Church of St Catherine (Seetheholyland.net)

: Bas-relief of St Jerome over the place where his body lay before it was transferred to a church in Rome (Seetheholyland.net)

References:

Doyle, Stephen: The Pilgrim’s New Guide to the Holy Land (Liturgical Press, 1990)

Freeman-Grenville, G. S. P.: The Holy Land: A Pilgrim’s Guide to Israel, Jordan and the Sinai (Continuum Publishing, 1996)

Gonen, Rivka: Biblical Holy Places: An illustrated guide (Collier Macmillan, 1987)

Inman, Nick, and McDonald, Ferdie (eds): Jerusalem & the Holy Land (Eyewitness Travel Guide, Dorling Kindersley, 2007)

Wareham, Norman, and Gill, Jill: Every Pilgrim’s Guide to the Holy Land (Canterbury Press, 1996)

External links

Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria (Travelujah)

Bethlehem (Obethlehem.com)

Bethlehem

Filed under: Israel and Palestine - Outside Jerusalem,Locations — Tags: Basilica of the Nativity, Bethlehem, birthplace of Christ, birthplace of David, cave, Church of the Nativity, house of bread, Jesus, manger, Mary, Mosque of Omar, separation wall, shepherds, Three Wise Men, West Bank — 1:32 pm

West Bank

The West Bank city of Bethlehem, about 9km south of Jerusalem, is celebrated by Christians as the birthplace of Jesus Christ.

Here Mary gave birth in a cave used for animals. Here the local shepherds came to worship the baby, and here the Three Wise Men from the east came to pay homage and present their gifts.

Here too, 1000 years before Christ, Bethlehem was the birthplace of David, Israel’s second king. Here David was anointed as king by the prophet Samuel after being brought in from tending his father’s sheep.

The city of Bethlehem (in Hebrew its name means “house of bread”) perches on a hill at the edge of the Judaean desert. Bedouin from the desert rub shoulders with pilgrims and tourists among a mix of cultures in its town market and its narrow, ancient streets.

Cave can be visited

The Gospel references to Christ’s birth are sparse. The physician Luke gives most information: “And so Joseph went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to David’s town of Bethlehem — because he was of the house and lineage of David — to register with Mary, his espoused wife, who was with child . . . . She gave birth to her first-born Son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the place where travellers lodged.” (Luke 2:4,7)

Star marking Jesus’ birthplace, in the Grotto of the Nativity (Seetheholyland.net)

The cave where the birth took place and the manger stood can now be visited underneath the huge Basilica of the Nativity. This is the oldest complete church in the Christian world.

During the 20th century, Bethlehem was controlled in turn by Turkey, Britain, Jordan and Israel. Hostilities led to thousands of displaced Palestinians living in official refugee camps nearby.

In 1995 Bethlehem came under the administration of the Palestinian Authority, though Israel retained control of entrances and exits. During times of Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the city has seen many confrontations.

Israel’s construction of the separation wall has severely affected Bethlehem’s economy and the movements of its residents. The barrier runs along the city’s northern side, within metres of houses.

Most residents are Muslims

Because of Christian emigration, Bethlehem now has a Muslim majority. The Mosque of Omar is a prominent landmark.

Olive wood products in a Bethlehem souvenir shop (Seetheholyland.net)

The remaining Christians include Latin, Syrian, Melchite, Armenian and Maronite Catholics; Greek, Syrian and Armenian Orthodox; and a variety of Protestant denominations. Many religious institutions are present, including Bethlehem University, founded under the direction of the Vatican.

Maintaining the Christmas spirit, Franciscan friars daily celebrate the Eucharist in the Grotto of the Manger and at noon perform a procession around the holy places.

Bethlehem’s residents, who depend largely on pilgrims and tourists for their livelihood, are known for their olive wood carvings, mother-of-pearl jewellery (a craft introduced by the Franciscans) and distinctive embroidery.

In the words of one pilgrim, Della Shenton, “Bethlehemites are cheerful, peaceful, gentle people, who have welcomed pilgrims for centuries: They now stand waiting for visitors. Jesus Christ was born here, their expressions appear to say; so where are all the Christians?”

Sites in the Bethlehem area: