Oh, little town of Bethlehem, a city in the West Bank under Palestinian Authority control. Israelis are not allowed in the boundaries of its West Bank Area A designation. In the midst of this turmoil lies the Church of the Nativity, recognized as the birthplace of Jesus Christ. Biblical scholars now believe that Jesus was born in a cave, not a barn-like structure. That barn was an early translation error. So… there are a whole lot of Christmas lyrics that need rewriting!
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- In the 4th century, Helena, mother to Constantine the Great, declared single handedly that this was the spot where Jesus was born.
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- One enters the church through the Door of Humility, intended to force even the most important visitors to dismount from their horse, and bow upon entering.
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- Those murals up above us are done in gold and silver leaf as well as mother of pearl.
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- Painstaking restoration work is being done by the Palestinian Presidential Committee for the Restoration of the Church of the Nativity, as well as UNESCO.
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- The church is run by the Greek Orthodox, Armenian Christian and Roman Catholic religions. It’s a contentious relationship. In 2011 there was a fight between monks and priests involving broomsticks. The Palestinian Police had to break it up!
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- A Catholic nun touches the silver star that marks the spot where Jesus Christ was born. The original star was stolen in 1847, contributing to the start of the Crimean War against the Russian Empire.
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- An odd combination of crowds both pushing and praying – in Russian and Korean – hoping for a few seconds at the silver star of Bethlehem.
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- Shepherds still keeping watch over their flocks, by day as well as night.
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- Just one of many beautiful spots in Bethlehem.
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- Manger scene, lovingly carved from olive wood.
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- Just outside the church grounds, I found a familiar coffee logo. What a miracle!
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