Bethlehem is a West Bank City about five miles south of Jerusalem in the Judean hills. This is the town of Jesus’ birth. Tradition locates the site of his birth in a cave under the Church of the Nativity. St. Helena, Constantine’s mother, had a church built over the cave about 326 CE, which was later destroyed. Emperor Justinian rebuilt it in the sixth century. When the Persians invaded Palestine in 614, destroying many churches, they spared the Church of the Nativity when they saw a mosaic on a wall depicting the Three Wise Men in Persian dress.
The fortress-like Church of the Nativity is the oldest church in the Holy Land. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, administered by three branches of Christianity: The Franciscans, the Armenian Orthodox, and the Greek Orthodox. The building is encircled by the high walls of the three convents representing each of these branches: the Franciscan Monastery and Church of St. Catherine on the northeast side, the Armenian Monastery, and the Greek Orthodox Monastery on the southeast side. The Greeks are responsible for the Grotto of the Nativity, which marks the traditional site of the birth of Jesus.
Entering the Church, one sees beautiful wall mosaics from the 12th century — depicting saints, angels and Church councils. The great pillars are adorned with frescos that are being restored. Lights fill the ceiling, and the iconostasis in front is gorgeous. The church was filled with pilgrims waiting to descend into the cave of Jesus’ birth, but beauty surrounded us as we waited.
To get to the Grotto of the Nativity (the cave), you must go down rock-hewn steps to the right of the iconostasis. When you reach the bottom there cave is visible with a 14-point silver star which bears the words “Hic de Virgine Maria Jesus Christus natus est.” (Here Jesus Christ was born to the Virgin Mary.)
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. A small altar in the Grotto of the Manger is dedicated to the Adoration of the Magi, the three wise men who came from the East. This is where the Catholics celebrate Mass.
The Wall of Separation
While Bethlehem is a religious site, it also has a political side. The first thing we was when we arrived was the Wall of Separation on the city’s northern side. This is a visual reminder of the conflict between Israel and Palestine. This wall effectively cuts off Bethlehem from the rest of Israel.
Not only does the wall separate Bethlehem, but it also separates Rachael’s Tomb from the rest of the city. The site of the Tomb of has been revered for centuries by Jews, Muslims, and Christians.
All three faiths have had a hand in its construction. The earliest construction over the tomb, a square building with arches and a dome, was erected by the Crusaders. Previously the place seems to have been marked by a small pyramid.
When Israel’s separation barrier was erected, its high concrete walls cut Rachel’s Tomb off from the rest of the West Bank.
The present tomb consists of a rock draped with velvet. Eleven stones on it represent Jacob’s 11 sons who were alive when Rachel died. Though we walked along the wall and learned the history, we were not able to see the Tomb.
The section of the wall in Bethlehem is covered with artwork–graffiti–is highly political, and images range from promotions of peace, to expressions of anger, to calls for justice in Palestine from the ongoing Israeli occupation. Below are several pictures of the wall. Of the 440 miles of wall, 85% of the wall lies in the West Bank rather than running along the internationally-recognized 1967 boundary known as the Green Line.
It was disturbing to contrast the hatred felt when viewing the Wall with the peace of the Church of the Nativity. Pray for Peace in the Holy Land.
