Bethlehem: Church of the Nativity

The Church of the Nativity is just by Bethlehem Square and within sight and earshot of the local mosque. When we arrived, a mullah was behind the microphone calling muslims to prayer over a very effective soundsystem with speakers pointing every direction of the compass up in the minaret.












There's a lot of poverty in Bethlehem. After 9/11 tours to this city, which is so dependent on tourism, stopped. In recent years, they've picked up again, but unemployment is high and the wall doesn't really help facilitate commerce with Israel. Neither does suicide attacks.

When we were in the square a couple of little Palestinian boys tried to pick the pockets of one of the guys in our group, which isn't good advertising for them or their cause. All very sad.

The Church of the Nativity purports to be the place where Jesus was born, and it may well be. After all, we know the "stable" to be a cave not something out a John Wayne Western. So this grotto may well be the place. The star on the right is the "very spot" Jesus was born. Hmmm.

And on the left is the "very place" Jesus' cradle was placed. Hmmm.
The possible birthplace of Jesus was so wrapped up in ritual and even competition from the three church branches that inhabit the Church of the Nativity, that it was all a bit of a downer, though certainly interesting from a purely historical point of view. Again, kind of sad to see the "Christianized magic" that is associated with sacred places and objects. The One who is venerated in this way was so not into that kind of thing.