Church or Basilica of the Nativity, Bethlehem, West Bank, Israel

Church or Basilica of the Nativity, Bethlehem, West Bank, Israel


It's been a long time coming for me to post some of the last photos from our trip to Israel, and our tour into the Palestinian West Bank this past May. I felt this particular post would be timely. I'm very thankful to have visited this site as part of a West Bank tour. My wife were very lucky to arrive when the line for the Grotto of the Nativity, where I believe there was a chance circumstance where it was closed and re-opened and we were in the right spot at the right time. Our guides told us that often there is not enough time to wait for those on busy bus tours.


History:


I want to point out some high level details about the site, and leave some connections to other resources, as there is far to much for me to cover here.

Wikipedia notes that an original basilica was built between 330 and 333 AD, only to be destroyed in 529 during the Samaritan revolts. Much of the church is said to be unchanged since 565 during the time of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian. Various repairs and adjustments have been made as needed.

An attached Church of Saint Catherine was primarily constructed in the late 1800s.


The low doorway was installed during the crusader era to prevent people from riding in on horseback.


I think it is an interesting coincidence that the chandeliers appear to have large Christmas ornaments hanging from them. Are Christmas balls based on this? I tried finding information about this without much luck.





This 14 point star is supposed to represent the genealogy of Christ.







It is a shame that much of the art inside the basilica has been lost to time.



Church of Saint Catherine

Text and photographs by George Parks
Sources are embedded in links


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