Cross the border into Bethlehem and visit the cave revered as Jesus’ birthplace located in the Church of the Nativity (Matt. 1: 18-25). Gaze out over Shepherds Field where angels spread the Good News. ss

The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is the oldest church in the Christian world. Built over a cave where the baby Jesus is believed to have been born, the church draws visitors from around the world.

The church was built in about 326 A.D. Constintine's mother, Helena, visited the Holy Land and selected the site for several churches after consulting with the locals who carried memories and local tradition of where events in the life of Christ had taken place.

The church visitors see today is a Crusader design and, therefore, from the exterior resembles a fortress more than a church. The doorway to the church is so low, you have to bend low to enter. According to local legend, the door frame was lowered to keep non-believers from riding their horses into the sanctuary.

CHURCH of the NATIVITY

The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is the oldest church in the Christian world. Built over a cave where the baby Jesus is believed to have been born, the church draws visitors from around the world.

The church was built in about 326 A.D. Constintine's mother, Helena, visited the Holy Land and selected the site for several churches after consulting with the locals who carried memories and local tradition of where events in the life of Christ had taken place.

The church visitors see today is a Crusader design and, therefore, from the exterior resembles a fortress more than a church. The doorway to the church is so low, you have to bend low to enter. According to local legend, the door frame was lowered to keep non-believers from riding their horses into the sanctuary.

Inside the Church of the Nativity:

Below is the famous 14-pointed star which marks the place where Jesus was born.
The star was placed here in 1717 by the Roman Catholic church. The removal of this star (1847 by the Greeks) and its later restoration (1853 by the Turkish government) were contributing factors in the Crimean War (1).

This is also the place where Jerome worked on the Latin Vulgate Bible. A statue of Jerome can be seen in the courtyard of the church.

END NOTES:
(1) Lamar Berrett, Discovering the World of the Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee, 1979, p. 356.