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Bethlehem
 Bethlehem ... לחם) is a city in the Bethlehem Governorate of the West Bank under Palestinian Authority considered a central hub of Palestinian cultural and tourism industries. It is inhabited by one of the oldest Christian communities but now has a Muslim majority. The city has great significance for all Christians as it was the birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth. The traditional site of Rachel's tomb, which is an important holy site in Judaism, lies at the city's outskirts. Bethlehem is also home to one of largest Palestinian Christian communities in the Middle East. It lies about 10 km (6 mi) south of Jerusalem, standing at an elevation of about 765 m (2,510 ft) above the sea, thus 30 m (100 ft) higher than Jerusalem. The Bethlehem agglomeration includes the small towns of Beit Jala and Beit Sahour, the latter also having Biblical significance.Newest Review: ... clearly part of the occupied territories. The bus arrives in the main centre of Bethlehem, Manger Square. This may conj our a romantic image, but Manger Square is a large square with a car and bus park in the centre. Around three sides are souvenir shops and cafes. On the third side is the Church of the Nativity and this has to be the place to head for. The Church of the Nativity is a ... more ... large plain building entered through a very small doorway. You have to duck your head to get in – I’m told this door is deliberately low so that the Crusaders couldn’t ride their horses inside! The interior of the church is bare –...more |
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Weep over Bethlehem. (637 words)
by garyse16 - written on 26.03.01 (Very useful, 59 readings)
Rating:
Where do you begin when trying to give a flavour of Bethlehem? It’s difficult to know where to start with a place that most of us were told about from an early age. My first visit was almost 15 years ago. It was my first visit to Israel and I wanted to see the main Christian sights that I had heard so much about. I knew very little of the political situation and did not want to get involved with any of that side of things and wasn’t even sure of the distinction between the occupied territories. Bethlehem is quite a large town situated about 4 or 5 miles from Jerusalem so can easily be visited in a day. On my first visit it was a ...
