Bethlehem

Church of the Nativity ( Wayne McLean); enjoying the Christmas play (© Damon Lynch) .

Perched on a hill at the edge of the Judean desert just 5 miles south of Jerusalem, Bethlehem is in biblical tradition the childhood home of David, who was named king as he tended his father's sheep. It is also the birthplace of Jesus Christ and a major site of Christian pilgrimage since the construction of the Church of the Nativity in the 4th century AD.

The town has been a monastic center for centuries. In the 5th century AD, St. Jerome built a monastery here and with the aid of local rabbis translated the Old Testament into Latin from the original Hebrew. This, together with the New Testament, which he had translated from the Greek before coming to Palestine, constitutes the Vulgate, the standard Latin translation of the Bible used by the Roman Catholic Church. The town flourished until Crusader times, but the following centuries witnessed a great reduction in population, reversed only after the 1948 war with the arrival of thousands of Palestinian refugees.

Since 1995, Bethlehem has been under the control of the Palestinian National Authority, which has initiated a program of economic recovery and tourism. Despite the huge number of pilgrims and chaotic urban growth, Bethlehem has retained a certain amount of fascination, especially in the central area around Manger Square and in the souk just to the west. The souvenir shops are filled with kitsch religious objects but also sell find carved olive-wood crib scenes that local craftsmen have produced for centuries. No visitor should miss the ancient Church of the Nativity on Manger Square, and the town's other main sights also deserve attention.

	Bethlehem Map Our interactive satellite map of Bethlehem, plus many more Bethlehem maps.
	Getting to Bethlehem Here's how to get to Bethlehem.
	Bethlehem Hotel Reviews Read unbiased reviews and compare prices on hotels in Bethlehem.
	Bethlehem Travel Forum Get travel advice and insider tips on Bethlehem from fellow travelers.

	Christmas in Bethlehem An illustrated guide to the many events, processions and services that take place at Christmastime in Bethlehem, the city of Jesus' birth.
	Church of the Nativity This is a major Christian holy site, as it marks the traditional place of Christ's birth. It is also one of the oldest surviving Christian churches.
	Church of St. Catherine This Catholic church adjacent to the Nativity Church marks the appearance of Christ to St. Catherine of Alexandria, and may incorporate the monastery of St. Jerome.
	Milk Grotto According to tradition, Mary nursed Jesus here and spilled a drop of milk, turning the ground white. Christian and Muslim women collect stone scrapings for fertility.
	Rachel's Tomb The burial place of the biblical matriarch Rachel, wife of Jacob. For Jews, it is the third holiest site after the Temple Mount and the Tomb of the Patriarchs.
	Shepherds' Fields Fertile fields identified since ancient times with the shepherds who saw the Star of Nativity. There are two rival locations, one run by the Greek Orthodox and the other by the Franciscans.

Sources for introductory text: Eyewitness Travel Guide to Jerusalem & the Holy Land and Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service.