Bethlehem and what it looks like today!

Let me first start of with the map of Jerusalem which I took and you can see it from here.

The little town of Bethlehem which in Hebrew means "house of bread", has many biblical associations reflecting a tranquil, pastoral existence.

In the Old Testament, Bethlehem is often referred to as Ephrat, which means fruitfulness. Here, nearly four thousand years ago, Jacob buried his young wife Rachel; here was the home of Naomi and her family; here Ruth gleaned in the fields and fell in love with her kinsman Boaz; here their great-grandson David was born and here Samuel "anointed him in the midst of his brethren" (1 Samuel 16:13).

But the even which took place here and transformed the course of history was that "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem" (Matthew 2:1)

You might not believe this but Shepherds still pastures their flocks around Bethlehem, where the shepherds heard the good tidings of Jesus' birth from the angel of the Lord who told them to go to Bethlehem to adore the child.

The first place which I want to share you about is called Shepherds' Field. Let me share with you a passage from Luke 2:8-15.

It states that "The Shepherds and the Angels. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.""

At Shepherds' Field there is a church. The design of the church represents a shepherd's tent and the light penetrating the church through the glass shone on the shepherds when the angel appeared to give them the tidings of Jesus' birth.

Next we move on to see the town of Bethlehem. Bethlehem is today a town, surrounded by a beautiful hilly landscape. It is the home of Christian and Muslim Arabs, many of whom are skilled artisans and craftsmen.

Luke 2:7 describes how Mary "brought forth her firstborn son... and laid him in a manger; because there was no room in the inn."

It is believed that over this cave-like manger, traditionally Jesus' birthplace, arose the Basilica of the Nativity.

The above picture is of the Basilica of the Nativity. You see the columns of the church? And next to it is the alter that they have there. Did you know that the entrance of the Basilica of the Nativity, which is shared by the Armenians, the Greek Orthodox and the Latins, has been filled in below the straight wide Byzantine lintel to outline the pointed Crusader doorway. This in turn was partially blocked by the Turks, leaving the present opening small to allow for easy defence and to prevent horses and other animals from entering the Church. When I went in, I had to lower my head in order not to get hid on the head.

As we made our way down to the Grotto, where a silver star overlies the spot of Jesus' birth as seen below. It is believed that Jesus Christ was born on this spot. you can see it from the first picture below. The other two pictures were taken at the Grotto.

Adjacent to the Church of the Nativity is the Franciscan Chapel of St Catherine of Alexandra. Within the church of St, Catherine are the Chapel of St. Joseph where Joseph was commanded by an angel to flee to Egypt, and the Chapel of Innocents, commemorating the massacre of the babies killed by Herod.

The above is what you can see when you go into Bethlehem. To me it was a great joy to see the bible come alive. As we move on the days, I pray that the Lord will show me what to put up on my blog that could help you see what I saw in Israel. Night.