Bethlehem and Beit Sahour

A look at Bethlehem beyond the Church of the Nativity, and at Beit Sahour, the smaller town adjacent to Bethlehem.
There is more to Bethlehem than just the famous church celebrating the birth of Jesus. Bethlehem is only a few kilometers from Jerusalem. Yet it is a Palestinian city. In many ways, it has become closely associated with the wall, the Israeli security barrier. The 1st picture looks at a portion of the wall on the Palestinian side. Much of the wall is painted with this type of art, mostly of protest. While I didn't get a picture, they seem to have a sharp sense of humor about the wall as evidenced by the pointedly named Walled Off Hotel. (Yes, it really exists). Likewise, in the protest style typical of "his" work, there are several Banksy works in Bethlehem. The 2nd and 3rd pictures are 2 examples.
Beit Sahour is immediately to the east of Bethlehem. The name refers to the traditional understanding that this is where the shepherds were "abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night."
The 4th picture is taken from a rooftop in Beit Sahour looking over the town and across the valley to the east side of town. In the distance, you can make out some open fields. These are the fields where it is said those sheep and shepherds were hanging out that night. The last 2 pictures were taken adjacent to those fields.
The 4th picture is in a cave church. Not surprisingly, this is called Shepherd's Cave. The site was originally a convent built by Helena who heard that this was the place the shepherd stayed when in these fields. The Franciscans also built a shrine here in the 14th century. The last picture is in the Gloria in Excelsis Deo chapel nearby also built by the Franciscans.Read more