Is there biking in Jerusalem?: Bethlehem

Yesterday, with other foreign friends from Hebrew U, I went to Bethlehem. (Bethlehem is in Area A, Israelis are not permitted to enter.) To do that you take the blue and white Palestinian bus from Damascus Gate (or along the Hebron Road) and ride south. Only 7 km separate Jerusalem and Bethlehem physically -- they are closer than the middle of Burnaby to the middle of Vancouver --but, of course, these days they are not part of a contiguous metropolitan area. Moving between the two requires passing through the checkpoint.

Here's a map of the area found in St Catherine's Church:

Bethlehem mosaic map - Milk Grotto, Jerusalem, Shepherds' Field

When you do get to Bethlehem, it looks much like Jerusalem, but more like East Jerusalem because the signs are in Arabic (and its socio-economic composition is similar). It's hilly with white Jerusalem-stone faced buildings. The streets are narrow and windy in the Old City near Manger Square. There are hummus and falafel shops, churches, and mosques.

Manger Square Bethlehem

The main attraction in the Old City of Bethlehem is the Church of the Nativity, sitting atop the reputed birthplace of Jesus. Commissioned by Constantine in 326 CE, the Church of the Nativity is the oldest continuously operating church (as in, it never served as a mosque). The entry to the church is through the Door of Humility, a small Ottoman era door around which you can see larger doors once existed. The door is about 4 ft high:

Door of Humility

Once inside, the orthodox feel of the church is immediate.

Inside the Church of the Nativity

Parts of the original 4th Century mosaic floor can be viewed in the main hall:

4th Century mosaic floors

For pilgrims, the key site in the church is the Chapel of the Manger, this is the specific spot where Jesus is said to have been born. On one side of the grotto (the chapel is below ground level), is the scene of the nativity, the other is the Altar of the Adoration of the Magi.

The Star

The Crib

Adjoined to the Church of the Nativity, along a hall:

exiting from Nativity to St Catherine's

through a courtyard

Courtyard in front of St Catherine's church

is St Catherine's Church:

St Catherine's Church

St. Cath's is famous as the site of Christmas Midnight Mass, broadcast around the world on Christmas Eve.

There are other sites to see in and near Bethlehem: the Milk Grotto, Shepherds' Field, Rachel's Tomb, and Mosque of Omar. And, there's the Herodium, built by King Herod around 20 BCE (the same guy who built Masada), but the idea of hanging around too long outside in 30C at 3pm yesterday was not in the least appealing. So, we wandered the souk a bit: