Palestine Part 1 - Bethlehem

(Wheeee! Tiny car! Bethlehem, next right.)


The past two weekends in a row, Lee and I have had a car for our use, so we, of course, did some wandering. Our trip last weekend was aborted, as it was getting late in the day when we got started on our adventure, but THIS weekend, I rented a car and we headed.....dun dun dun.....into Palestine.

We ended up crossing over and back three times- once through a VERY highly protected border, and two other times where the security was essentially nil, and we had no troubles whatsoever. Taking an Israel-plated rental car into Palestine....thank goodness universally it is understood that tourists are a bunch of idiots.

Cruising south out of Jerusalem on a major highway, and suddenly there are VERY ANGRY SIGNS warning about the border, stating that if you are Israeli, you will not be permitted in. There was a line of cars, each one being stopped and searched at border control. We passed through uneventfully enough (although not knowing where the trunk release was in the rental probably seemed suspicious), and headed south towards Bethlehem.


(Lee: Honey, you might not want to be obvious with the pictures.)

Palestine is poor. Poor and in constant strife. And it shows. The difference between being in Israeli controlled areas and in Palestinian controlled areas is dramatic. Much of Palestine is not rebuilt, or is in serious disrepair; where Jerusalem (and the rest of Israel) looks prosperous and clean and established, Palestine is dirty and shuttered and, well...tired. However, there are MANY areas of interest in Palestine, so into Palestine we must go.

Bethlehem is much like the rest of Palestine - poor, dirty, untended, with the noted exception of Manger Square. Comprised of a parking lot, the Church of the Nativity, the Bethlehem Peace Center, and a menagerie of kitschy gift shops, the square is exactly that - one square block just a few steps away from the main highway. We obviously went for the main attraction - the Church of the Nativity - the oldest continuing operating church. Since 326, when Constantine built it. We parked the car in the large lot, where we were approached rather aggressively by locals looking to beg, or sell us some thing or another. We quickly exited the car, and headed towards the church.


(Enter, all ye tiny people!)

The building is imposing and enormous, but with little external decoration. Except the Christmas light, which are still up (or perhaps they're year round?). Passing through the appropriately named Door of Humility, you enter a massive entrance hall, with loads of fantastic glittering decorations, and wooden doors in the floor that open up to show an intricate mosaic flooring that dates from the 4th century. (The church was destroyed and rebuilt, as with most things in this part of the world).


(Mosaic in the floors; The soaring ceiling, complete with god rays.)


(Blessed be the shiny things.)

Down a short flight of very-worn stairs, under the main church, is the Chapel of the Manger, where a 14-point star (originally donated by France, stolen, and replaced with a replica) marks the site of Jesus' birth. (Did I just type that??? That's where this whole crazy history started!) Long lines of worshipers waited, somewhat impatiently, to touch the star - with their foreheads, mouths, hands....any body part that would fit under the vestibule that covered the star itself. Skipping this ritual, we explored the remainder of the building, which was large, and ornately decorated, and very much in use. The gorgeous chapel attached to the Church of the Nativity is called St. Catherine's Church, and it is where midnight mass is held (and broadcast worldwide) on Christmas Eve.


(He was born right there; St. Catherine's church)

As there was not much else that held our interest in Bethlehem (the Peace Center looked liked it might be worth checking out on a day when it was open....or not under construction, as the signs inside indicated), we got back into the car and departed.


(Mostly not open, but shows promise!)

Crossing back into Israeli-controlled areas was a bit nervy - we had to hand over our passports and undergo a bit of questioning. Then on our way again.

We had more things to see in Palestine - I'll write about those in "Palestine Part 2 - Herodian, Shepherd's Field and Solomon's Pools"