There are places in Israel where the events of more than 2,000 years ago decided the history of mankind.
It is less than 10 kilometers from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. The barbed wire entrances start at the inconspicuous white building on the right side of the town's entrance road. This is the tomb of Rachel, the beloved wife of the patriarch Jacob, considered the mother of Israel - one of the places most venerated by the followers of Judaism. You can often find Jewish women here praying for fertility and a happy solution.
Although the tomb has existed for 37 centuries and it is impossible to move it elsewhere than the Palestinian land, it is still a very inflammatory place. There are often conflicts here. That is why it is protected by barbed wire entanglements and Israeli soldiers armed with bulletproof vests.
Situated on the slopes of two hills, on the edge of the Judean desert, the city is inhabited exclusively by the Arab population. They live by making and selling souvenirs, mainly from the olive tree. There are no other sources of income here. That is why poverty is visible all around - less tourist traffic means less income.
In the city of bread
The name Bethlehem is first mentioned in the letters from Tell el-Amarna (14th century BC) as Bit-ilu-Lahama (home of the goddess Lahama) and symbolically means the City of Bread. According to the Bible, it is also the city of the birth of David, anointed by the prophet Samuel as the first king of Israel.
Of course, Bethlehem is known from the birthplace of Christ. Pilgrimages to Bethlehem have a long history. They started in the 1st century. But the birth of a new cult did not like the Emperor Hadrian, who had the temple of Adonis built in 165 on the site of the grotto, which was his birthplace. Only Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, the first Roman woman converted to Christianity, founded the 5-nave Christmas basilica on the site of the destroyed pagan temple. It was later rebuilt many times, but fortunately it has survived to this day. She even survived the Persian invasion, who destroyed most of the churches in the holy land - they refrained from tearing down the basilica after seeing a mosaic of three kings dressed in Persian robes. And that confused them.
With her head bowed in humility
Three normal-height gates used to lead to the interior of the Church of the Nativity. But then, as reported in the 16th century,Turkish warriors rode freely inside on horses. This is probably why the gate was walled up, leaving only such a narrow and low passage that you have to bend low when entering. This is probably why the entrance is called the door of humility.
The basilica serves many denominations: the main altar is the iconostat of the Greek Orthodox Church, next to it there is an Armenian chapel and a Catholic church
It has three governors - most of them are Orthodox Greeks, the rest are Armenians and Syrians.
You go down the stairs to the Nativity Grotto. Christ's birthplace, on a light marble floor, is marked with a 14-point silver star. There is an inscription in Latin on it "Hic de Virgine Maria Jesus Christus natus est" which means "Jesus Christ was born here of the Virgin Mary". There is always a line here, as many pilgrims fall on their knees and kiss the star. Nearby, three steps lead to the Nursery Chapel, supported by three green marble columns, where there is an altar of the three wise men from the East who, led by a star, came to Bethlehem to bow down to Jesus. The basilica is connected to the church of Saint Catherine, erected in a place where sacred buildings have been erected for centuries.
Near the basilica there is a chapel of the Milk Grotto, where Mary fed the child before escaping to Egypt.
On Christmas Eve from Field The shepherds start a solemn procession led by the Patriarch of Jerusalem. It passes through olive groves lit by lanterns and reaches the basilica. In the church of St. Catherine's Day, midnight mass begins, broadcast all over the world.
In Bethlehem, Christmas is celebrated three times - the Orthodox 15, Armenians 21 days after the Catholics. Each time the area is filled with pilgrims, dignitaries in ceremonial robes. But, unfortunately, the crowds of tourists are no longer there.