Bethlehem

Took a bus into the West Bank to see Bethlehem in the afternoon. I visited the Nativity Church, which is built over the site where Jesus is believed to have been born. The church is beautiful. There is a staircase leading to a room beneath ground level where there is a silver star with a black center, marking the very spot where Christ was born. Kinda neat to imagine that salvation began right there, or if not, very very close to that site. Also in Bethlehem, I visited the Chapel of the Milk Grotto, where Mary and Joseph stopped to feed baby Jesus. It is believed that the rock is white because a drop of Mary's milk spilled onto it, turning it from red to white. The Chapel was built in the 5th century over the grotto. Entering the West Bank is no problem, but to leave, I had to pass through as security checkpoint. No big deal, just takes more time. I wish I had more time to explore the West Bank and to learn more about the Israeli/Palestinian issues. I have been asking people lots of questions, but naturally, people who live here either favor one or the other, so it is difficult to get a straight answer. I am hoping to find a book that discusses the past history as well as what is happening currently. The West Bank does have a different feel than the rest of Israel that I have traveled through, hard to say exactly what it is, but it does feel like a different place. The first two photos are of the Milk Grotto Chapel and the second two are of the Nativity Church.