Religious, Spiritual sights in Bethlehem
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Church of the Nativity
Even without conjuring anything resembling the manger scene, the Church of the Nativity is an imposing marker for the birthplace of Jesus. Also called the Basilica of the Nativity, it's the oldest continuously operating church. It was commissioned in 326 by Constantine, with his mother Helena Augusta as head contractor and the bishop of Jerusalem in charge, forever ending the use of the site for the pagan worship of Adonis.
Renovations throughout the centuries included a new floor, beneath which lies the 4th-century mosaic floor discovered in 1934. After bowing through the Ottoman-era Door of Humility (most likely built so short to prevent soldiers on horses from entering…
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Mosque of Omar
On Manger Sq, opposite the church, is the Mosque of Omar , named after the 2nd caliph, Omar Ibn al-Khattab. It was built in 1860 on land granted by the Greek Orthodox Church in honour of the Prophet Muhammad's father-in-law, who in 637 took Jerusalem from the flagging Byzantines and then prayed in the Church of the Nativity. Having declared the region sacred in compliance with the Quran, al-Khattab realised his followers would want to enshrine that spot as a Muslim holy site.
In order to keep the Christian site intact, he instituted the Pact of Omar preventing Muslim prayer assemblies at the church. Only individuals were allowed to pray there.
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St Catherine's Church
Midnight Mass at the newer, pink-toned St Catherine's Church is broadcast around the world on Christmas Eve. Accessed through the Church of the Nativity or from its front, you should first wander through the Crusader-era Franciscan cloister with a statue of St Jerome. Yasser Arafat and an entourage of notables, including his Christian wife, attended midnight Mass each year until the second intifada broke out.
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Milk Grotto Chapel
A lesser-known house of worship, a short walk off Manger Sq, is the Milk Grotto Chapel . The white rock inside this stony chapel is said to bring milk to a mother's bosom and enhance fertility in women swallowing a morsel of the chalky substance. Legend has it that Mary and Joseph stopped here with the baby Jesus for a feeding, and some milk dripped onto the red rock turning it white.
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