Bethlehem Quotes

“According to the World Monuments Fund, “The present state of the church is worrying. Many roof timbers are rotting, and have not been replaced since the 19th century. The rainwater that seeps into the building not only accelerates the rotting of the wood and damages the structural integrity of the building, but also damages the 12th-century wall mosaics and paintings. The influx of water also means that there is an ever-present chance of an electrical fire. If another earthquake were to occur on the scale of the one of 1834, the result would most likely be catastrophic. ... It is hoped that the listing will encourage its preservation, including getting the three custodians of the church – the Greek Orthodox Church, the Armenian Orthodox Church, and the Franciscan order – to work together, which has not happened for hundreds of years. The Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority would also have to work together to protect it.”
― Charles River Editors, Bethlehem: The History and Legacy of the Birthplace of Jesus

“To this day, the question of whether Jesus Christ was born in the cave beneath the Church of the Nativity is a matter of fierce debate, as it was only from approximately 329 that this narrative was introduced.”
― Charles River Editors, Bethlehem: The History and Legacy of the Birthplace of Jesus

“Whilst the mandates for the latter focused on the Arab people living in those territories, the Mandate for Palestine did not just focus on the people within Palestine; Great Britain was given responsibility to follow through on the promises made in the articles of the mandate, which recognized the historical connection of the Jewish people worldwide to the land and their right to reconstitute a home in Palestine. Until the articles of this Mandate could be implemented throughout the territory, Great Britain was in charge of the administration in the former Ottoman lands.”
― Charles River Editors, Bethlehem: The History and Legacy of the Birthplace of Jesus

“In 1717, the iconic silver star was embedded on a white marble floor in the Cave of the Nativity upon the spot where Jesus was said to have been born.[125] This was inscribed with the text “Here Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary.”[126] In 1847 this star was stolen – an event that is said to have been a contributing factor in the beginning of the Crimean War (1854–1856).”
― Charles River Editors, Bethlehem: The History and Legacy of the Birthplace of Jesus

“Bethlehem was occupied by the Crusaders between 1099 and 1187, and a hospital and a hospice for pilgrims were constructed in the town during this time.”
― Charles River Editors, Bethlehem: The History and Legacy of the Birthplace of Jesus

“During the early Islamic period between the 7th and 11th centuries, Bethlehem came under the dominion of the Muslim caliphates, and in 634, Modestus, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, failed to celebrate Christmas in Bethlehem for the first time in three centuries.[69] During this time, parts of the southern transept of Justinian’s church were converted to be used as prayer areas for Muslims.[70] Bethlehem was an important site for Muslims, who considered it the birthplace of Issa, the Islamic equivalent of Jesus who was seen as a prophet for the coming of Muhammad. In 1009, Caliph Hakim ordered that Christian monuments and structures around the Holy Land be destroyed, but the Church of the Nativity managed to survive this widespread destruction”
― Charles River Editors, Bethlehem: The History and Legacy of the Birthplace of Jesus

“The 4th century church was later replaced by the building that exists in present-day Bethlehem. Between 530 and 533, Emperor Justinian I dedicated a second Church of the Nativity upon the site, and according to the Egyptian Patriarch Eutychius of Alexandria, the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem was destroyed and rebuilt by Justinian because the Byzantine emperor felt that the old church was too small.[43] This is the oldest Christian church that has remained in constant use throughout history.”
― Charles River Editors, Bethlehem: The History and Legacy of the Birthplace of Jesus

“These Magi were wealthy and well-educated. They likely came from Persia, but they had been ordered by King Herod to discover the location of Christ, purportedly so that Herod could pay homage to the child, but in all likelihood to murder the newborn threat to his power. Word quickly reached King Herod of the arrival of a new-born “King of the Jews,” and as he was understandably unwilling to allow any threat to his own authority, Herod was determined to do away with this child. He sent soldiers to kill all of the boys that were up to two years old in and around Bethlehem – an event known as the “Massacre of the Innocents”
― Charles River Editors, Bethlehem: The History and Legacy of the Birthplace of Jesus

“The second potential site where the shepherd’s tale took place is north of Beit Sahour. Roughly 1200 feet north of Saint Helena’s convent can be found a tent-shaped Greek chapel called the Chapel of the Angels, which is built upon and incorporates elements of an early 4th century church and later monastery.”
― Charles River Editors, Bethlehem: The History and Legacy of the Birthplace of Jesus

“There are three locations in the vicinity of Bethlehem that have been claimed to be the location where these events took place. The old town of Beit Sahour, located a short distance east of Bethlehem, is said to be the location where an angel announced to the shepherds that Jesus had been born.”
― Charles River Editors, Bethlehem: The History and Legacy of the Birthplace of Jesus

“Due to this decree, Joseph and Mary were forced to go to Bethlehem, where Jesus was eventually born. This was a journey of approximately 75 miles, a distance that Mary – then heavily pregnant – would not have been able to walk.”
― Charles River Editors, Bethlehem: The History and Legacy of the Birthplace of Jesus

“The town is described in this story as the “House of Bread” (in Arabic, the name means “House of Meat”).[7] The two women arrived in time for the harvest, and Ruth started working in the barley fields surrounding Bethlehem. There she met a man named Boaz, who first helped her acquire land in the town and later had a child with her.[8] This child, Obed, was the father of Jesse, the father of David who was born in Bethlehem and who would later become the second King of Israel.[9] David was anointed king by the prophet Samuel in Bethlehem.”
― Charles River Editors, Bethlehem: The History and Legacy of the Birthplace of Jesus

“Rachel’s tomb is located a short distance north of Bethlehem, on the road between Jerusalem and Hebron. It consists of a small building with a white dome erected during the Crusader period, though the original structure is obscured by modern defensive fortifications that have been erected around the site.”
― Charles River Editors, Bethlehem: The History and Legacy of the Birthplace of Jesus