Bethlehem

Manger Square in Bethlehem

Today we took a day trip to Bethlehem. This was our first visit to a Palestinian-controlled city and we weren't sure what to expect. Getting there was easy enough - our bus drove us straight through the checkpoints and into the city. Returning to Jerusalem, we had to take a cab to the checkpoint just outside of town, walk through a security checkpoint to have our bags scanned and show our passports, and catch a bus on the other side.

The controversial wall Israel is building between Israel and the Palestinian Territory.

The city is famous for being the birthplace of Jesus, making it a popular place for tourists and pilgrims. The biggest attraction is the Church of the Nativity, built on the sight where Jesus was thought to have been born. Commissioned in AD 326, it is the oldest continually operating church.

The star on the floor marks the birthplace of Jesus.

Like everything else in this part of the world, the church has seen its share of drama. The management of the church is currently shared by three groups - Greek Orthodox, Armenians, and Catholics - who don't get along.

The city is majority Muslim, although it is also home to a large group of Arab Christians. We happened to go on a Friday, which is the Muslim prayer day, so most of the shops and businesses were closed.

Muslim men gathered in Manger Square to hear the Friday midday prayer broadcast over loudspeakers from the nearby mosque.

We returned to Jerusalem in time for another visit to the Western Wall for Shabbat. Shabbat is the Jewish day of rest and begins at sundown on Friday and ends on Saturday night. No work is permitted on Shabbat including writing, taking pictures, turning lights on or off, or using a cell phone. The beginning of Shabbat is a very popular time to go to the Western Wall and pray. Everyone dresses up in nice clothes. The whole area around the wall was packed with people.

This photo of the Western Wall was taken before Shabbat began since we were not permitted to take pictures after it started.