Day 5: Bethlehem
Thursday April 6th was spent exploring the town of Bethlehem and visiting the Herodian palace. I would also like to chat some more about Palestine in this post since this is where Bethlehem is located and tensions run high there. I have learned so much about its history in such a short time, and really appreciated being able to spend some time there. I would like to dedicate this post to my new friends there and will share more of their stories later.
Bethlehem Manger Square
The whole point of visiting the square for most people is to visit the various churches which each claim that theirs is built on the exact spot of Christ's birthplace. One even contains a very old silver star which people bend to kiss. Since I 1) Do not believe that these places pinpoint Jesus' birthplace and 2) Am not a fan of incense-- I gave these churches a wide berth for the most part and decided only to visit one. I did some souvenir shopping instead. There were some fun side streets and spice shops and I thoroughly enjoyed haggling with the street sellers. We bought some delicious bread. Bethlehem means "House of Bread" in Hebrew after all, but our purchase was a coincidence and also the cheapest lunch option available :)
Immanuel Bookshop
Our tour group stopped for coffee in what is the only Christian bookstore in the West Bank. It is run by a local Palestinian Church and functions as a duel coffee shop and bookstore. It allows students and young people to come in and use the wifi for studying and buy coffee or books. It acts as a witness to Christ and beacon of hope for the community. The shop is run by Rema and her colleague Elias. Elias had the opportunity to move to the US, but made the brave sacrifice to return to Palestine and help His parents spread the gospel. Please keep both Elias and Rema in your prayers. The rent for the store is very high and the progress they make is slow. Pray that God would grant them wisdom and strength as well as His hand of provision.
Haggling in the Markets
Bethlehem is home to many small stores and street vendors who vie for one's attention. This is how our family came to meet Ahmed. This gentleman and his mother own a restaurant and small shop where he sells items of interest to tourists (at a far more affordable price). He has lived in Palestine all his life and has some strong opinions about the wall which surrounds his home city. He sells some of his merchandise to larger stores in Jerusalem, but to be allowed out of Bethlehem has to have a permit and trust that the Israeli officers at the checkpoint will be in a good enough mood to let him through. Ahmed was extremely friendly and happily taught us some Arabic and joked with us.
Herod's Palace
Our tour group stopped at one of Herod's "escape" palaces which he used during the times when tensions in Jerusalem were high and he needed to get away. We spent some time reading about Herod as a kind and father (he was fairly disliked as both) and examining his role in the account of Christ's birth. Historians agree that he is a fairly complex character, paranoid and power-hungry. It was interesting to compare Herod's title as "King of the Jews" to Jesus as King.
The Walled off Hotel
Bethlehem is home to two "Banksy's" as the famous artworks are called. The artist himself founded a hotel which contains an art gallery and museum. Our family walked along what is referred to as "The Apartheid Wall" to the hotel for a brief visit. It was a truly eye-opening experience and very moving. I have included some photos from the exhibitions we were permitted to photograph.
I think sadly, Bethlehem has become a very busy and commercial place which makes it difficult to imagine what it may have looked like at the birth of Jesus. Overall, I preferred the quieter places like Galilee and Magdala.
Anyway, as always, thanks for reading!
-Sunny
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| Views from Manger Square |
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| Fresh Bread |
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| Banksy Nativity artwork |
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| Banksy's Dove of Peace |
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| Views from the Herodian Palace |
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| The sign in Rema's Bookstore |
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