Another Site in Bethlehem: The Shepherd's Field - January 31, part 5

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." (Luke 2:8-10)

The fertile fields of Beit Sahour are believed to be where this biblical scene took place. (The name Beit Sahour means "the house of staying up all night.")

There are two rival locations for the exact site, one run by the Greek Orthodox and the other by the Franciscans. Both sites have been excavated, and there have been churches and monasteries on both sites since the 4th century or earlier.

The Roman Catholics and the Greek Orthodox each have their own Shepherds' Field. The Roman Catholic site features a Franciscan Chapel designed to resemble the shepherds' tent while the Greek Orthodox site features a 5th century church built over a cave.

Pictures outside and inside the chapel follow:













In the Orthodox Shepherd's Field, a site in a small valley with olive trees some of them dating back 2000 years, an underground Church is dedicated to Synaxis of the Mother of God (celebrated December 26th). On the night of Christ's Nativity, this underground church was the cave of the shepherds, who heard the angelic proclamation "Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth and good will to men" (Luke 2-14). This cave was one of the many churches built by Saint Helena in the year 325 AD. The cave functioned first as a shelter, then as a tomb of the shepherds, and has been treated as such by Christians since the 4th century.

This sight is far more rustic and along the hillside. As you walk down the path, you can enter some caves. Looking from the field is Bethlehem.







On the basis of archaeological evidence, it has been proved that the church dated to early Byzantine period, and that it is the earliest Christian structure built on this site.

Up to 1972, only the underground church was visible and in regular use, but almost none of the mosaics were visible. In that year the spiritual father of the Monastery of Saint Savva, Archimadrite Seraphim, had taken control of this holy shrine, in order to build a new full-size church above the basement church. Excavating the foundations for the new church, there were remains of three different churches of the 5th, 6th and 7th centuries found respectively.

Now the holy site consists of five churches:

1. The Natural Cave Church which dates to the 2nd half of the 4th century

2. The Cave Church, dating to the 5th century

3. The Roof Chapel, which also dated to the 5th century

4. The Basilica, which dates to the 6th century

5. The Monastery Church, which dates to the 7th century

Point of interest: The nearby field of Ruth is traditionally associated with the events of the Old Testament (recounted in the Book of Ruth 1:16).

Stories told and heard at the Shepherd's Field:
Samuel goes to Bethlehem and David is annointed king (1 Samuel 16:1-13), the story of Ruth and Naomi (Ruth 1), and the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, including the story of the angels and the shepherds.

Remember, only the Gospel of Luke tells the story of the shepherds in the field hearing the announcement of Jesus' birth. The magi are introduced by Matthew. The gospels of Mark and John do not mention the birth of Jesus.

We did some shopping in Bethlehem before boarding the bus to return to our hotel in Jerusalem. It took nearly an hour to go through all the checkpoints required to leave Palestine and return to Israel. The store you see is an example of storefronts in Bethlehem.


As you can imagine, the day was a very full one. So much to see and process in such a short time. Our morning began at the Western Wall where we left our prayers, then to the Dome of the Rock before traveling to the Mount of Olives and walking down to the Garden of Gethsemane. Then it was on to Bethlehem to the Church of the Nativity and Shepherd's Field. An amazing day in so very many ways.

Tomorrowwe will go to Masada, the Dead Sea, Qumran, and En Gedi, (the place of wild goats).

Beyond the Old City Wall to the Holy City of Bethlehem - January 31, part 4

O Little Town of Bethlehem
1. O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.

2. For Christ is born of Mary;
And gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love.
O morning stars, together
Proclaim the holy birth!
And praises sing to God the King,
And peace to all on earth.

3. How silently, how silently,
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him, still
The dear Christ enters in.

4. O holy Child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin and enter in,
Be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Emmanuel!

We left the Garden of Gethsemane and took a short trip to Bethlehem, which is about 6 miles from Jerusalem. Bethlehem means “house of bread”.

Bethlehem, which is actually located in Palestine on the West Bank, is surrounded by a 3-story concrete wall topped with razor wire. Israeli soldiers armed with assault rifles stand guard at the wall. According to the Israeli government, the wall was put up to keep terrorists away from Jerusalem.


The following picture, taken from the Internet, gives an idea of the height of the wall:


We were told that no Palestinian is permitted to enter Israel. In fact if a Palestinian wants to leave the area the only way to do so is to go through Jordan.

We entered Palestine without question. When we leaft Bethlehem an armed Israeli soldier boarded the bus and quickly glanced at our passports. People in the cars and trucks ahead of us are thoroughly checked as the drivers exit their vehicle and have the trunk and underside of their car/truck closely scrutinized as the guards check for possibile bombs.

Once we passed through the check point we went to a local restuarant for lunch. The choice ws a turkey sandwich from the rotisseri or falafel - both served inside pita bread. Pita bread wherever we have stopped has been really, really good. Wish I could box it up and take it home.

Some people have asked me what falafel is. Falafel is a Middle Eastern specialty consisting of small, deep-fried CROQUETTES or balls made of ground CHICKPEAS. Some can be quite spicy. They're generally tucked inside PITA bread, sandwich-style, but can also be served as appetizers. A yogurt- or tahini -based sauce is often served with falafel. Falafel is OK, not my favorite. I ate the turkey sandwich.



After lunch we went to the Church of the Nativity, a major attraction in Bethlehem, built in the 4th century by Emperor Constantine that marks the traditional spot where Jesus was born.

The entrance to this famous church in Bethlehem is remarkably unimpressive. The large courtyard is perfect for priests, pilgrims or tourists, but most noticeable are the vendors. Palestinian police now patrol the area.



The entrance to the Church of the Nativity is through the door of Humility. The door was reduced to its present small size (which requires adults to stoop upon entering) in the Ottoman period, to prevent horses and carts being driven through for the purposes of looting. As the name indicates, many believe this to be appropriate to the sacred site, as no one can enter it standing tall.


The birth of Jesus is narrated in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Matthew gives the impression that Mary and Joseph were from Bethlehem and later moved to Nazareth because of Herod's decree, while Luke indicates that Mary and Joseph were from Nazareth, and Jesus was born in Bethlehem while they were in town for a special census. Scholars tend to see these two stories as irreconcilable and believe Matthew to be more reliable because of historical problems with Luke's version.

But both accounts agree that Jesus was born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth. According to Luke 2:7 (in the traditional translation), Mary "laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn." But the Greek can also be rendered, "she laid him in a manger because they had no space in the room" — we should perhaps imagine Jesus being born in a quiet back room of an overflowing one-room house.

The gospel accounts don't mention a cave, but less than a century later, both Justin Martyr and the Protoevangelium of James say Jesus was born in a cave. This is reasonable, as many houses in the area are still built in front of a cave. The cave part would have been used for stabling and storage - thus the manger.

After entering the door of Humility we entered a spacious room. Underneath the present floor are beautiful mosaics of the earlier church. The church built at the direction of Constantine's mother was octagonal in shape, typical of Byzantine memorial churches.




The Grotto of the Nativity, a rectangular cavern beneath the church, is the Church of the Nativity's focal point. Entered by a flight of steps by the church altar, this is the cave that has been honored as the site of Christ's birth since at least the 2nd century.

According to tradition, Mary gave birth to Jesus at the place of where the star is located on the floor. The tradition that the birth was in a cave is one of the oldest Christian traditions. Justin Martyr mentions it in the mid-2nd century, as does the Protoevangelium of James (also 2nd c.). Origen notes that the cave of Jesus' birth was pointed out in his day and no doubt this was the same place where the Byzantine church was erected.

The silver star in the floor marks the very spot where Christ is believed to have been born. The star's Latin inscription reads, "Here of the Virgin Mary Jesus Christ was born — 1717." The floor is paved in marble, and 15 lamps hang above the star (six belong to the Greeks, five to the Armenians and four to the Latins).


Tradition indicates the manger was here:


The Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic areas of the church that are quite ornate. A few pictures from inside the church follow.





Outside the church are minurets and crosses reflecting the presence of Christianity and Islam.




As we walked around outside the church, Christmas lights twinkled in some of the trees. As we drove through Bethlehem there were signs of Christmas everywhere, include a Santa hanging in the window of one of the stores - I found seeing Santa posted in one of the holiest of cities to be irreverent and disgusting.

And now onto the Shepherd's Field - the next entry.

Beyond the Old City Walls: The Garden of Gethsemane - January 31, part 3

While in the Garden, we visited the Church of All Nation, which is believed to be the sight of the stone of agony from Jesus' night in the garden. Here I dared to cross the street to take a picture of the church.


On the church door was an inticate olive tree and a sign reminding people to be silent as they entered.


The following 3 pictures were taken inside the Church of All Nations. The rock in front of the altar is the site where we remember the words of Jesus from Mark 14:32-50: Mark 14:32-50 They went to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be distressed and agitated. And he said to them, "I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake." And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. He said, "Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want." He came and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep awake one hour? Keep awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And once more he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to say to him. He came a third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Enough! The hour has come; the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand." Immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; and with him there was a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard." So when he came, he went up to him at once and said, "Rabbi!" and kissed him. Then they laid hands on him and arrested him. But one of those who stood near drew his sword and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear. Then Jesus said to them, "Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a bandit? Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. But let the scriptures be fulfilled." All of them deserted him and fled.





Olives Trees in Gethsemane
Gethsemane means "oil press" and many olive tress grow around the garden. Botanist claim that some of the olive trees are 3000 years old. It was near this spot that Jesus prayed for all mankind, subjecting his will to the will of the Father Matthew 26:36; Mark 14:32; Luke 22:39).

Adjacent to the Church of All Nations is an ancient olive garden. Olive trees do not have rings and so their age can not be precisely determined, but scholars estimate their age to anywhere between one and two thousand years old. It is unlikely that these trees were here in the time of Christ because of the report that the Romans cut down all the trees in the area in their siege of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.



Among the olive trees was a lone rose.


Afterwards we entered a side garden where we went into a side garden and heard more stories. Following the storytelling we had a service of anointing, a time of remembering those who have had a significant impact upon our lives and our sacred journey.

We have now journeyed from the top of Mount Olives to the Garden of Gethsemane. From the top of the mount we could see Dung Gate; here we are nearly across the street from it.

Beyond the Old City Walls: The Mount of Olives - January 31, part 2

The Mount of Olives is a mile-long ridge of limestone that parallels the eastern wall of Jerusalem and turns west as it reaches the northern corner, partially enclosing Jerusalem. It rises 320 feet above the Temple Mount. The descent to the Garden of Gethsemane is very, very steep. Here at the top, before we journeyed downward, we posed for a group picture. Behind us is the Old City of Jerusalem and you can easily see the Dome of the Rock.


The moment we got off the bus, I was approached by a very persistent young man, perhaps 12 or 13 years old. He wanted to sell me a branch from an olive tree - "Only $1 lady." "Only $1" he said time and time again. Each time I told him NO. I soon learned to say lala which means no. He then walked me down many of the first steps of the decline. His hands were all over me - I'm sure he was trying to find where I kept my money. He gave me a branch for my husband, a branch for my children, a branch for me, a branch for my friends, a branch to remember him, a branch for good luck, a branch for a safe journey. I felt badly not giving him any money. His younger brother was watching him and he then latched onto another woman from out group. I can only begin to imagine what he will be like a few years from now.

It's hard to capture just how steep the path is we walked. At times I felt like my feet and ankles were more than 45 degrees. I was really thankful I had spent the extra money for non-skid shoes. Not everyone walked down the hill, some stayed on our bus and walked to the bottom of the hill. It was hard on the knees. Here are a couple of pictures that suggest the steepness of the path. When you look at the following picture, the building at the top of the hill is near the site where we had the group picture taken.


The following picture is near the bottom of the hillside and is less steep, although still steep.


At one point a man had his donkey and offered people rides - for a price, of course.


When we reached the donkey, there stood his master offering the rides for a price to the bottom of the hill.


The Mount of Olives is frequently mentioned in the New Testament (Matthew 21:1;26:30, etc.) as the route from Jerusalem to Bethany and the place where Jesus stood when he wept over Jerusalem. Jesus is said to have spent time on the mount, teaching and prophesying to his disciples (Matthew 24-25), including the Olivet discourse, returning after each day to rest (Luke 21:37), and also coming there on the night of his betrayal (Matthew 26:39). At the foot of the Mount of Olives lies the Garden of Gethsemane, the site of my next blog entry.

As we progressed down the steep, steep hillside we stopped a Dominus Flevit Church, built in 1955 to commemorate the Lord's weeping over Jerusalem. Dominus Flevit features a beautiful view of the city through its distinct chapel window. Excavations during construction of the church uncovered a number of ossuaries (bone boxes) from the time of Jesus with numerous inscriptions.





Here on the Mount of Olives, overlooking Jerusalem, we heard the passage from Luke 19:22-44 -- After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, "Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' just say this, 'The Lord needs it.'" So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" They said, "The Lord needs it." Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying, "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!" Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, order your disciples to stop." He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out." As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, "If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. Indeed, the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up ramparts around you and surround you, and hem you in on every side. They will crush you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave within you one stone upon another; because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God."

As Pat, the person with whom I shared accommodations, did her storytelling about Jesus weeping as he came near the city, the emotion felt was stirring. Here is Pat's biblical storytelling experience ...


...as we overlooked Jerusalem.



The Mount of Olives was the place of many Biblical events and a prominent place in the prophesied events of the last days. The Domed Chapel of the Ascension on top of the Mount of Olives is the traditional spot from which it is believed Jesus ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9-12).

According to Jewish tradition, the Messiah will appear here and bring the dead back to life. Therefore, the hillside became the most holiest cemetery, and the hillside is covered by thousands of grave stones. From biblical times until today, Jews have been buried on the Mount of Olives. There are an estimated 150,000 graves on the Mount, including tombs traditionally associated with Zechariah and Avshalom (Absalom).

The Mount of Olives has also been a traditional site for messianic expectations. According to the prophet Zechariah, God will personally stand here before entering Jerusalem: “In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south.” (Zechariah 14:4)

The beginning of the Mount Olives Hebrew Cemetery is during the period of the first Temple, but the tombs seen there today are from the 16th century and on. There are two good reasons to want to be buried here. First, the view to the old city is spectacular. Second, when the Messiah arrives, all the dead will be resurrected, and since the messiah will arrive through the golden gate, then people who are buried on Mount of Olives will be 'First in line' to rise from the dead. Many Jews saw the benefits of Mount of Olives as a burial place, and came here especially to be buried.

During the 1948 war, the cemetery was taken by the Jordanian Legion, together with the Old City of Jerusalem. The stones of the ancient tombs were used by them for construction purposes.

Among the famous people buried on Mount of Olives: Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, Boris Shatz, David Yelin, Rabbi Cook, Yoel Moshe Solomon, Menachem Begin and others.




When preparations were being made for the construction of the church of Dominus Flevit on the Mount of Olives, excavations were undertaken and a number of Second Temple tombs were discovered. Ossuaries were found inside the tombs from the first centuries B.C. and A.D.

Ossuaries are bone boxes, which were used primarily in the Jerusalem area in the late Second Temple period - although they have also been found in other areas of the country. All totaled, over 1,500 of them have been discovered. An ossuary had to be large enough to contain the femur bones and a typical one measured 2 x 1 x 1.5 ft. [0.6 x 0.3 x 0.5 m.]. Most of them were decorated in some way: geometric, floral, and building patterns. Some were inscribed with the names of the deceased.

Normally the deceased was placed in a niche in a tomb. About a year or so after the burial, after the body had decomposed, the bones were collected and placed in an ossuary – so that the kokh could then be reused.



Note that some have flat covers (easy to stack) while others have gabled roofs (imitating dwellings).



This practice seems to have been in use from the second half of the first century B.C. until the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. However the practice actually continued, on a much lesser scale, with less elaborate ossuaries, until about A.D. 250.

When we reached the bottom of the hill there were several taxicabs available to take people UP the path we had just descended. Unbelievably, there was one woman at the bottom of the Mount of Olives wearing heels - she and a friend were talkng about the long walk that faced them up the hill. I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to walk up, let alone to be wearing heels to do so.

Having arrived at the bottom of the Mount of Olives, we turned the corner to enter the Garden of Gethsemane.