Bethlehem has moved on
Dec 12, 2008
Bethlehem, to me was an ancient land of people wearing turbans and riding donkeys to the market - still a long way from modern civilization as we know it.
By Juliet Lukwago
Bethlehem, to me was an ancient land of people wearing turbans and riding donkeys to the market - still a long way from modern civilization as we know it.
The place where Jesus Christ was born has always been depicted in a manner that set me up for a big surprise when I finally went there.
Bethlehem has seen many changes in recent times and is now much more than a rural town with a few rooms in the dusty inns.
Bethlehem covers 2,600 square kilometres and it is home to about 30,000 people. Ancient Bethlehem has given way to a modern service sector, industries and architecture. I am sure an odd couple looking for room to deliver their son would not end up in a stable today.
The Jordan River, where Jesus Christ was baptized, is now a source of wealth for the community. Located in the heart of Bethlehem, the sprawling drain of this river has given rise to a booming fishing industry.
The magnificent banks of the Jordan are also a tourist attraction and the palm trees are a base for the oil industry.
However, people of Bethlehem have changed the face of the city without losing its culture and traditions.
The places we visited still had a feel of the times when Romans still ruled this land.
They included the manger in Bethlehem, where Virgin Mary wrapped Jesus in swaddling clothes.
Then there is Bethany, where Jesus and his mother used to draw water from.
Next to it is the Greek Orthodox Church built by the Italians and it is from here that Mary received a message from Angel Gabriel about the birth of the Christ.
In this particular part of Bethlehem are a number of old house built over caves. These caves are old and according to the guide, Jesus was born in one of these old caves rather than in the stable of western tradition that we are told in Biblical literature.
Actually, many Christian monuments stood on previous pagan sites.
Around 135 AD, we were told, King Hadrian, who was the ruler of the city at the time, forced Jews to worship gods they didn’t believe in.
According to the guide from Dove Tours Ltd, he built a temple and dedicated it to Adonis, god of beauty and love. Hadrian’s temple stood above the cave for two centuries until its destruction by Queen Helen, the mother of Emperor Constantine, who, in 313AD, was converted and proclaimed Christianity to be the official religion of the Roman Empire.
In 325AD, Helena visited the holy land and built three basilicas, the first over Calvary and the tomb of Christ in Jerusalem, the second over the cave of Nativity in Bethlehem and the third one on the top of the Mount of Olives.
In Bethlehem, as in Jerusalem, there was no problem in locating the correct place.
To identify the right historical sites, we were told, they used documentary evidence and Christian tradition, which passed from generation to generation. By this word of mouth, the cave where Jesus was born was identified at the eastern end of the village beneath the temple of Hadrian. The temple was destroyed and beneath it, the cave was found intact. Constantine then built a magnificent basilica very richly decorated with mosaic, marble and frescoes.
In 529AD, when the Samaritans from Nablus revolted against the Christian Byzantine government, they plundered Bethlehem. The church of Nativity was badly damaged, looted and burnt.
The mosaic floors of the Constantine church was recently discovered covered with thick layers of ashes and burnt tiles.
Later Emperor Justinian sent an envoy to rebuild the church into a larger and more beautiful one.
But he never saw the church that was built till much later when he was not satisfied with the work. He accused his envoy of having embezzled the money and had him beheaded.
But the Justinian church still stands at the nativity grounds today.
The church of the Nativity was the only church, which evaded the destruction in 614AD when the Persians invaded the Holy Land and destroyed all its churches and converts. A mosaic scene of the Nativity representing the wise men in ancient Persian costumes worshipping the child deterred them from their vandalistic purpose.
I enjoyed the trip and renewed my faith. Every time Christmas comes by, these memories come back to me.
Merry Christmas.
Bethlehem, to me was an ancient land of people wearing turbans and riding donkeys to the market - still a long way from modern civilization as we know it.
The place where Jesus Christ was born has always been depicted in a manner that set me up for a big surprise when I finally went there.
Bethlehem has seen many changes in recent times and is now much more than a rural town with a few rooms in the dusty inns.
Bethlehem covers 2,600 square kilometres and it is home to about 30,000 people. Ancient Bethlehem has given way to a modern service sector, industries and architecture. I am sure an odd couple looking for room to deliver their son would not end up in a stable today.
The Jordan River, where Jesus Christ was baptized, is now a source of wealth for the community. Located in the heart of Bethlehem, the sprawling drain of this river has given rise to a booming fishing industry.
The magnificent banks of the Jordan are also a tourist attraction and the palm trees are a base for the oil industry.
However, people of Bethlehem have changed the face of the city without losing its culture and traditions.
The places we visited still had a feel of the times when Romans still ruled this land.
They included the manger in Bethlehem, where Virgin Mary wrapped Jesus in swaddling clothes.
Then there is Bethany, where Jesus and his mother used to draw water from.
Next to it is the Greek Orthodox Church built by the Italians and it is from here that Mary received a message from Angel Gabriel about the birth of the Christ.
In this particular part of Bethlehem are a number of old house built over caves. These caves are old and according to the guide, Jesus was born in one of these old caves rather than in the stable of western tradition that we are told in Biblical literature.
Actually, many Christian monuments stood on previous pagan sites.
Around 135 AD, we were told, King Hadrian, who was the ruler of the city at the time, forced Jews to worship gods they didn’t believe in.
According to the guide from Dove Tours Ltd, he built a temple and dedicated it to Adonis, god of beauty and love. Hadrian’s temple stood above the cave for two centuries until its destruction by Queen Helen, the mother of Emperor Constantine, who, in 313AD, was converted and proclaimed Christianity to be the official religion of the Roman Empire.
In 325AD, Helena visited the holy land and built three basilicas, the first over Calvary and the tomb of Christ in Jerusalem, the second over the cave of Nativity in Bethlehem and the third one on the top of the Mount of Olives.
In Bethlehem, as in Jerusalem, there was no problem in locating the correct place.
To identify the right historical sites, we were told, they used documentary evidence and Christian tradition, which passed from generation to generation. By this word of mouth, the cave where Jesus was born was identified at the eastern end of the village beneath the temple of Hadrian. The temple was destroyed and beneath it, the cave was found intact. Constantine then built a magnificent basilica very richly decorated with mosaic, marble and frescoes.
In 529AD, when the Samaritans from Nablus revolted against the Christian Byzantine government, they plundered Bethlehem. The church of Nativity was badly damaged, looted and burnt.
The mosaic floors of the Constantine church was recently discovered covered with thick layers of ashes and burnt tiles.
Later Emperor Justinian sent an envoy to rebuild the church into a larger and more beautiful one.
But he never saw the church that was built till much later when he was not satisfied with the work. He accused his envoy of having embezzled the money and had him beheaded.
But the Justinian church still stands at the nativity grounds today.
The church of the Nativity was the only church, which evaded the destruction in 614AD when the Persians invaded the Holy Land and destroyed all its churches and converts. A mosaic scene of the Nativity representing the wise men in ancient Persian costumes worshipping the child deterred them from their vandalistic purpose.
I enjoyed the trip and renewed my faith. Every time Christmas comes by, these memories come back to me.
Merry Christmas.