This is the site where the Shepherds heard God tell then a child was born and to go and seek him.

The Church of the Nativity

The Church is located in Bethlehem in the West Bank.  The grotto it contains holds a prominent religious significance to Christians of various denominations as the birthplace of Jesus.

The grotto is the oldest continuously worshipped in Christianity and the Basilica is the oldest major church in the Holy Land.

Chapel of the Milk Grotto. The name is derived from the story that “a drop of milk” of the Virgin Mark fell on the floor and changed its colour to white.

 

 

Herodium, this is an Israeli National Park southeast of Bethlehem in the Judean  Desert,  West Bank.  This was built by King Herod of the Bible and contains his tomb.

The dessert was magnificent.

We even saw a Shepherd with his sheep. Look way down. What slim pickings for food.

Saba Monastery  This is an Eastern Orthodox Christian monastery halfway between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. The monastery was founded in 463. Before the monastery was built the monks lived in the caves in the hills.

 

Settlements are Israeli cities and towns which have been developed on Palestinian land.  Here is one very close to Bethlehem.

West Bank Wall is a separation barrier in the West Bank.  Israel considers it a security barrier against terrorism,  while Palestinians call  it racial segregation or apartheid wall. This section was built in 2007 and acts as a shield for Israeli settlements in the area. The entire wall is over 700 Kilometres in length. This is the site of the 2007 Infitada.

 

 

We had to pass through a checkpoint in order to enter and exit Bethlehem.

 

A very sobering day.  This is the entrance to the refugee area,  which started as a camp   in 1948.  The refugees were able to bring few possessions but all brought the key to their homes,  which were expropriated by the new state of Israel.