Bethlehem!

Our tour today was to Bethlehem, which is on the Palestinian side of Jerusalem. So, went with another group tour, and we got to cross the "wall" to get to that side. Since we were in a tour bus, it was nothing. The Palestianians have a mirror government to Israel, which includes different colored car license plates, and separate tour guide licenses. So, we had to use a Palestinian tour guide on that side. The difference between Palestine and Jerusalem is very obvious. While Jerusalem is modern with big, clean streets, Palestine looks like any other Arab country with small streets, and a lot of trash. Anyway, it is interesting to see the difference.

Our first stop was the Shepherds' Field and the modern Church of the Angels. This was the field, and the nearby cave, where the shepherds were the first people to be told the news of Jesus' birth.

Today, the site is maintained by the Franciscans. There is an excavation of a Byzantine era church, and a very nice garden in addition to the modern church that was built in the 1950s.

After this, we went to the Milk Grotto. This is a cave (now a church) where Mary was said to have quietly nursed baby Jesus while King Herod had all of the infant boys in the area killed. 

Our guide said recent excavations have found the bones of many infants who were buried here, and you can also buy some of the chalky powdered earth to mix with water to cure infertility and diseases.

After this, we headed up the hill to Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity. This is the oldest Christian church in Jerusalem; unlike all of the others, it was spared by the Persian invaders. Unfortunately for us, it is currently undergoing major renovations to repair the roof and restore the mosaic floors.

 Still, it is really impressive! 

The Bible story tells us Mary gave birth in the stable because there was no room at the inn. In reality, the "inn" was a normal house, and the stable was simply a cave that was attached to the house. In modern times, the actual site where she gave birth is marked by a little cave with  a 14-point silver star on the floor. 

People came by and prayed at the spot, and you can kneel down and touch the star. 

Across the room, there is another spot where the manger stood. We took our picture in front of it. 

After this, we climbed back up the stairs and went to another cave. This one was the "inn" where Mary and Joseph weren't able to stay, and it was also the site where St. Jerome translated the bible from Aramaic into Latin.

Finally, we came to the big Catholic Church. If you see the Christmas Eve mass on TV from Bethlehem, this is the church from which it is televised. 

Inside, the was a small choir and the pipe organ warming up for noon mass. It was very beautiful! 

Outside, there was a nice view of the church looking back up. 

After this, we made a rather unremarkable  lunch stop, then headed down to the Jericho area. It is very close to the Dead Sea, and is also in Palestinian area. 

Our first stop was the Mount of Temptations, where Christ was tempted by Satan while fasting for 40 days. There is a 19th century monastery on the mountain today. 

Finally, we came to the oldest city in the world, Jericho. The ruins of the city's legendary walls are now just dirt, but in its time, Jericho was a very impressive place! 

We then headed back to Jerusalem. Tomorrow will be another full day. It is also Sean's birthday, so it's his choice of what we do!