Bethlehem

The Lord said to Samuel, ‘How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.’ 1 Samuel 16:1

The town of Bethlehem (not so little)

A view over part of modern day Bethlehem	The view towards Bethlehem from Herodium
A typical street in the centre of Bethlehem	Street traders in Bethlehem
Famous brands - almost!	Bags of different spices, seeds and dried fruit
Adjacent Christian and Islamic churches	A square near the Church of the Nativity
Beautiful hand carved wooden Nativity sets in a Christian Giftshop in Bethlehem	Other carved biblical scenes in the gift shop - this one Jesus calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. Luke 2:4-7

The Church of the Nativity

The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem	The entrance door forces you to bow to enter
Inside the Church of the Nativity	Another view inside the church
The star marking the spot where the church claim Jesus was born (stock picture)	Part of one of the impressive wall murals
Inside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem (360 Panorama)
Another view inside the Church, full of visitors! (360 Panorama)

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.’ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ Luke 2:13-15

The Roman Catholic Church

Part of the Cloisters between the two churches	Part of a mosaic tiled floor in the Cloisters
Inside the Nave of the Catholic Church	A beautiful stained glass window in the Catholic church
The Cloisters between the Church of the Nativity and the Roman Catholic Church (360 Panorama)
Inside the Roman Catholic Church in Bethlehem (360 Panorama)

The Wall at Bethlehem

Part of the wall surrounding Bethlehem	One of the many paintings on the wall in Bethlehem, some painted by leading artists like Banksy
All kinds of graffiti painted on the wall	A donkey outline painted next to a soldier