Away in a ... cave?

View of Jerusalem

Around Christmas time it is not uncommon to hear Christmas carols extolling the virtues of the town of Bethlehem.  Anne and Mark can now attest that nearly all of the claims about this city made in these songs are incorrect.  "O, little town"?  No.  "How still I see thee lie"?  Strike 2.  "Away in a manger"?  Oh-for-three.

Granted, Bethlehem may have experienced significant growth in the last 2,000 years or so, but the bustling metropolis Anne and Mark encountered was a far cry from the sleepy small town mentioned in carols.  It was much more like a city.  And a lively one at that.  "Deep and dreamless sleep"?  I'll give you dreamless, but how can you have a deep sleep with all that car honking going on?

Upon arrival in Bethlehem, our driver Nadir called in an expert.  A tour guide arrived and took us to Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity.  This church is built upon what is traditionally held to be the actual spot where Jesus was born.  

The third faulty lyric quoted above, as well as the name of the square, talks about a manger.  In every nativity scene drawn in Sunday school or constructed outside of a church in the upper midwest, a manger is interpreted to mean a stable or small barn.  Generally, these are free-standing, wooden structures and have enough room to accommodate a full compliment of farm animals as well as three wise men and some shepherds.  You will usually seen some straw thrown about and notice that half of the barn is missing (which would make it pretty cold in there, but allows for a much better viewing experience by those visiting the nativity scene).

The reality was a bit different.  Our guide (officially licensed by the city of Bethlehem - no 'scab workers' for us) informed us that the inns would have been built on the hill and the manger, used to shelter the animals, would have been found in the caves beneath the inn.  No free-standing barn needed, none to be found.  If you want to visit the actual manger, you better be ready to go to a cave.

Built upon the site is a series of huge churches.  One is under the authority of the Russian Orthodox church, another under the Armenian Orthodox (those Armenians are all over the place), and a third under the control of the Catholics in Rome.  The original entrance to the cave has been closed, but an alternate entrance is available.  Visitors are welcomed to enter the actual cave where Jesus was born to Mary.

This is the spot.

Two two main attractions inside the manger cave are (1) the actual spot of Jesus' birth, marked by a silver star given as a gift by the king of France centuries ago and (2) the first place where Baby Jesus was placed and where the shepherds and wise men first admired him.

The space to the left of the candles is where Jesus was first set down in the swaddling clothes.

The Catholic church built on this site has been notably used several times in the years since Jesus' birth.  Almost immediately after Jesus' birth, King Herod found out that a new King of the Jews was coming and he ordered all of the male children of Bethlehem to be killed (Joseph, Mary and Jesus had, of course, already left for Egypt by this point).  These infant victims of Herod are called the "Holy Innocents" by the Catholic Church and their bodies are buried beneath the Catholic church at this site (St. Catherine's Church).

Grave of the Holy Innocents

 

Additionally, the caves where these tombs are found is place where St. Jerome first translated the Bible into several languages and there is an altar dedicated to him.

Another grave of the Holy Innocents in the area where St. Jerome translated the Bible 

Upon leaving the church our guide informed us of all of the different days that various Christian churches celebrate the birth of Jesus at this site.  The Catholic and Protestant date, December 25, is among the earliest.  Several different orthodox churches celebrate this holiday throughout January and even into February.  Our guide made special care to mention that the upkeep of the entire site is done cooperatively by all of the churches that hold services there.

St. Jerome in the foreground, St. Catherine in the background.

Finally, our guide explained that Bethlehem had its own style of cross.  It was designed to commemorate the five wounds of Jesus on the cross.  These were found all over the city (including in the flag flying over it in the photo at the top of this post).

Bethlehem cross