MAY 19—If there is an “A” list of sites to see in the Holy Land, the birthplace of Jesus is right at the top. Everybody goes there. We paid our visit today.
Manger Square stands at a highpoint in the little town of Bethlehem. “Little” in this case means 30,000-40,000 residents, 70 per cent of whom are Muslim and the remaining 30 per cent Christian. It used to be the other way around; those percentages have flipped in the past few decades. (I’ll write a short piece about the disappearing Christians of the Middle East later on the journey.)
The Church of the Nativity is the focal point of Manger Square. Actually, there are a couple of churches and a convent and a monastery (nothing is simple). The church is administered according to very detailed sets of regulations by the Greek Orthodox, Armenian and Latin (Roman Catholic) churches. (It’s actually more complicated.)
One reaches the presumed birthplace of Jesus through a small door (low lintel to obstruct aggressors), which opens into a large room with a very high ceiling. Ancient Byzantine mosaics are preserved in some areas of the floor. Further ahead a sanctuary strung with crosses and censers. Icons and gilding abound.
Pilgrims (or tour groups) from all over the world crowd through a small doorway and down into a grotto to be at the place where Christ was born. A silver star, much kissed and caressed, marks the spot.
People have different reactions to this place. For some, the experience is overwhelming. They burst into tears, or feel shivers of glory, or …. They want the moment to last forever. Some feel nothing but the press of the crowd and the closeness of the quarters. They want out.
2 comments:
How sure are they that this is the spot? It seems so "dressed up" and unnatural. I know that they're not going to leave it as a cave / barn... but honestly, it's so decorated that it seems surreal to even consider that it was once the humble birthplace of Jesus.
It is dressed up an unnatural. Then again, angels in the sky and visiting magi are not exactly unnatural either. Is this the spot? Well, it was considered the most likely spot about 300 years after Jesus. One of these days I'll write a post on how to think about the historicity of these places. It's a mixed bag, for sure.
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