Visiting Bethlehem: The Town Beyond the Nativity Scene
Americans hear the name Bethlehem every December, but few picture the actual town. It sits on a hilltop about six miles south of Jerusalem, a working Palestinian town of roughly 30,000 people with a busy market, universities nearby and families who have lived in the same stone houses for generations.
The Church of the Nativity
Bethlehem's centerpiece is the Church of the Nativity, one of the oldest churches still in daily use. The first church was built in the 4th century above the cave Christians honor as the birthplace of Jesus, and the building mostly dates from a 6th-century rebuilding. You enter through the Door of Humility, a doorway so low that almost everyone has to bend.
A World Heritage town center
In 2012, UNESCO listed the church and the pilgrimage route through the old town, making it the first World Heritage Site in Palestine. Across Manger Square from the church stands the Mosque of Omar, a reminder that Muslims and Christians have shared this town for centuries.
Carvers and craftsmen
Walk down Star Street and you pass workshops where olive wood is turned into nativity sets, crosses and ornaments, using wood from pruned trees. Bethlehem artisans have also worked mother-of-pearl into boxes, frames and jewelry since at least the 1600s, and many of these businesses are family-run.
Embroidery in gold and silk
Bethlehem is famous among collectors for its embroidery. Instead of the cross-stitch common in other regions, Bethlehem dresses use couching: silk and metallic cord laid in curling patterns and tacked down by hand. These dresses, along with a tall embroidered headdress called the shatweh, were once the high point of a bride's wardrobe.
Bethlehem around the world
Families from Bethlehem and the nearby towns of Beit Jala and Beit Sahour began emigrating more than a century ago, many of them to Latin America. Chile is often said to have one of the largest Palestinian communities outside the Middle East, and it even has a top-flight soccer club called Palestino. Smaller Bethlehem communities live across the United States.
When to go beyond December
In mid-November the olive harvest is wrapping up, the air is cool and the streets belong mostly to locals. The Christmas tree in Manger Square usually goes up in early December, when the town fills with visitors.
Our Palestine Hope design is a portrait of a woman in a keffiyeh, gazing upward, in muted green and red tones.
FAQ
+How far is Bethlehem from Jerusalem?
Bethlehem is about six miles south of Jerusalem, in the West Bank.
+How old is the Church of the Nativity?
The first church was built in the 4th century, and most of today's building dates from the 6th century.
+What is Bethlehem embroidery?
A style of Palestinian embroidery that uses couched silk and metallic cord in curling patterns, often on bridal dresses.
+Are there many people from Bethlehem in Latin America?
Yes. Many families from the Bethlehem area emigrated to Latin America, especially Chile, from the late 1800s onward.
Shop the designs in this article
Keep exploring: Shop our Best Sellers · Read next: Beyond Oslo: The Palestinian Struggle After the Collapse of the Peace Process
