Just to the east of Jerusalem is the famous town of Bethlehem, birthplace of Jesus. It is also known as the location for the tomb of Rachel, the field of Boaz, and the birthplace of King David.

The population of Bethlehem is split almost in half between Muslims and Christians, although ironically, more and more Christian residents seem to be moving away. It’s hard to be a Christian in Bethlehem. We were encouraged to buy from a gift store run by a Christian family. They depend on tourists to survive. Every day busloads of people come into town, but many do not stop at this shop. Let’s just say we did our part to help the economy.

The phenomenal numbers of people who visit Bethlehem on a daily basis could make one claustrophobic, especially in the basilica (Church of the Nativity) that marks the spot thought to be Jesus’ birthplace. Jerome translated scriptures into the Latin Vulgate Bible here–in a cave underneath the church, no less! Long lines everywhere kept us from waiting to see the small rock believed to be part of Jesus’ humble birthplace. We did go, however, to a lesser known and smaller Chapel of the Angels. Designed by Italian architect Barluzzi, it is said to have perfect acoustics with its round, high dome. We sang several Christmas songs here to become a glorious choir. Next to the chapel is a shepherds’ cave, and here Pastor Brad gave a short message on the Good Shepherd. We sang several more Christmas tunes here as well.

On the return to our hotel, we stopped at the Israel Museum to see a huge relief map of Jerusalem at the time of the Second Temple City. We also viewed some of the Dead Sea Scrolls in a climate-controlled area known as the Shrine of the Book.

Seven people hopped off the bus to visit the Holocaust Museum, but John had work waiting, and my feet needed a rest. Now I’m sitting in the hotel’s beautiful courtyard which has better internet service than our own room!