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Bethlehem Today The town of Bethlehem, known all over the world as
the place where Jesus Christ was born, is today more of a
bustling tourist resort than the holy place you would expect. It is full
of tourists, and souvenir shops, restaurants and bars which are part of
the services that mark the city. Bethlehem and its satellite towns, Beit
Sahour and Beit Jala have many Churches
and Religious Institutions, convents, schools and hospitals. The Greek
Orthodox have 15 churches and institutions. The Roman Catholics
have 25. There are 8 Protestant churches. The Syriac Orthodox
have one church and the Greek Catholics have two churches. The Ethiopians
and the Copts have one each. There are also a number of Mosques;
the most important one is the Mosque of Umar across the square
from the Church of the
Nativity. This mosque was established In 1849.
Location Modern Bethlehem is an agricultural market and
trade center closely linked to nearby Jerusalem. It lies at a distance
of 10 kms (6 miles) to the south of the Old City of Jerusalem. It
is situated on a mountainous site, 777 meters (2600 feet) above the
level of the Mediterranean Sea and overlooks its surroundings. Its
surface resembles the shape of a semi circle. From the west, the town of
Bethlehem is bounded by the town of Beit Jala and from the east
by the town of Beit Sahour. From the north it is bordered by Jerusalem
and the village of Sur Bahir and from the south by Solomon's
Pools and the villages of al-Khader and Urtas. Forty
thousand live in the administrative limits of the municipality of
Bethlehem and five thousand in the old center of the town. As a symbol
of the increased intermingling of the region's people, beside Arabic,
the native language, English is widely spoken. French, German and
Spanish are spoken too.
Among the exciting aspects of Bethlehem's Christmas are the parades of Palestinian scouts through the town of Bethlehem. They mass in Manger Square to greet each Patriarch on his arrival from Jerusalem. Some scout processions start from Rachel's tomb and march to Manger Square. Others gather at Star Square for a shorter journey to Manger Square. Troops from various sectarian groupings march together in front of the Patriarchs' processions through the winding streets of town, with local people and foreign pilgrims, crowded together. When each Patriarch meets the dignitaries and then enters the church, the scouts disperse. The climax on Christmas eve for the Roman Catholics is the elaborate midnight Mass in the presence of dignitaries and diplomats. Other churches have their own special services in Bethlehem and Jerusalem. On Christmas day many people go to the Shepherds' Field Church in Beit Sahour to attend afternoon prayers in the old subterranean grotto. Source: Bethlehem 2000: A Guide to Bethlehem and its Surroundings, by Sawsan Qustandi Shomali, Flam-Druck Wagener GmbH, Waldbrol, 1997. English, German and French. |
