Bethlehem

==Religious significance and commemoration==

===Birthplace of Jesus===
{{further|Church of the Nativity|Nativity of Jesus}}
[[File:Jesus birthplace in Bethlehem.jpg|thumb|right|Silver star marking the place where Jesus was born according to Christian tradition]]
[[File:Christ cradle space, Bethleham.jpeg|thumb|right|Altar of the Magi opposite the Holy Manger, Nativity Grotto]]
[[File:Bethlehem Christmas2.JPG|thumb|upright|Catholic procession on [[Christmas Eve]] 2006]]
[[File:Christmas tree, Bethlehem.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Christmas tree]] in Bethlehem; behind it, the [[Church of the Nativity]], 2014]]

In the [[New Testament]], the [[Gospel of Luke]] says that [[Jesus]]' parents traveled from [[Nazareth]] to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born.<ref name="qjukjz"/> The [[Gospel of Matthew]] mentions Bethlehem as the place of birth,<ref>[[Bart D. Ehrman]], ''[[Jesus: Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millennium]]'', Oxford University Press 1999, page 38.</ref> and adds that King Herod was told that a 'King of the Jews' had been born in the town, prompting Herod to order the killing of all the boys who were two years old or under in the town and surrounding area. [[Saint Joseph|Joseph]], warned of Herod's impending action by an [[angel of the Lord]], decided to flee to Egypt with his family and then later settled in Nazareth after Herod's death.

Early Christian traditions describe [[Jesus]] as being born in Bethlehem: in one account, a verse in the [[Book of Micah]] is interpreted as a prophecy that the [[Messiah]] would be born there.<ref>Freed, 2004, p. 77. (citing {{bibleverse||Micah|5:2|KJV}})</ref> The second century [[Christian apologetics|Christian apologist]] [[Justin Martyr]] stated in his ''[[Dialogue with Trypho]]'' (written c. 155–161) that the [[Holy Family]] had taken refuge in a cave outside of the town and then placed Jesus in a manger.<ref>Taylor, 1993, pp.&nbsp;99–100. "Joseph&nbsp;... took up his quarters in a certain cave near the village; and while they were there Mary brought forth the Christ and placed him in a manger, and here the Magi who came from Arabia found him."(Justin Martyr, ''Dialogue with Trypho'', chapter LXXVIII).</ref> [[Origen]] of Alexandria, writing around the year 247, referred to a cave in the town of Bethlehem which local people believed was the birthplace of Jesus.<ref>In Bethlehem the cave is pointed out where he was born, and the manger in the cave where he was wrapped in swaddling clothes. And the rumor is in those places, and among foreigners of the Faith, that indeed Jesus was born in this cave who is worshipped and reverenced by the Christians. (Origen, ''[[Contra Celsum]]'', book I, chapter LI).</ref> This cave was possibly one which had previously been a site of the cult of [[Tammuz (deity)|Tammuz]].<ref>Taylor, 1993, pp. 96–104./ref>

Many modern scholars question the idea that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, seeing the biblical stories not as historical accounts but as symbolic narratives invented to present the birth as fulfillment of prophecy and imply a connection to the lineage of King David.ref>Vermes, 2006, p. 22.</ref><ref>Sanders, 1993, p. 85.</ref><ref>Crossan and Watts, p.&nbsp;19.</ref><ref>Dunn, 2003, pp.&nbsp;344–345.</ref><ref>Marcus J. Borg, ''Meeting Jesus for the First Time'' (Harper San Francisco, 1995) page&nbsp;22–23.</ref> The [[Gospel of Mark]] and the Gospel of John do not include a nativity narrative, but refer to him only as being from Nazareth.<ref>Mills and Bullard, 1990, pp.&nbsp;445–446. See [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+6:1-4 Mark 6:1–4] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111130205521/http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+6:1-4 |date=November 30, 2011 }}; and [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+1:46 John 1:46] .</ref> In a 2005 article in ''[[Archaeology (magazine)|Archaeology]]'' magazine, archaeologist Aviram Oshri points to an absence of evidence for the settlement of Bethlehem near Jerusalem at the time when Jesus was born, and postulates that Jesus was born in [[Bethlehem of Galilee]].<ref>Aviram Oshri, "Where was Jesus Born?", ''Archaeology'', Volume 58 Number 6, November/December 2005.</ref> However, other archaeologists argue that there is evidence that Bethlehem of Judea was inhabited at that time.<ref>{{cite journal |title=New archaeological features in Bethlehem (Palestine): the Italian-Palestinian rescue season of 2016 |journal=Vicino Oriente |last1=Nigro |first1=Lorenzo |volume=21 |pages=5–57 |last2=Montanari |first2=Daria |doi=10.53131/VO2724-587X2017_2 |year=2017 |issn=2724-587X |last3=Guari |first3=Alessandra |last4=Tamburrini |first4=Maria |last5=Izzo |first5=Pierfrancesco |last6=Ghayyada |first6=Mohammed |last7=Titi |first7=Iman |last8=Yasine |first8=Jehad|doi-access=free |hdl=11573/1023455 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>{{rp|6–10}} In a 2011 article in ''[[Biblical Archaeology Review]]'' magazine, [[Jerome Murphy-O'Connor]] argues for the traditional position that Jesus was born in Bethlehem near Jerusalem.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090310091422/http://www.bib-arch.org/online-exclusives/nativity-03.asp Jerome Murphy-O'Connor, ''Bethlehem&nbsp;... Of Course''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090310091422/http://www.bib-arch.org/online-exclusives/nativity-03.asp |date=March 10, 2009 }}, Biblical Archaeology Review. ; see also A. Puig i Tàrrech, "The Birth of Jesus and History: The Interweaving of the Infancy Narratives in Matthew and Luke", B. Estrada, E. Manicardi, A. Puig i Tàrrech (ed.), ≤The Gospels, History and Christology. The Search of Joseph Ratzinger≥, Vatican City:LEV, 2013, 353–97.</ref>

===Christmas celebrations===
[[File:Bethlehem Christmas pilgrims enter town 1890.jpg|thumb|right|Christmas pilgrims, 1890]]

Christmas rites are held in Bethlehem on three different dates: December 25 is the traditional date by the Roman Catholic and [[Protestantism|Protestant]] denominations, but Greek, [[Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria|Coptic]] and [[Syriac Orthodox Church|Syrian Orthodox]] Christians celebrate Christmas on January 6 and [[Armenian Apostolic Church|Armenian Orthodox]] Christians on January 19. Most Christmas processions pass through Manger Square, the plaza outside the [[Church of the Nativity|Basilica of the Nativity]]. Roman Catholic services take place in [[Church of Saint Catherine, Bethlehem|St. Catherine's Church]] and Protestants often hold services at Shepherds' Fields.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/bethlehem-christmas.htm |title=Christmas in Bethlehem |publisher=Sacred Destinations |access-date=January 22, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090924080353/http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/bethlehem-christmas.htm |archive-date=September 24, 2009}}</ref>

===Other religious festivals===
Bethlehem celebrates festivals related to saints and prophets associated with Palestinian folklore. One such festival is the annual [[Saint George's Day|Feast of Saint George]] ([[Khidr|al-Khadr]]) on May 5–6. During the celebrations, Greek Orthodox Christians from the city march in procession to the nearby town of [[al-Khader]] to baptize newborns in the waters around the [[St. George's Monastery, Al-Khader|Monastery of St. George]] and sacrifice a sheep in ritual.<ref>[http://www.bethlehem.ps/religious_sites/feasts/st_george.php St. George's Feast]{{dead link|date=February 2016}} Bethlehem.ps.</ref> The Feast of St. [[Elijah]] is commemorated by a procession to Mar Elias, a Greek Orthodox monastery north of Bethlehem.