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A Virtual Tour of Nativity Church
I realize that not everyone can visit the wonderful Church of the Nativity here in Bethlehem. So for those who have never been here, I offer you a chance to take your own informal walk through the historic and holy site. (As far as I know, there is no official website for the Church of the Nativity, so this is going to have to do.) Nativity Church (Short Version) History The Church of the Nativity in the heart of Bethlehem marks one of Christianity's most sacred sites - the birthplace of Jesus Christ. Situated on Manger Square 8 kilometers (5 miles) from Jerusalem, the church is built over a grotto where the Virgin Mary is said to have given birth to Jesus. The site has been venerated by Christians since St. Justin Martyr identified it as the site of Jesus' birth in the second century. It is the oldest Church in the Holy Land still in use and one of the oldest churches in the world. The church's large fortress-like exterior stands as a testament to its turbulent history. For centuries, it was one of the most fought over holy places. It was seized and defended by a succession of armies - including Muslim and Crusader forces. The first Church was built over the Grotto of the Nativity in the 4th century AD under the patronage of Emperor Constantine's mother Helena, but it was later destroyed. In the 6th century, Byzantine Emperor Justinian built a new and more elaborate church on the site, and the present structure is basically the same as it was then. When the Persians invaded in 614, they left the church intact, legend has it, because they were moved by a painting inside of the Nativity story depicting the Wise Men of the East in Persian clothes. In the 11th century crusaders renovated the church. According to my Rough Guide to Israel, control of the church has more than once led to physical warfare, most significantly when Napoleon III declared the entire complex French property in 1852 -- an act that brought him into conflict with Russia, which supported the rights of the Eastern Orthodox Church. King Edward IV of England donated wood from English oak trees for the ceiling. He also contributed lead to cover the roof, but that was taken by the Turks, who melted it down to use as ammunition in a war.
Today If all of that was clear, let's introduce a little confusion. Today the church is controlled jointly by three Christian denominations - the Armenian Church, the Roman Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox Church. The rights, privileges and possessions of these communities are protected by the Status Quo of the Holy Places (1852), as guaranteed in Article LXII of the Treaty of Berlin (1878). (I just knew you wanted to know that.) The main body of the Basilica, including the nave, aisles, katholicon (choir and sanctuary), south transept, and the Altar of the Nativity in the Grotto are in the possession of the Greek Orthodox. The Armenian Orthodox have possession of the north transept and the altar there. They also have use, on occasion, of the Greek Orthodox altar in the Grotto. The (Roman Catholic) Latins have exclusive possession of the Altar of the Adoration of the Magi in the area of the Grotto of the Nativity known as the "Grotto of the Manger". The Latins also possess the silver star beneath the adjacent Altar of the Nativity. Both the Armenians and the Latins have rights of passage and procession in the Nave. Speaking recently, the current Latin patriarch of Jerusalem and head of the Catholic church in the region, Michel Sabbah, described the church's basilica as a "place of refuge for everyone". He added that this meant Israelis as well as Palestinians. (Of course, it might be interesting to note that the Latins don't control very much of the church.) For the record, I go along with the patriarch -- churches should be more inclusive and less exclusive.
My tour will start at the Main courtyard in Manger Square, where we'll meet the ever-present salesperson. We'll walk through the Door of Humility and enter the Nave. We'll walk through the Nave to see the mosaics under the floor. From the Nave we'll go into the South Transept area beside the grotto, then down the steps to the Grotto of the Nativity on the left. I'll give you a bit of time for prayer or reflection in the grotto. We'll exit the grotto on the left and walk up the stairs to the North Transept, then to the Church of St. Catherine (not shown in above image), and finally down into the caves of the Chapel of the Innocents. Before We Start the Tour: Video Note I apologize for the poor quality of some of the video. The Church of the Nativity is not well lit, and I was taking 30-second clips with my digital camera. For best video results, you may have to adjust the brightness and contrast settings on your player. Snapshots are available at each location in case you aren't interested in the movies. All of the movies are around 1.5 - 3.0Mb, so be patient. Get your Bible while you download files, if you have one. If you need one, let me know, and I'll see what I can do.
Outside the church a dozen street salesmen will surround you and give you the chance to buy trinkets at inflated prices. These persistent men are totally harmless and just trying to make a few shekels. Tour guides will ask to assist you during your visit. Today, I'll be your guide. The real ones are a lot better at it than I am.
Meet
Elias Entering The entrance of Nativity Church is out of scale with the importance of the interior. The main door of Justinian's church was much larger (you can still see the shape of the original arch above the door) but it was lowered by the Crusaders during the Middle Ages and further restricted during the Ottoman era to prevent mounted horsemen from entering the church. (Another story is that the door was installed by the Muslims during their rule to remind Christians that they were guests in the country and must bow to their hosts.)
Enter
Nativity Church Nave The church is divided into five naves by four rows of Corinthian pillars. Traces of Crusader decoration are also visible on the pillars. The upper portions of these pillars are painted with images of various saints of the Western and Eastern churches (among those depicted are St. Sabas, St. Euthymius, St. Olav of Norway, St. Canute of Denmark and St. Cathal of Ireland). The names are written in Greek and Latin and many visitors have carved their own signatures over the centuries. The floor of the nave has a hole that allows you to see what remains of the Byzantine mosaics that covered the original church floor. Some bullet damage from the siege of the church in 2002 are evident on the 12th-century wall mosaics. The church altar is straight ahead. The Altar of the Nativity sits below a silver and gold chandelier. Stairways on either side of the main altar lead to the grotto.
Enter
the Nave
Beside the grotto steps is an area of the church for lighting candles, for giving donations to the poor, and for sitting and praying. There are many old painting and icons in this section.
The
South Transept View
from the South Transept (Across to North Transept and High Altar)
The stairs on the right side of the altar lead down into the Grotto of the Nativity, supposedly the site of Jesus' birth; a 14-point silver star embedded in white marble marks the exact spot. The star was installed by the Catholics in 1717, removed by the Greeks in 1847 and replaced by the Turkish government in 1853, and bears the inscription, Hic de Virgine Maria Jesus Christus natus est -- Here Jesus Christ was born to the Virgin Mary. Of the 15 lamps burning around the recess, six belong to the Greeks, five to the Armenians and four to the Roman Catholics. In another corner of the grotto, down three steps opposite the Altar of the Nativity is the Chapel of the Manger where Christ was laid. Facing this is the Altar of the Adoration of the Magi. Down
to the Grotto
In
the Grotto, the Altar of the Nativity, Chapel of the Manger Maybe you want to pause and reflect a little. Thank God for Jesus Christ, Savior of the world! Say a prayer. Take as much time here as you need. The tour will resume when you are ready. Why not read the Christmas Story in the Bible. Read Matthew 1&2 or Luke 2. Up
and Out of the Grotto
OK, up the steps and leaving the grotto, is an area filled with more paintings and altars. From here, it is a short walk to St. Catherine's.
North
Transept to Saint Catherine's The Church of Saint Catherine This church, where Christ is said to have appeared to St. Catherine of Alexandria, was built in 1881, incorporating remains of Crusader buildings discovered during construction. A far lighter, airier space than the main basilica, it is from here that Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve is televised and beamed worldwide.
In
Saint Catherine's The Chapel of the Innocents From the church, medieval stairs lead down into a complex of caves and tombs linked to the Grotto of the Nativity. The main altar in this subterranean complex is devoted to Saint Joseph, the earthly father of Christ, and is said to be where he had the dream in which an angel warned him to flee to Egypt to safeguard the child Jesus from Herod's anger. Next to it, the Chapel of the Innocents commemorates the children who were slaughtered by Herod after the Holy Family had left (Matthew 3:16). Also off St. Joseph's chapel is the Tomb of Saint Jerome, a priest who arrived in Bethlehem from Rome in 386AD, and adjoining it is the room where he secluded himself to study the Bible and began a translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew to Latin, which was to become the official version of the Old Testament used by the Roman Catholic Church for the next 1500 years.
In
the grotto of The Chapel of the Innocents I hope you enjoyed your little tour of the Nativity Church. If you have any questions, now is the time to ask.There are other parts around the church area as well, including the Armenian, Greek Orthodox, and Franciscan monasteries. I don't know much about them. This virtual tour is a far cry from being in the real thing. Nothing in print or video can capture the atmosphere of the church, the incense, the strength of the structure, or the mood of the servants of God there. (Much of the information in this tour was taken from Israel & the Palestinian Territories, The Rough Guide, by Daniel Jacobs. I also gathered general information from the BBC and tourism websites.) |
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