We visited Bethlehem in 2022–specifically Shepherds’ Field, and the Church of the Nativity.
Located in the Palestinian authority, less than a dozen miles south of Jerusalem, Bethlehem covers the hills where shepherds grazed their flocks by night.
Or by day.
Both on that fateful night, as well as for at least a thousand years before.
The history is interesting, but in 2022, we visited simply to learn, reflect, and see.
Bethlehem in 2022–in contrast to a few years BC
We rode an air-conditioned bus, not a donkey, and I was not pregnant.
The city is built up after 2000 years and Palestinian Security Forces patrol the town rather than Roman soldiers.
(Author photo)
Some 170,000 people live the town now. When Mary and Joseph traveled south for the Roman census, our Palestinian Christian guide estimated some 500 people lived there.
About 40% of the population are Christian Arabs. No Christians lived there until Jesus’ birth.
2000 years ago, local shepherds raised “sheep without blemish,” for the temple sacrifice in Jerusalem.
Tourism is a main source of income now, but with no tourism allowed for nearly five years, many residents moved to Europe where they could work.
For Bethlehem in 2022, May was the crucial month when tourists returned.
The day we visited in early November, marked the busiest day since 2017.
Why here for Jesus’ birth?
God inspired the Bible and He put into the minds of the writers interesting parallels.
Bethlehem is mentioned 49 times between the Old and New Testament, according to the Blue Letter Bible.
It first appears in Genesis 35:19–when Jacob’s much-loved wife Rachel went into labor, gave birth to Benjamin, and died there.
Other notables include Naomi and Ruth, as well as Boaz, and their descendant King David.
Micah 5:2 predicted Bethlehem as the Messiah’s birthplace.
The name in Hebrew means “house of bread.” In Arabic it means “house of meat.”
(For the Canaanites who originally settled the area, some scholars believe Beth laham was the god of fertility.)
The “legal” reason for Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem is because he came from King David’s line through both his parents.
The Roman census required Joseph and his family to go to Bethlehem for the census.
Caves: Bethlehem in 2022 and back to the past
According to our guide, caves riddle the hillsides throughout Israel.
Bethlehem was no different this year or in the years before.
Shepherds often housed their sheep in caves to keep them out of the weather and safe from thieves and wild animals. Many people lived in Bethlehem caves until the 1930s.
Warm, safe, and relatively comfortable, as family finances increased, they often built a house in front of their cave. Convenient to home (which may or may not have been as big), a cave often served as a stable.
In our guide’s opinion, when Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem, they would have sought Joseph’s relatives.
After all, Joseph brought his pregnant wife to Bethlehem because his family came from there.
With too many visitors already staying in the house, no one would think twice about suggesting the young couple stay in the cave/stable.
That meant sense to me.
But where do the locals believe Jesus was born?
Helena, the mother of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, was a Christian. When her only child became a Christian, he sent her to Palestine with an open pocketbook, to search for Christian treasures/relics.
She traveled about the land establishing churches (or basilicas), including the Church of the Nativity in 326 AD Bethlehem.
Make of that as you like. The grotto, which is below the altar, is one of two spots that guides identify as a possible birthplace for Jesus.
When we visited Bethlehem in 2022, we stood in a long line (while a Greek Orthodox service took place) to visit the grotto.
Some people were visibly moved.
I preferred a different site.
Shepherds’ Field’s Chapel of the Angels
Our guide took us to visit a cave beneath a lovely Catholic chapel at Shepherds’ field.
A recently rebuilt church, Chapel of the Shepherds’ Field, charmed us with its superb acoustics.
The church only allows visitors to sing Christmas carols in the church.
How glorious to sing, “Gloria in Excelsis!”
The chapel and cave are just west of an area called Field of Boaz–which links the site back to Jesus’s ancestors Ruth, Boaz, and King David.
Maybe I liked this chapel because–while tourists sang as they wandered through–it felt quieter and more contemplative than the very busy and ornate Church of the Nativity.
In the long run, though, does it really matter?
Visiting Israel impressed us with how physically close everything is. While one place may not be the exact spot where something occurred in the Bible, it generally would be close.
We know Mary gave birth to Jesus in Bethlehem.
We know the angels sang and the shepherds worshipped the newborn king. (Not to mention visiting wise men).
That was enough for us–especially since Christmas is just as busy where I live as in Bethlehem in 2022–or a few years BC.
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