Bethlehem
Bethlehem [from the Hebrew, meaining "house of bread" or "house of Lahm," a goddess] is traditionally considered the birthplace of Jesus and is one of the world's great shrines. Situated on a hill in green, fertile country, Bethlehem looks across to the Dead Sea and beyond. Its inhabitants, who are mostly Christians and Arabs, depend largely on pilgrims and tourists for their livelihood.
The magnificent Basilica of the Nativity is situated on Manger Square in the south-eastern part of the Palestinian City of Bethlehem, eight kilometers south of Jerusalem. The Basilica is built above the cave identified as where Jesus was born. When Joseph and Mary came to Bethlehem, they could not find room at the inn, so Jesus was born in cave that was used as a stable. The church was originally build in the middle of the third century A.D. by Helena mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine, it was later destroyed and rebuilt in most of its present shape by the Emperor Justinian in 529 A.D., making it one of the oldest church in existence.
After the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, Bethlehem became part of the Israeli-occupied territories, administered militarily by Israeli troops. Palestinian refugee camps were located nearby. In Dec., 1995, Israeli troops withdrew from Bethlehem as part of the process of establishing Palestinian self-rule in the West Bank.
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