To ensure you get the most out of your visit, here are a few things about Bethlehem that you should know before you go, from entry, to culture, to sites and souvenirs.
- Carry your passport, because everyone has to pass through a guarded checkpoint.
Palestinian flag painted on a security wall between the West Bank and Israel
- Don’t take photos of the checkpoint, or aim your camera in the direction of the checkpoint. (You can take all the pictures you want after you enter.)
- Bethlehem is actually called Beit Lechem. Translated, its name means “House of Bread” (Hebrew) or “House of Meat” (Arabic). Enjoy the food, it’s good.
- The top site is the Church of the Nativity. It has seen renovations and additions it’s still basically the same structure. It is the oldest Church in the Holy Land still in use and one of the oldest churches in the world.
- Down in the grotto/basement is the Grotto of the Nativity, originally a cave. A 14-point silver star embedded in white marble marks the exact spot where Jesus was actually born. At least, that’s what they say. There are always really long lines to see the star, so if you don’t care that much about seeing the actual star you can opt to visit a different part of the grotto through an alternate route.
- Some scholars believe that this cave was originally a cultic shrine to Adonis-Tammuz.
- The church is controlled jointly by three Christian denominations: Armenian, Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic. Each church controls a different part of the basilica, but nobody gets special treatment: all have access to the grotto.
Shopping in Bethlehem
- Bethlehem is the traditional burial site of Rachel, wife of Jacob, and there is a pilgrimmage site there called Rachel’s tomb.
- Bethlehem is famous for its olive wood carvings, and plenty are available at prices far better than you can get anywhere else. (Be sure to haggle!) Even better deals can be found on the street, where people were hawking huge bottles of water for $1.
- Muslims rarely patronize non-Muslim businesses in the West Bank. To do so would result in being ostracized and family and community are extremely central to Arab culture. Because of this, Christians and others have to rely on income from tourists and others in a similar situation.
- Merchants are willing to take U.S. dollars as well as Israeli shekels.
Have we missed anything? Share in the comments!
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