Journey to Bethlehem

Hello, dear ones! It is sunny and warm, some haze - cool breezes. Another good day for a trip. We started at the fortress called Herodian, built by Herod the Great before the time of Jesus. It was used as a castle and fortification - one of many around the country. He prepared to defend himself against many enemies (including Cleopatra) and members of his own family and staff. Probably his tomb is here as well - and there are great cisterns and interior passageways as well as a well-preserved fort and baths. A mother cat and kitten are current occupants, many wild flowers, birds, and butterflies. It is a high place with a marvelous view - if it were clear - to the Dead Sea in one direction and Bethlehem in another.
Then we moved on to The Shepherd's Field - a Franciscan area of Bethlehem which has grottos and gardens - a site for remembering the angels' appearance to the shepherds on the night that Jesus was born. We reflected and sang in our group - peaceful.
Lunch was at the Tent Restaurant - again, very Middle Eastern with a nice sweet and coffee at the end. Soft drinks are very expensive.
Finally we proceded to the Church of the Nativity - but the line was too long to view the grotto where tradition says the manger was located. The church(es) was interesting as it is shared by the Armenians, Greek Orthodox, and Roman Catholic jurisdictions. The structures we could view date from the 4th C when Constantine's mother came to the Holy Land with money for construction - determined to replace a pagan temple on the spot dedicated to Adonis. We looked about, saw a cave area where Church Father Jerome was said to have translated the Bible into Latin, and later traces of construction dating from the Crusades. The Roman Catholic area was built in the 20th C - and it is the place from which Christmas Eve service is televised worldwide except in Israel. There were many tourist groups of varied nationalities - it is a MUCH busier place than Hebron.
The visit ended as we stopped to photograph the huge dividing wall that Israel has constructed and artists have covered with graffiti - Bethlehem proper is Palestinian, but its city edge is adjacent to Israeli property; it is only 5 miles from Jerusalem. So on this day, we saw very few Israeli soldiers except at the check points going in and out - soldiers on the bus to check passports.
Now it is time to read and rest and leisurely stroll - it is Shabbat/Sabbath in Jerusalem. Blessings!