Bethlehem - one of the most ancient cities on Earth, founded around the XVII - XVI centuries. BC. It is located 7 km south of Jerusalem in the Palestinian Authority. Its Hebrew name sounds like Beit Lehem, which means "house of bread." The city has been praised for all times by two babies born in Bethlehem: David, the future king of Israel and the founder of Jerusalem, and Jesus born a millennium later. Mary gave birth to Jesus in a cave, which became one of the main Christian shrines, and Bethlehem became one of the holiest cities for the entire Christian world. In Bethlehem in the II century, after the second Roman-Jewish war, on the site of the Nativity of Jesus Christ, the Romans erected a sanctuary to Adonis, which stood before visiting St. Palestine. Elena, mother of the first Christian emperor Constantine. In 325, over the place where Jesus was born, she erected the Church of the Nativity of Christ. The temple was subsequently destroyed, but rebuilt again and rebuilt several times. Currently, the temple hosts the most famous Christmas services in the world. In the cave of the Temple you can see the sacred birthplace of Christ, on the walls and ceiling - the remains of ancient mosaics and frescoes. Even in Bethlehem they come to visit the Milk Grotto. The Milk Grotto Church stands on top of the Milk Cave, which is located northeast of the Nativity Cave. It got its name for the fractions of white porous stones found in it. According to legend, the Holy Family was saved in the cave on the way to Egypt from the soldiers of King Herod, who ordered the killing of all male babies.
Very revered by believers of different concessions, the tomb of Rachel. According to the Old Testament, Rachel, one of the two wives of the patriarch Jacob, near Bethlehem, died in childbirth. Even the first Christian pilgrims spoke of a tombstone on the grave of Rachel, made of simple stones without any ornaments. Later, a tombstone of 11 stones was mentioned - according to the number of sons of Jacob. Now, above the tombstone stands a dome on four pillars, between which in the 16th century they laid out walls covered with stucco. In 1841, Jews obtained permission to repair the tomb, during which an additional building was completed.
An indelible impression is left by the church of St. Katarina, the Franciscan church on the site of the house of Joseph the Carpenter and the Greek monastery (VI century) on the site where King David drank from the source during the battle with the Philistines. You can come to the city with an organized tour or get on your own. At the exit from the city you will have to go through metal detectors, since Bethlehem is located on Palestinian territory and is guarded by the Israeli armed forces.