Bethlehem بيت لحم

The road from Jerusalem to Bethlehem	Many road signs in the Palestinian Territories are trilingual (Hebrew, Arabic, English)	Green Palestinian Authority license plate, Bethlehem	Green Palestinian Authority license plate, Bethlehem
9-series Palestinian plates are registered to the southern West Bank, (Bethlehem, Hebron)	Bank of Palestine, Bayt Jala	Quds Bank, Bayt Jala	Bus 21 from the Arab bus station in East J'lem costs NIS 6 and leaves you at the corner of Hebron Street and Beit Jala Street.
From there it's a little over 1 km to Manger Square on foot without the hassle of going through the checkpoint.	Palestinian flags, Bethlehem	New commercial building in Bethlehem, not quite finished	Substantial stone house along Pope Paul IV St, Bethlehem
Stone building dated 1884 that looks in need of some care, 256 Pope Paul IV St.	Grand Hotel on the corner of Pope Paul IV and Freres St, west of Manger Square, Bethlehem	Getting into the commercial center of Bethlehem	Lutheran Christmas Church, Pope Paul IV Street, Bethlehem
Lutheran Christmas Church, Bethlehem	Lutheran Christmas Church, Bethlehem	Lutheran Christmas Church, Bethlehem	Evangelische Lutheranische Weihnachtskirche, Bethlehem
Old Town - Bethlehem	Farahiya Street, a small road parallel to Pope Paul IV	Fresh meat, Bethlehem Souq	Meat hanging in front of a butcher shop in the Bethlehem Souq
Fresh vegetables, Bethlehem Souq	Bethlehem Souq	Bethlehem Souq	View to the south from Bethlehem
View to the south from Bethlehem	Narrow streets between the Souq and Manger Square	...getting closer to Manger Square	Manger Square, Bethlehem
Bethlehem Peace Center, Manger Square	Bethlehem Peace Center, Manger Square	The division of Palestinian and Jewish land starting in 1946, UN partition plan of 1947, 1949-1967, and finally, 2000	A Tourist's Guide to the Occupation, information board on Manger Square, Bethlehem
The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, first commissioned in 326 AD by the Emperor Constantine	Church of the Nativity - the oldest church in use, inaugurated 339 AD	Church of the Nativity - after the original structure was destroyed, it was rebuilt by Emperor Justinian in 531 AD	كنيسة المهد - Church of the Nativity
The present structure of the Church of the Nativity dates from 1169	Bell Tower on the Armenian Monastery, Church of the Nativity	The Church of the Nativity complex includes Greek and Armenian monasteries, the Church of St Catherine, the Cloiser of St Jerome	In the basement of the Church of the Nativity are monastic caves and the Grotto of the Nativity
The fortress-like Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem	People entering the tiny door to the Church of the Nativity	Main entrance to the Church of the Nativity	During Ottoman times, the size of the main entrance was reduced to prevent mounted horsemen from entering
Door of Humility, Church of the Nativity	Palestinian National Authority - Guidelines for visiting the Church of the Nativity	St. George and the Dragon, Cloister of St. Jerome	St. George and the Dragon, Cloister of St. Jerome
The Church of St. Catherine (15th C.), part of the Church of the Nativity Complex	Statue of St. Jerome in the cloister courtyard in front of the Catholic Church of St. Catherine, Church of the Nativity	St. Jerome (S. Hieronymus) translated the Bible into Latin and died here in 420 A.D.	The Cloister of St. Jerome, Church of the Nativity Complex
Statue of St. Catherine of Alexandria (ca 282-ca 307), Bethlehem	The Church of St. Catherine, the site of the famous Midnight Mass, enlarged in 1881	Main altar, Church of St. Catherine (Roman Catholic) Bethlehem	Main altar of the Church of St. Catherine, site of the famous televised Midnight Mass
Church of St. Catherine took its present form in 1881	Church of St. Catherine, Bethlehem	Stained glass window of the Nativity, Belgian - 1926, Church of St. Catherine	Stained glass window of the Adoration of the Magi, Church of St. Catherine, Bethlehem
Church of St. Catherine, Bethlehem	Chapel of St. Joseph, Church of St. Catherine	Bronze relief, Church of St. Catherine, Bethlehem	Church of St. Catherine, Bethlehem
Chapel of the Innocents, Church of St. Catherine, Bethlehem	Caves beneath the Church of the Nativity entered through steps in the Church of St Catherine	Beneath the Church of the Nativity	Chapel in the caves beneath the Church of the Nativity
Chapel in the caves beneath the Church of the Nativity	The study and tomb of St. Jerome (Hieronymus) are in the caves beneath the Church of the Nativity	St. Jerome is said to have translated the Bible into Latin here	Olim Locus S. Hieronymi Presbyteri et Ecclesiae Doctoris
Chapel beneath the Church of the Nativity	Altar with mosaic depicting St. Paula who is buried in the caves beneath the Church of the Nativity	Stained glass window in a chapel beneath the Church of the Nativity	St. Paula (347-404)
Mosaic of the Holy Family, Cloister of St. Jerome, Church of the Nativity	Door leading from the Cloister of St. Jerome into the Church of the Nativity proper	Church of the Nativity	Ceiling, Church of the Nativity
Aisle, Church of the Nativity	Aisle, Church of the Nativity	Remains of the original 4th Century mosaic floor of Constantine's Church of the Nativity	Remains of the original 4th Century mosaic floor of Constantine's Church of the Nativity
Byzantine mosaic of the Incredulity of St. Thomas, Church of the Nativity	Chandelier, Church of the Nativity	Painting of St. George on a pillar, Church of the Nativity	Greek icon of St Menas mounted on a horse
Orthodox icons, Church of the Nativity	Greek nativity icon dated 1936	Poor Box, Church of the Nativity	Church of the Nativity
Ornate icon of Virgin & Child, Church of the Nativity	Ornate icon of Virgin & Child, Church of the Nativity	Ornate icon of Virgin & Child, Church of the Nativity	Silver icon of Virgin & Child, Church of the Nativity
Entrance to the Grotto of the Nativity, Bethlehem	Grotto of the Nativity	The site of the Birth of Christ, Grotto of the Nativity	Lamps hanging in the Grotto of the Nativity
The site of the Birth of Christ, Grotto of the Nativity	Mosaic in the Grotto of the Nativity marking the Jubilaeum year 2000	Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem	Mosque of Omar (1860) Manger Square, Bethlehem
Mosque of Omar, Bethlehem	Cards at a shop on Manger Square	Good souvenir of Bethlehem - manger scene carved of olive wood, a Palestinian speciality	Manger in a Bethlehem shop
Large wooden manger scene, Manger Square	Amazing olive wood carvings at St. John Souvenir, John & Mike Shahen proprietors, Bethlehem	Painted Nativity Scene, Bethlehem	Tourist Police, Bethlehem
Palestinian Authority Tourist Police	Santa Claus driving a bulldozer constructing the West Bank Separation Barrier	Bethlehem Post Office - Palestinian National Authority	Another popular souvenir of Bethlehem - Palestinian keffiya
Palestinian flag, Bethlehem	Palestinian flag, Bethlehem	Steep section of Pope Paul IV St leading to the Syrian Church of St. Mary	Star Fountain, Pope Paul IV Street at Star Street, Bethlehem
Syrian Orthodox Church of St. Mary, Bethlehem	Syrian Orthodox Church of St. Mary, Bethlehem	Syrian Orthodox Church of St. Mary, Bethlehem	Syrian Orthodox Church of St. Mary (1922) Bethlehem
Looking back towards Manger Square with the minaret of the Mosque of Omar	Boycott Israel poster with Israeli-grown orange as a hand grenade	Bethlehem	Yellow flag of al-'Asifah (The Storm) with a Palestinian flag, Bethlehem
Hamas graffiti, Bethlehem	Bethlehem - Church of the Nativity (south side)	Bethlehem - Church of the Nativity (south side)	The Orthodox Troop - Palestinian Boy Scouts, Bethlehem, founded 1929
Milk Grotto Street, Bethlehem	Milk Grotto Street, Bethlehem	Milk Grotto Chapel, Bethlehem	Tiles at the entrance to the Milk Grotto Chapel, Bethlehem
The Flight to Egypt, Milk Grotto Chapel, Bethlehem	Milk Grotto Chapel, Bethlehem	The Milk Grotto, said to enhance female fertility	Milk Grotto Chapel, Bethlehem
Milk Grotto Chapel, Bethlehem	Palestinian Taxi, Bethlehem	Arabic inscription off Manger Square near the Church of the Nativity	The Jewish settlement of Har Homa 2 km from Bethlehem
Incomplete new building with some broken windows, Manger Street, Bethlehem	Palestine Yellow Pages, Bethlehem	Palestine Yellow Pages, Bethlehem	Palestinian National Authority - General Petroleum Corporation
You can't return to Jerusalem on Bus 21 - you need to go through the Israeli checkpoint at the Separation Wall	You can take a taxi to the checkpoint, or it's around a 45 minute walk along Manger Street	Bell tower of the Syrian Orthodox Church rising above Bethlehem	Church of the Nativity behind some modern buildings
Bayet Sahur from Manger Street, Bethlehem, late afternoon	Bethlehem is built on a hill (Church of the Nativity, far upper right)	Looking towards Shepherd's Field Church outside Bethlehem	Bethlehem
Sign for 547 Manger Street, Bethlehem, with a St. George dated 1926	Bayt Sahur (Beit Sahour), Palestine	Har Homa-Homat Shmu'el, a substantial Jewish settlement inside the West Bank near Bethlehem	No Tank Parking - Tow Away Zone, a little Palestinian humor along Manger Street
Graffiti - Islamic Resistance Movement - HAMAS	No Tank Parking - Tow Away Zone	Arabic-English road sign for Bethlehem University and Jerusalem	Bethlehem monument "2000 & Beyond" using chain links
The 3 links represent each of the great monotheistic religions, each connected to the other, Ottovianno Giannangeli	The sun disappearing behind cloud and hill	Carving above a doorway with a horse drawn carriage dated 2003	Liquor store, Bethlehem
Separation barrier carved of olive wood with "Free Palestine", Bethlehem	La Fontana apartment building overlooking the West Bank Separation Wall, Bethlehem	Bethlehem Souvenir Center near the separation wall checkpoint