BETHLEHEM

Contrary to popular belief, the ancient city of Bethlehem is first mentioned in the Bible not as Jesus’ birthplace, but as the site of Rachael’s Tomb, just as it is in the Jewish Tanakh and in Muslim literature. Although the exact location is contested, the tomb at the entrance of Bethlehem is a holy landmark in the Jewish tradition, and also known as Bilal bin Rabah Mosque. In the city, the Grotto inside the Church of the Nativity, identified as the manger where Jesus was born, has attracted millions of Christian pilgrims for centuries. Across the square from this ancient church is the Mosque of Omar, the only mosque in Bethlehem, built on land donated by Jerusalem’s Greek Orthodox Church.