A day trip into history and politics - Part 1
I headed out on a day trip to Bethlehem and Hebron with some newly met friends yesterday. We were lucky enough to be accompanied by Doug who has worked here for a year and thus, had plenty of local knowledge. Our first stop was Bethlehem, which is in the West Bank south of Jerusalem. After Bethlehem, we headed further south to Hebron (Al-Khalil).Of course, being Bethlehem, we visited the Church of the Nativity. This is the oldest continuously operating church in the world, having been built by Constantine in the 4th Century (there's still some of the original mosaic floor visible). Now, I'm not particularly religious, but it was a little surreal to be stepping into the Bible - so to speak. The place was pumping with pilgrims coming to check out - well pray at I guess - the birthplace of Christ, which is actually in a small (very hot) grotto under the church.
The site (and it's history) is a great example of how the various religions can get along. When area was first conquered by the Muslims, they signed a treaty giving citizens freedom of religion and respected the holy sites - a tradition that largely continues to today, with lots of mosques and churches in close proximity. Some of the biggest issues in town seem to be squabbles between various christian sects over who controls what part of the Church of the Nativity.
After visiting the church, we wandered through the narrow market streets of the old city. The place had an ancient feeling about it, despite the CD players on sale at a "very good price my friend".