• Half-day tour of Bethlehem holy sites including the Church of the Nativity and the Church of the Shepherd’s Field.
• Drive past sections of the separation barrier to see the political street art. 
• Enjoy lunch with a Palestinian Christian family who will share their family history and the challenges of living in Bethlehem. 

This half-day tour of Betlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ will take us to the sacred sites in addition to a traditional homecooked meal in a local Palestinian Christian household. 

Bethlehem appears several times in the Bible, first as the birthplace of King David and later as that of Jesus, who, according to the Gospel, was born here in a manger. On this tour we will first head directly to the impressive Church of the Nativity to see the grotto in which Jesus was born. Originally commissioned by Emperor Constantine in 327 CE, the church was rebuilt and expanded in the sixth century during the reign of Emperor Justinian. Today, this UNESCO World Heritage site is shared by three Christian denominations (Orthodox, Catholic, and Armenian).

Inside the church, we will see the recently renovated mosaic floor tiles and beautiful murals that now sneak through the centuries of paint that once covered them. The main building contains beautiful icons including the “Smiling Madonna” that is locally venerated for its image of Mary smiling down at Baby Jesus, bringing joy to the believers. From here, we walk down some steep steps to the grotto where we encounter the 14-pointed silver star that marks the exact site where Jesus was born. 

After exiting the grotto, we will walk next door to the adjacent Catholic Church of St. Catherine where mass is traditionally held on Christmas Eve and broadcast across the world. Down a flight of steps from the main chapel is the grotto in which St. Jerome translated the Bible into the Vulgate at the end of the 4th century. 

From here, we return to our vehicle for the short drive to the Church of the Shepherd’s field in neighboring Beit Sahour. On this spot, an angel visited the shepherds and informed them of the birth of Baby Jesus. The present church was built in 1954 and designed by the Italian master church architect Antonio Barluzzi in a style reflecting the virtues of simplicity and humility. 

After this visit, we will drive to the Christian neighborhood of Beit Jala for lunch with a stop along the way to see the separation barrier built by Israel during the Second Intifada. This wall serves as the de facto border between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority and is a continuing source of tension between both sides of the conflict. Many parts of this structure have been painted with street art of a political nature and we will see some well-known examples along the way.

Lunch will be served in the house of our local guide and will include traditional Arab mezze salads with a main course vegetarian and meat course. During lunch, our hosts will share their family history and provide you with the opportunity to have a conversation where you can ask anything that may be of interest to you. Following our meal, we will head back to our vehicle and return to our starting point.