Touring the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem
By YADIN ROMAN
If you stand at Manger Square outside the Church of the Nativity today, you are in the midst of a throbbing city. Yet in ancient times, this site celebrating the birth of Jesus which has been a Christian pilgrimage destination for centuries, was at the very edge of a much smaller town, graced by the stark brown landscape of the Judean mountains and desert.
"At the extreme eastern angle of the city," says the European pilgrim and traveler Arculf, who visited the city in the year 680 CE, "is a kind of natural half cavern over which is built the great structure of the Church of the Blessed Mary."
A plan of the Church of the Nativity and its surrounding buildings. Entrance is from the left. |
The still-intact church, originally built in the fourth century by the Emperor Constantine, and rebuilt again in the sixth century, is entered through a low narrow door. During the imperial reign of Justinian (527-565 CE) the entrance had three large doorways that can still be seen on the outer wall of the church. After the Moslem conquest in the sixth century, security and safety of Christians in Arab lands deteriorated. The entrances of the past were bricked up and the doors installed.
Once through the door, the visitor enters the Narthex of the church, one of the sections that was added in the sixth century to the original fourth century plan of the structure. Indeed, the eastern wall of the Narthex was an outside wall of the church in its earlier incarnation and hints at its beauties in that period. On this wall, a mosaic of the Nativity depicts the three wise men of the east as Persian kings. When the armies of Persia overran the country in 614 CE, the mosaic so impressed and stunned the invaders that they spared the building from destruction.
A doorway from the Narthex leads into the main hall of the church, whose walls were decorated with mosaics by Justinian's artists. Some of the mosaics with Crusader additions have survived. To see the mosaics stand as far as you can from the walls.
The Mosaics: The mosaics are arranged in five horizontal bands. The lowest, immediately above the columns, is a line of small figures representing the ancestors of Jesus: according to the genealogy of Matthew on the south wall, and that of Luke on the north. Above that and reaching to the sills of the windows is a band with a series of towns in them with inscriptions in their center. Each town represents one of the Councils of the Church: seven General Councils in the south wall and six Provincial Councils on the north wall. Above the councils is a band of leafy decoration. The spaces between the windows were filled with single figures of angels and above that another row of decoration (only fragments survive today).
The Columns: The columns in the main hall were painted, probably in the Crusader period, with effigies of various saints. The names of the saints are written in Greek and Latin on the columns. The lower parts of many of the columns have been inscribed with graffiti of visitors to the church throughout the ages. The ones in Arabic are recent, the ones in Gothic letters date back to the fourteenth and fifteenth century. Many of these are German names. Two interesting paintings are on the fourth and fifth columns from the east in the southern part of the church. These depict Saint Canute, king of the Danes, who became king of England in 1017 CE and St. Olaf the legendary king of Norway who ascended the throne in 1016 CE (the paintings were done about a century after their reign). The westernmost column, on the inner line of southern columns, are decorated with pictures of two Crusader pilgrims (a man and a women), wearing typical shell ornaments, a pilgrim's wallet and pointed slippers.
Floor of Nave: A hole in the floor allows the visitor to view the older Byzantine mosaics that covered the floors of the church in the Constantine era.
Mosaics in Transept and Choir: The transept and choir include mosaics of the Annunciation (eastern apse), Nativity and Adoration of the Magi and Dormition of the Blessed Virgin (southern apse). In addition, on the other walls can be found the Doubting of St Thomas, Triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and other fragments.
Cave of the Nativity: Under the altar is the cave of the Nativity. The entrance is from the southern side of the altar. Notice the beautiful marble columns (Crusader) as you go down. The steps are from the sixth century. Because of the many fires in the cave over the years only fragments of the beautiful Byzantine decorations can still be seen. The altar, with the fourteen point Star of Bethlehem is on your right as you enter, the manger is on your left.
Touring the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem
Bethlehem in Biblical Lore
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