Bethlehem

Today was all about the old city of Bethlehem. We began the day by climbing a huge hill from our hotel to Nativity Square. It is Sunday and Epiphany , so lots of people were going to church. The square was crowded but we went into the manger grotto for a moment before a coffee and a bit of shopping. I bought a charm for my bracelet and looked around for ideas.

Then Sharlene and I went to mass at the Church of the Nativity. The service was packed and the choir was lots of fun with guitar and tambourine. I recognized one song - O Come Let Us Adore Him -but the rest was in Arabic.

After mass we walked down Star Market (?) Road to another commercial part of Bethlehem . The road was winding but beautiful and old old. We found an American place and had Subway for lunch and shopped at Johnnies. I found gifts for my family and some other items before we started another round of loading/unloading off the bus and climbing stairs. Like Rome, this place is not for the faint of heart.

We visited the Herodium which reminded tremendously Hadrian's Tomb in Rome. The 'moving of a mountain ' Bible story came to life as Forest and Marty explained that Jesus was walking from Bethany to Jerusalem when he passed the tomb and a noted that Herod had literally moved a mountain to get that fortress built. The cisterns were staggering.