Coptic Christmas Ceremony 2024 at the Birthplace of Jesus, Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem

Information about the Church of the Nativity itself will be provided after this announcement. Unfortunately, due to the war, as an Israeli, I cannot enter Palestinian territory. Therefore, this year's videos are from previous years.

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Zahi Shaked

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The Church of the Nativity is the most important landmark in Bethlehem and marks the site where the nativity took place. It was in Bethlehem just over 2,000 years ago that Mary gave birth to baby Jesus. Today Bethlehem is a thriving city in the Palestinian Authority West Bank approximately 10 km south of Jerusalem and the Nativity Church is the city’s top attraction. In 2012 the Bethlehem Church of the Nativity was added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites.

History of the Church of the Nativity
The Bible tells us that Mary and Joseph left their home in Nazareth and traveled to Bethlehem. The Romans had decided to carry out a census and people were required to travel to their ancestral family home to register. As Joseph was from the House of David and Bethlehem was David’s city the couple had no choice but to make the long journey despite Mary being pregnant.

During Jesus’ lifetime, it was common for homes to be built close to a cave they could use to house their animals. When Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem and found no room available in the inn they were offered to spend the night in the adjacent cave with the animals. With no other options, and Mary about to give birth, they settled down in the manger. Less than a century after Jesus’ death Christians had identified the site of his birth as a cave in Bethlehem.

In the 4th century, the first Christian Roman Emperor Constantine and his mother Helena commissioned the construction of a church to be built around the sacred cave of the nativity. The church was dedicated in 339 AD. In the 6th century, the church suffered fire damage and Emperor Justinian replaced the church with a larger, more ornate one. In 614 the Persians invaded the Holy Land and destroyed most of the churches. Luckily the Nativity Church was spared thanks to a mural in the church depicting the Three Wise Men (Three Magi) who were dressed in Persian apparel of Zoroastrian priests.

As you approach the church entrance you will pass by Manger Square and enter through the Door of Humility. This small and low doorway was designed so that looters could not get their carts into the church. It also means that all those that enter need to bow down as they cross the threshold. The stunning interior has walls covered in gold-hued mosaic. Space is divided into five aisles by 44 painted columns.

A section of the mosaic floor from the original 4th-century church can still be seen through an opening in the flagstones. Sanctuary lamps add a wonderful atmosphere to the church and an open ceiling shows the exposed wooden rafters. In the south aisle stands an octagonal baptismal font from the Justinian 6th-century church. The font would have once stood near the high altar.

The Roman Catholic Chapel of the Manger has retained parts of the 12th-century capitals and mosaics. The main point of interest within the church is the Grotto of the Nativity. The cave is reached by descending a small flight of steps where the site of Jesus' birth is enshrined. The exact point where he was born is marked by a beautiful silver star on the marble floor. Hanging above this holy site are 15 sanctuary lamps.

A few days after December 25, the Manger Square welcomed the faithful and the Christian Orthodox pilgrims who arrived in the city to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
The difference between the two dates is due to the different calendar used by the two denominations: the Julian Calendar is used by the Orthodox Church, while the Catholic Church adopted the Gregorian Calendar.
Four Orthodox churches were present: Syriac, Coptic, Greek and Ethiopian.