Church of the Nativity: Exact Place Jesus Was Born! Bethlehem, Manger Square, Place Christmas Began!

See the exact place where Jesus Christ was born! Tour the Church of the Nativity. See the cave complex where Jerome translated the Hebrew and Greek Bibles into Latin. Includes information about Manager's Square, Supernatural Atar, Wise Men, Mary and Joseph, Shepherds, and more.<br />
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Contents:<br />
0:00 - Intro<br />
2:15 - Location<br />
3:12 - Historical Background<br />
4:11 - Archaeological Evidence<br />
7:50 - Church Tour Starts<br />
11:22 - Seeing the Exact Place Jesus Was Born - In the Cave Grotto<br />
15:12 - Touring Outside the Cave Grotto<br />
16:14 - Touring the Plaza Area<br />
17:25 - Seeing the Church of St. Catherine<br />
17:55 - Tour the Cave Complex - Jerome's Chapel & More<br />
20:27 - From the Cave Complex Back to the Church of the Nativity<br />
20:45 - Back at the Church of the Nativity & the Stairs to Jerome's Chapel<br />
26:16 - Bible Talk About the Birth of Jesus<br />
35:19 - Faith Lesson from the Church of the Nativity and the Birth of Jesus<br />
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Introduction<br />
1. The location of Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity are on top of Tel Bethlehem. Under this area is ancient Bethlehem.<br />
2. Bethlehem is where King David lived before becoming King of Israel.<br />
3. This is also where Jesus was born, and the Word became flesh. So, we will be seeing and experiencing the very place where Jesus was born.<br />
4. We'll see evidence of the churches built over this site to commemorate this monumental event.<br />
5. We'll explore a cave complex where Jerome lived while translating the Bible from Hebrew to Latin, the language of the Roman Empire. This cave complex connects to the cave where Jesus was born.<br />
6. This site is not disputed as the authentic site, and to think of what happened here is beyond our ability to comprehend.<br />
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Location<br />
1. The Church of the Nativity is located in Bethlehem, about 6 miles (9 km.) south of Jerusalem.<br />
2. It is right beside Manger Square and Manger Street.<br />
3. It is located on the upper mountain plateau route that connects the southern Negev to the upper Galilee region. On this route were cities from the south, like Beersheba, Hebron, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Bethel, Shiloh, and Shechem to the north. It was a highly traveled route.<br />
4. Today, Bethlehem is in the West Bank but is very safe. Thousands of tourists visit its Christian sites each month with no issues whatsoever. <br />
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Historical Background of Ancient Bethelem<br />
1. Bethlehem means House of Bread.<br />
2. It had a population of around 1,000-3,000 people in biblical times.<br />
3. The area of Manger Square, Church of the Nativity, and the area around them actually sit upon a tel. This is called Tel Bethlehem and is where the original town was located. <br />
4. Many of the homes consisted of caves and structures. Often, a home would have both a cave below it and a home on top or beside a cave. <br />
5. The caves would be used for living and livestock as they were cool in the summer and warm in the winter.<br />
6. Jewish, secular, and Christian scholars and archaeologists all agree that this is the birthplace of Jesus. There is no dispute that this is the authentic site.<br />
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Places of Interest<br />
1. Manger Square is located directly west of the Church of the Nativity.<br />
2. Entrance to the church<br />
3. Entrance Lobby<br />
4. Main Nave<br />
5. High Altar (front part of the nave)<br />
Mosaics of the Church of Constantine (339 AD) are on the left side of the High Altar.<br />
6. Birthplace Grotto<br />
7. Church of St. Catherine<br />
8. A cave complex containing several chapels is accessed from St. Catherine's Church by a narrow staircase on the right.<br />
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Birth of Christ in the Bible<br />
1. Bethlehem was the prophesied birthplace of Christ. Micah 5:2<br />
2. Christ was born in Bethlehem as prophesied. Luke 2:1–7<br />
3. Many angels appeared to the shepherds near Bethlehem who were watching their flocks.<br />
Luke 2:8–16<br />
4. Wise men (Magi) from the east visited and worshiped Christ in Bethlehem. Matthew 2:1–12<br />
5. God warned Joseph to flee to Egypt because Herod planned to kill Jesus. Matthew 2:13-15<br />
6. Herod had all the male children 2 years and younger murdered here in Bethlehem in his attempt to kill Christ. Matthew 2:16–18<br />
7. After the death of Herod, Jesus and His family returned to Israel to live in Nazareth. Matthew 2:19-23