Bethlehem

On a brisk, very brisk Monday morning, we walked out onto a Bethlehem hillside.

Rain was forecast, so we carried umbrellas then used them as wind-breaks as we sat on tiny camp stools

and studied from the scriptures the events of Bethlehem--and surprisingly, we didn't start with the birth of Jesus!

The first mention of Bethlehem is in Genesis 35:19, as the burial place for Rachel, who died in childbirth.

Side note:  how did the midwife know the baby was a boy before delivery?  Likely it was a breech birth, with the head last (making the labor very hard indeed), and the gender would be evident.

Next, Bethlehem plays a significant role in the story of Ruth.  Now as a Moabite, she would have had red hair, as did her great-grandson David.  That's one reason Boaz took such quick notice of her--she stood out among the locals.

Then, of course, there is the beautiful story of the Savior's birth.  I was glad we didn't go visit the different churches that have been built over spots where the cave might have been, etc.  It was much nicer to envision the events from the hillside, where the shepherds could have been when they heard the good news.

And as we sat there, across the way we noticed a small flock of sheep making their way along a trail out onto the hillside, followed by a boy, to graze the new spring grass just as shepherds have done for thousands of years.  Suddenly, the old story in Luke wasn't so old.

 An olive orchard.  It's a wonder people fight over this land--it's really just a pile of rocks with a little bit of soil in-between.  Lots and lots of limestone!

We didn't actually go into Bethlehem.  See the roadway traversing the hillside behind us?  That's a "temporary" road with a high wire fence, to separate the Palestinian-controlled area of Bethlehem from Israel, in order to keep violence at a minimum.  So far, it's working.

  If we really wanted to go in, there is a checkpoint with available taxis.

It was just another reminder that this tiny nation has to be vigilant to stay alive, and the political situation is very complex.  As the week progressed, we went through a number of checkpoints (from Palestinian-access areas).  Sometimes, bored-looking guards just waved vehicles through.  Other times, soldiers would board the bus and walk down the aisle (with their guns, of course), chatting with different tour members.  It was quick and friendly, and we were on our way.  At the airport, we stood in a long line to wait to be interviewed by Israeli border guards, and our luggage scanned, BEFORE we could go to the counter to get our boarding passes (and then go through a typical security check). Unfortunately, we were behind a couple of Palestinian-looking young men, with a number of boxes.  Believe me, they were thoroughly questioned (while we waited).  We gained a new understanding of the difficulties Israel faces as she tries to find a peaceful solution with the Palestinians. 

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