Religious scene depicted in a stained glass window in the Church of St Catherine in Bethlehem.
Built over the cave where Jesus is supposed to have been born, the
Church of the Nativity probably is the oldest operating church in the
world, and one of the main destinations for religious tourists.
Crossing
Manger Square, the main square of Bethlehem, you see a collection of
buildings and towers right ahead: the Church of the Nativity. It was
built in the early 4th century by Saint Helena, the mother of Emperor
Constantine I, the first Christian Roman emperor. The church replaced a
pagan site worshipping Adonis; its construction was the first of many
steps in the spreading of Christianity around the world. The original
building was burnt down in the Samaritan revolt of the 6th century, and
was rebuilt soon afterwards. When the Persians sacked Bethlehem in the
7th century, they spared the Church of the Nativity after seeing the
Three Magi, wearing Persian clothes, depicted inside the church.
Photo credit: http://www.traveladventures.org/continents/asia/church-of-nativity08.shtml
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