The Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem
Eastern Orthodox Sites | May 3, 2010The Church of the Nativity is located in Bethlehem, moreover it is regarded as one of the few oldest churches in the world, which are been continuously operated. The structure of the church is been built on top of the cave that custom marks as the place of birth of Jesus of Nazareth, as well as it is believed to be sacred by the followers of both the Christianity as well as Islam.
In addition the structure of this church is in fact an amalgamation of two different churches, by means of a tomb located lower than the Grotto of the Nativity. This place is believed to be exact location where Jesus had taken birth.
The central Basilica of the Nativity is been maintained through the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The Basilica is been designed similar to a archetypal Roman basilica, by means of five aisles (shaped through Corinthian columns) as well as an apse that is located in the eastern closing stages, which is location of the sanctuary. This church features the golden mosaics that cover the side walls that are currently mostly decayed. This basilica is entered all the way through an extremely low door, which is known as the “Door of Humility.” In addition the original Roman fashion flooring has since been enclosed over, on the other hand there is an entrap door in the contemporary flooring which opens up for revealing a section of the unique mosaic flooring.
This church in addition features a huge gilded iconostasis, as well as a multifaceted arrangement of lamps all the way through the whole building. Moreover the wooden rafters are been donated through the King Edward IV of England. He is same king who has additionally donated lead for covering the roof; on the other hand, this lead was afterward taken through the Turks, who had melted it for ammunition that were used in war in opposition to Venice. The stairways that are present on the either sides of the Sanctuary show the way downwards by the winding stairs up to the Grotto.
The neighboring Church of St. Catherine and the Roman Catholic Church, were constructed in an additional contemporary Gothic revival fashion, as well as has since been additional restructured in line with the liturgical trends that were been followed by Vatican II. Moreover in this church, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem every celebrates Midnight Mass on the Christmas Eve.
Save to delicious
Stumble it
The antiquity of this tradition is attested by the Christian apologist Justin Martyr (c. 100 – 165), who noted in his Dialogue with Trypho that the Holy Family had taken refuge in a cave outside of town:
Joseph took up his quarters in a certain cave near the village; and while they were there Mary brought forth the Christ and placed Him in a manger, and here the Magi who came from Arabia found Him.