Bethlehem

Leaving Jerusalem, we were bussed from Israeli land into Palestinian areas to see Bethlehem. It was in no way intimidating; we added a Palestinian tour guide and the two guides worked together for the afternoon. We discovered that in the south, it was unlikely that the stable we expect was a structure; in that area it was likely a cave. A large church with a tiny door as seen above is built above the traditional site of the birth of Jesus, and we descended several steps to see the cave area where the birth is considered to have taken place. A wonderful final stop on our tour of Israel.