Skip to content

Church of the Nativity

The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is one of the oldest Christian churches in Israel. It was built over a cave, known as a manger where traditionally it is believed that Jesus of Nazareth was born. The first building of this temple dates from the Fourth Century AD, by order of the Roman Emperor Constantine I.

According to the Gospels, Jesus was born in a manger. This is why it is believed that Jesus was born in a stable and in the region around the Bethlehem caves where you would traditionally have stables. From the Second Century, there is written evidence about Jesus being born in a cave. After the expulsion of the Jews from the Holy Land, in the Second Century, the Romans transformed the cave where it is believed Jesus was born into a place of worship of Tammuz-Adonis, attempting to erase the memory of Christians and the importance of the site. Under the Roman Emperor Constantine I, when Christianity was adopted, the Romans commanded to build a temple around the cave.

The Church of the Nativity was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2012.

Matthew 2:1-3 – The Magi Visit the Messiah
2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
Back