Economy

The City Economy

Tourism is very important for the industry in the region. Several service and productive enterprises form a main source of living for 20% of the working population who work in the tourism sector. Bethlehem receives visitors and especially pilgrims around the year; with a decrease in their numbers during the cold wintery months Nov.-Feb. Statistics reveal that more than two million visitors and pilgrims come to the holy place where Jesus Christ was born. During Christmas seasons the majority of the people who pray are pilgrims who cannot just arrive to the Holy Land and not pray there and visit.  The importance of the religious place has been recognized way before the development of tourism as we know it today. Bethlehem has been the centre of fascination in the region.

Since the old days, the people of Bethlehem have artistically developed artisanship from locally available resources such as olive wood and mother of pearl. Several articles were produced by hand for mainly religious items and some decorative objects. However, with the modernization and the introduction of machinery such items are now produced with the aid of machinery. This industry is a major source of revenue; be it sold locally or exported internationally. Other sources for the economy of the town are the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, stone and marble, textiles, and olive oil. Traditional artistic clothing items and decorative items are also produced by hand using the centuries old embroidery patterns of Bethlehem; that are mainly produced by women from their homes and sold to women’s societies to market them or souvenir shops. 

Population

Population

Historically, the three cities of Bethlehem, Beit Jala, and Beit Sahour have developed to constitute the urban hub and the service centre of the Bethlehem Governorate. These three cities have a monolithic relationship that shares a rich pool of natural resources and a common socio-cultural context. The Bethlehem Governorate is one of the largest of the eleven West Bank governorates. It occupies 607.8 km2 of mass land and borders the Jerusalem Governorate in the north and the Hebron Governorate in the south. The western borders of the Bethlehem Governorate are the 1949 Armistice Line (Green Line), which was demarcated by designated United Nations (UN) resolutions.

Source: The Applied Research Institute-Jerusalem (ARIJ)

According to the 1997 Census carried by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the urban population in Bethlehem Governorate was 44,880 inhabitants. The population grew  to reach 58,243 in the mid of 2004 and increased to 60,123 in the mid of 2005. This indicates that the population grew by 33.96%  between these past eight years. The total population of the governorate according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) in the year 2007 was projected to be 176,515 Palestinians. The same source states in “Palestine in Figures, 2011” the presence of 13 settlements that were built on Palestinian land with 16,490 Israeli settlers. Out of the total Palestinian population, 44.8% live in the rural areas and 39% in urban communities, 7.5% in refugee camps. 

The Palestinian population in general, including that of Bethlehem, is young with 46.9% aged less than 15. Fifty percent of Palestinians live in households of seven members or less. Out of the households, 91% live in crowded conditions, i.e. with more that 1 person per room.

The natural annual growth rate of the population is estimated at about 2.097% according to projections in 2011.  The Bethlehem Governorate just as the rest of the Palestinian areas, suffered an increasing drop in income during the last few years. It is estimated that for the period 1992-1996 real GNP per capita dropped by 39.4% for the West Bank and unemployment rate for the West Bank averaged 29% in mid 1996.

The area has an equal measure by churches and mosques, a symbol of the increased intermingling of the region's people. The religious and cultural diversity of the local population is further enriched by the social diversity of the urban population versus villagers and farmers of the western rural slopes, the Bedouins of the eastern desert slopes and the refugees who, since the war of 1948, live in refugee camps in the peripheries of the town of Bethlehem.

The main three cities of Bethlehem, Beit Sahour, and Beit Jala are inhabited by one of the oldest Christian communities in the world, although the size of the community has shrunk due to emigration.

Emigration has affected Palestine a lot. Due to the continuous unrest, occupation, and search for means of living the emigration drain started in the twentieth century. Bethlehem area is not different from other Palestinian areas. The first strong wave of migration took place after the First World War and mostly to Latin America. The continuous economic difficulties forced this migration to continue until today and it is reported that nearly 55% of the local Christians are currently living in the Diaspora within affluent societies. The emigration of some of the district's urban population and successful international trade with east and west at the turn of the century allowed the repatriation of riches and the construction of the beautiful homes in greater Bethlehem area. On the other hand this movement caused the loss of the young and educated elements. It is reported that 57.38% of the households in the Bethlehem District have close relatives living abroad. Most (60.3%) of the relatives abroad live in Jordan. About 32.2% of the relatives living abroad have an Israeli identity card, and 18.2% lost their ID card. The corresponding figures for the remaining West Bank are 42.5% and 15.4% respectively.

Christians constitute (28%) of the district total population and (72%) are Moslems.  (92%) of the working force in the Bethlehem district are permanent residents, while (2%) live elsewhere in the West Bank, (2%) in Jordan, (2%) in other Arab countries and 2% outside the Middle East region. Bethlehem Governorate population makes up (7.3%) of the West Bank population.

At the end of the year 2011 the PCBS projected number of Palestinians in the world to be 11.22 million, of whom 4.23 million are in the 1967 occupied Palestine, 1.37 million in Israel (1948 occupied Palestine), 4.99 million in Arab countries and around 636 thousand in other countries. However, the total fertility rate in the West Bank and Gaza has declined in 2010 to 4.2 births compared with 6 births in 1997, while it is lower in Bethlehem governorate.

.  Overall the total fertility rate (the number of children a woman will get under prevailing fertility conditions) is 4.97, and it is 5.61 for the remaining West Bank. There is evidence that fertility has started to decline in this District as in the remaining West Bank as a whole. On the average, a married Palestinian woman has 4.86 children, of which 0.31 are dead. The corresponding figures for the remaining West Bank are 4.82 and 0.30, respectively. Currently the age at first birth is 19.51 years. Of the households, about 2 1 % have no children below 1 5 living with one or both of their parents, compared to 22% in the remaining West Bank.

Having shown a steady decline in recent years, the infant mortality rate was 3 per thousand births, while the child mortality (U5MR) was 38, on average.

Health

Health

The medical services in Bethlehem are numerous and fairly well developed. Of the six hospitals in Bethlehem, three are maternity, one is psychiatric, one is pediatric and one is a general hospital. The total number of hospital beds is estimated at 506. There are 32 primary health care clinics in the Bethlehem district of which 16 are sponsored by NGO's (non-governmental organizations), 14 by private proprietary organizations, and two are associated with UNRWA. (United Nations Relief Works Agency). There are five ambulance vehicles and 133 physicians. In addition, there are 341 nurses and 27 dentists.

The district contains a large number of charitable societies and non-governmental organizations which offer health services unavailable in Palestine. A new wastewater collection network was recently constructed in the three towns of Bethlehem, Beit Jala and Beit Sahour. Approximately 99% of the population has access to drinkable piped water supply.

Hospitals

1- Al-Dibs Hospital, Maternity       Tel: 2744242
2- Al-Hussein Hospital, General     Tel: 2741161
3- Beit Sahour Cooperative Health Clinic.     Tel: 2774443
4- Al-Yamamah Hospital, General.       Tel: 2764444
5- The Holy Family Hospital.      Tel: 2741151,Fax:2741154

Benevolent Societies, Medical Institutions & Clinics.

1. Women Child Care Society
P.O.B. 313, Beit Jala.
Near Orthodox Church
Tel: 742507, Fax: 742204

2. Holy Land Christian Mission
Mount David Orthopaedic Hospital.
Manger Street, P.O.B. 24
Tel: 742600, Fax: 741914

3. Knights of Malta
Hospital of the Holy Family
Sisters of St. Vincent of Paul,
P.O.B. 8. Tel: 741151, Fax: 741175

4. Beit Sahour Medical Center
P.O.B. 44, Beit Sahour, Tel: 6474443

5. Holy Family Care Center,
Near Milk Grotto, P.O.B. 966, Tel: 6470002., Fax: 6470002

6. Caritas Baby Hospital,
Pediatric, Tel: 741171

Institutions for the Handicapped

1. Epheta Institute,
School for Audiophonetic Rehabilitation of Deaf Children,
Paul VI Street, P.O.B. 105.
Tel: 742568, Fax: 745576

2. House of Hope for the Blind and the Mentally Handicapped.
Hebron Road, P.O.B. 27 Across Epheta
Tel: 742325, Fax: 740928

3. Psychiatric Hospital of the Government
El-Jabal Street, Sisters of St. Dorothea, P.O.B. 60
Tel: 741155, Fax: 741657

4. Swedish International Relief Association (SIRA).
Special Education School, helps the slow learners.
Beit Jala Road, P.O.B. 167. Tel: 742597, Fax: 741254

5. Siloah Mission
Rehabilitation Center for Physically Handicapped,
P.O.B. 177, Beit Jala, Tel: 741373

6. Terre des Hommes
P.O.B. 20180, Tel: 742485, Fax: 747549

7. Bethlehem Arab Society for the Physically Handicapped
Cremisan Street, P.O.B. 100, Beit Jala,
 Tel: 744050, Fax: 744053

Health Centers

Name Tel Fax Description Bethlehem Dental Center 2743303 Clinics Al-Dibis Maternity 2744242 Hospitals Al-Hussein Government 2741161 Hospitals Bethlehem Arab Society for Rehabilitation 2744049/51 2744053 Hospitals Caritas Baby 2758500 2758501 Hospitals Mental Health 2741155 Hospitals Shepherd's Field Hospital 2775092 Hospitals St. Mary's Maternity 2742443 Hospitals The Holy Family 2741151 2741154 Hospitals

Education

Education

Education is compulsory for nine years. The district has 75 public schools and 19 private schools. These educational institutions are operated by either the government, private organizations (mainly churches), and the UNRWA. In Bethlehem private schools are dominant.

After completing 12 years of school and passing the Tawjihi examination, students may attend a university in their country or abroad.

Bethlehem University

  Bethlehem University is one of the leading institutions for higher education in Palestine. It was founded in 1973, with the administrative cooperation of the De La Salle Brothers and the Vatican. It was established after the visit of Pope Paul VI to the Holy Land in 1964. During this visit, his holiness called for the foundation of new institutions to improve the quality of life for the people of the area. One of the specific priorities cited was a university for young Palestinians in their homeland. Bethlehem University offers Baccalaureate degrees in accounting, Arabic, biology, business administration, chemistry, elementary education, English, mathematics, nursing, physics, physiotherapy, sociology and social work. Diplomas are granted in clinical supervision, elementary education, hotel management, midwifery, pilgrim tour guiding, pre-school education, religious education, secondary education, tourism and travel agency management.

The main building of the University, constructed in 1893, houses the general administrative offices and most of the Faculty of Arts. A chapel annex was built in 1907. The Library, dedicated in 1978, houses about 60,000 volumes and includes a special collection of microfiche and microfilm on the Middle East, and a Palestinian collection.

The Science Building, opened in 1980, contains laboratories and classrooms and a computer center. The Social and Cultural Center, dedicated in 1991, contains a cafeteria, an assembly hall, offices and rooms for art, music, physical fitness and athletics. A residence for the Christian Brothers is on campus. The Mar Andrea Women's Hostel located off-campus, was completed in 1979; on the same property is a convent to house religious women who teach at the University.

Bethlehem University has grown from an initial enrollment of 78 students to some 2200, well over half of whom are women. The University has been frequently closed down by the Israeli authorities after demonstrations against the occupation. It is a short walk up the hill from Hebron road.

Al-Quds Open University

Established in 1985, the University applies an Open and Distance Learning system. The language of study is Arabic and the University applies a credit hour system where the scholastic year consists of two main semesters and a summer session. Every student may register between two and twenty one credit hours per semester. The University awards the first university degree in Agriculture, Social and Family Development, Applied Science and Technology, Management & Enterpreneurship and Education.

Bethlehem Bible College

Founded in 1979, the Bible College provides training for Palestinians and other Christians wanting to become teachers, pastors, educators, church workers, evangelists, tour guides and administrators. The tour guide program helps train and provide licensed and qualified guides in anticipation of the increasing influx of tourists. The classes are conducted in Arabic. The summer Foreign Students Studies Program is conducted in English. The college accepts students from all denominations and offers courses by an outstanding faculty who combine high academic standards and deep spiritual commitment. Community Education Courses are offered for adults in the Bethlehem area.

The International Center of Bethlehem

  The International Center is a church-related organization. Its work is directed towards building a civil society and a sustainable economic development, and taking the Palestinian cultural heritage into consideration. The main programs are: women's studies, international relations, adult education, alternative tourism and German-Palestinian Exchange. The Center offers modern facilities that are ideal for holding seminars, lectures, and conferences.

Adjacent to the center is the Abu Gubran Guest House, which offers the opportunity to experience and enjoy the finest Arabic hospitality and to become acquainted with the beliefs and culture of the people of the Holy Land. Through the International Center of Bethlehem and the Abu-Gubran Guest House, people of all ages and cultures can participate in such cultural activities as the arts, music and literature, as well as the German and Arabic language courses.

Al-Lika' Center for Heritage & Religious Studies in the Holy Land

The Center is located at the entrance of Bethlehem, near Rachel's Tomb. It is a place of research and study on the religious traditions and institutions of the people of the Holy Land and the region. The program includes annual conferences, interfaith dialogues, Palestinian contextualized theology in the Holy Land, international activities and the publication of al-Lika' Journal, a newsletter, books and occasional papers.

Tantur

  Tantur is the Arabic term for hilltop. A chapel and a hospital, supported by the Latin Order of St. John, were seen on the hilltop from 1846 until 1964. After the Pope's 1964 pilgrimage to the Holy Land, the Vatican purchased the Tantur terrain, then leased it to an ecumenical board to establish an international ecumenical institute for theological research and pastoral studies. The primary concern of Tantur continues to be the promotion of inter-confessional and intercultural dialogue through advanced study and research. Resident junior and senior scholars do independent research or work with others on a major theme in biblical, historical, liturgical and theological studies. The Institute houses a large and impressive library of 75.000 vols. and a Biblical Garden.

List of Libraries in Bethlehem

1.      Bethlehem University Library
Frères Street, P.O.B. 9,
Tel: 741243, Fax: 744440
Hours: Mon-Fri: 8.00-16.00
Open to the public on request. 60,000 vols. Academic collection, mainly in Arabic and English. Special collections include a Palestinian division and an audio-visual center.

2.      Bethlehem Bible College
Hebron Road, P.O.B. 127
Hours: Mon-Fri 8.00-16.00
Sat: 8.00-12.00. 15,000 vols. Christian books, Arabic, English. Tel: 741190, Fax: 743278

3.      Pontifical Mission Library
Frères Street (Beside Bethlehem University). Hours: Mon-Fri: 9:00-12:00, 1:30-16:30. 30,000 vols. General collection in Arabic, English, French, Spanish. Videotheque (also in Arabic). Tel: 743077, Fax: 743077.

4.      Studio Teologico Salesiano ''S. Paolo”
Bethlehem, Cremisan,
P.O.B. 160
Hours: Mon-Sat: 8.00-12.00, 14.30-18.30. 6,000 vols.
Philosophical, theological, biblical material etc. Italian, French, English, Arabic, 1000 scientific periodicals. Tel: 742605,
Fax: 742847

5.      Latin Patriarchate Seminary Library.
Open to the public on request. 30,000 vols. Collection in Arabic, French, English and Italian. Philosophical and theological material. Tel: 742612, 742885.

6.      The Ecumenical Institute for Theological Studies.
75,000 vols.
Hours: 8:00-12:00 a.m.,
2:00-4:00 p.m.
Tel: 6760911,
Fax: 6760914.

List of Educational Institutions:

1.      Bethlehem University:
Tel: 274 1241/2,3, Fax: 274 4440
Email: Webmaster@bethlehem.edu

2.      Bethlehem Bible college:
Tel: 274 1190, Fax: 274 3278.
Email:100320.3455@compuserve.com

3.      The International Center of Bethlehem
Tel: 277 0047, Fax: 277 0048.
Email: annadwa@planet.edu

4.      Tantur Ecumenical Institute
Tel: 676 0911, Fax: 6760914

5.      The Pontifical Mission Library:
 Tel: 274 3077

6.      The Open University:
Tel: 274 7387, Fax: 274 7388

7.      The Salisian Industrial College:
Tel: 274 2421

8.      Al-Lika' Center :
Telfax: 274 1639

Governmental Schools in Bethlehem:

1-Bethlehem Secondary School for Boys
2-Bethlehem Secondary School for Girls
3-Bethlehem Preparatory School for Boys
4-Bethlehem Prepartory School for Girls
5-Al-Mahd Elementary School
6-Al-Mahd Preparatory School
7-Al-Ala’yyah School

Private Schools

Bethlehem
1-Syrian Catholic School,
Manger Street. P.O.B. 199, Tel: 742497, Fax: 740334, Kg.
2-Terra Sancta High School,
P.O.B. 92, Tel: 742237, Fax: 6470314, Kg. El. Prep. Sec.
3-College des Frères,
Abdel Nasser Street, P.O.B. 261, Tel: 743244, Fax: 743244, Kg. El. Prep, Sec.
4-Don Bosco Salesian Technical School, 
Paul VI Street. P.O.B. 41, Tel: 742421, Fax: 747162, Technical, Secondary
5-Terra Santa Girls’ School,
Star Street, P.O.B. 65, Tel: 742680, Kg, El, Prep. Sec.
6-Rosary Sisters’ School,
Star Street, Tel: 742682, Kg. El.
7-Mar,
P.O.B. 1010, Tel: 744757, Kg.
8-Evangelical Lutheran School, Dar al-Kalimah,
P.O.B. 73, Tel: 744245, Fax: 744245, Kg. El. Prep.
9- Iftah School
10- Zuhur Filistin School
11- Salah ad-Din School
12- Al-Ikha’ al-Islami School
13- Al-Ibrahimyah Society School
14-Islamic Society School
15- Al-Malha Islamic School
16- S.0.S School

Beit Sahour

1-Latin Patriarchate School
P.0.B. 22, Tel: 6472278, Kg. El. Prep.
2-Greek Catholic Patriarchal School,
P.O.B. 63, Bishop Abu Sa’ada Street, Tel: 6472424, Fax: 742424, Kg. El. Prep. Sec.
3-Evangelical Lutheran School,
P.O.B. 55, Tel: 6472720, Fax: 6472204, Kg. El. Prep. Sec.
4-Greek Orthodox Secondary School. 
Tel: 647 2042, Kg. El. Prep. Sec.
5- The Islamic Society School.

Beit Jala

1-Latin Patriarchate School,
P.O.B. 3, Tel: 742624, Fax: 742612, Kg. El. Prep. Sec.
2-Ev. Lutheran School Talitha Kumi,
P.O.B. 7, Talitha Kumi Street,
Tel: 741247, Fax: 741847,
E-mail: talitha@planet.edu
3-Hope Secondary School,
P.O.B. 5, Tel: 742268, Fax: 744332, Prep. Sec.

The Historical Framework

The Historical Framework

The origins of man's presence in Bethlehem go back into the mists of time. Archeological findings attest this presence since the Bronze Age. The city of Bethlehem was probably first established as an assembly of nomads around the water source located 200 meters from the Nativity Grotto. Ephrata, the fruitful, a village of Cannanite farmers and cattle-breeders, formed the nucleus of Bethlehem. The town's name originated from "the house of Lahma', in Aramaic meaning "the house of bread" resounding the name "Lahama", the Akkadian deity of fertility.

Bethlehem was first mentioned in the Book of Genesis; this is where Rachel, Jacob's wife, died in childbirth. Her tomb is located at the entrance of the city. Centuries later, this was also where Ruth married Boaz, and whose grandson became known as King David. Bethlehem developed international fame as the birthplace of Jesus Christ the Saviour. Jesus is also venerated by Moslems as the divinely inspired prophet Issa, making the city holy to Christians as well as to Moslems. Emperor Constantine's mother, Saint Helena, built a basilica above the Grotto in. 325 A.D. which stands until today and forms the natural center of the town and district. Since the second century, the city received many notable pilgrims among which is Saint Jerome who, in the fourth century, dwelled in a cave adjacent to that of the Nativity and carried out the first translation of the Bible into Latin.

In 529, the church was partly destroyed by the Persians and rebuilt by Emperor Justinian in 531. In the seventh century, when Palestine was included within the Islamic Empire, the Caliph Omar Ibn Al-Khattab entered Bethlehem in 638 and signed a treaty with the Christians of the town safeguarding their lives, their lay and religious property and their freedom of worship.

With the arrival of the Crusaders, Godfrey de Bouillon sent Tancrede to occupy the Basilica and town before he entered Jerusalem in 1099. Kings Baldwin 1 and Baldwin 11 were crowned in Bethlehem. After the reconquest of the Holy Land by Saladin (Salah El-din) in the twelfth century, Bethlehem lost importance and shrank to become a small town during the rule of the Fatimids, the Mamluks and the Ottomans. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, the town experienced a wave of Western Christian missionaries who came to establish convents, schools and hospitals in the Holy Land with significant contributions in new construction, education and health care organizations and improved trade.

The British Mandate was established over the whole of Palestine after the First World War until 1948 and the creation of Israel. As of 1952, Bethlehem was placed under Jordanian jurisdiction together with the rest of the West Bank until the Israeli occupation of 1967. By Christmas 1995, and after almost 30 years of occupation, the town celebrated Palestinian autonomy in the presence of President Arafat.

Bethlehem Map

Streets & Squares

Streets & Squares

Quarters Of Bethlehem

Bethlehem's historic Residential Quarters (Harat) developed through the ages and represent Bethlehem's living history - that is the history of its people. Every quarter had a yard (guest-house) where the men of the quarter gathered together to discuss the affairs of their livelihood, their business and private matters. The different quarters represent part of the cultural heritage of Bethlehem. The quarters came together like a mosaic to form the corps around Manger Square.

Located west of Manger Square is the first of Bethlehem's historical Residential Quarters, Harat al-Najajreh. According to local folklore residents of this quarter are descendents of the Ghassanites, who were the first Christian tribes of the region. The Ghassanites came from an area, which today is in Northern Yemen, in a region known as Najran. The Najajreh tribe joined another grouping of families known as Ghathabreh, who had come to Bethlehem in early Christian times from Greece.

 Located northwest of Manger Square, along the ancient Star Street is Harat al-Farahiyeh. Named after the Christian Patriarch Farah (Joy), who like the Najajreh was a descendent of the first Christian tribes, the people of this quarter came in early Christian times from Wadi Musa on the eastern side of the Jordan River. With the coming of the Crusades, a third quarter just north of Manger Square was established in Bethlehem Harat al-Tarajmeh (or Quarter of the Translators) was named after the Italian founders (almost all men) who had married Arab Christian women and worked as translators for Franciscan priests and pilgrims.

During the Ottoman Period (early 16th Century) three additional "tribes" established quarters in Bethlehem. The tribe, which established Harat al-‘Anatreh, just south of the Nativity Basilica came from Antar (meaning Brave), near Herodium.

Another tribe came from Tekoa and settled south of Manger Square to build Harat al-Qawawse. Residents of Harat al-Hraizat, to the north of Manger Square came from a village south of Jerusalem called Um Tuba. In 1780 the first Muslim Quarter was established when a group of Muslim villagers joined hands with the Christians of Bethlehem in refusing to pay the Ottoman Sultan taxes. Harat al-Fawagreh, on a hill to the west of the city, was thus established by these Muslims who had migrated from a nearby village called Faghur which was close to Solomon's Pools.

 Manger Street

The Manger Street on the left, leads to the town center, the Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity. All along Manger Street, are numerous large souvenir shops in which you find various kinds of artistic crafts such as mother-of-pearl and olive wood, as well as embroidery, religious post cards and others, along with leather, silver, brass, golden items, diamonds and jewelry. You will also see various kinds of restaurants, cafes and bars.

  Going up Manger Street from Manger Square to Rachel's Tomb, you see the following places: After leaving Manger Square, there is a road to the right leading to the town of Beit-Sahour and the Shepherds' Fields. St. Joseph's Secondary School for girls is on the left. The next road on the right leads to the S.O.S village. Farther along the road is the Syriac Catholic church and Saint Joseph's Home. As you round the corner on the left side of the road is the American Christian Mission with a hospital. Along Manger Street, not far from the Church of Nativity, there is a monument created by Franco Lezzi entitled 2000 & Beyond. This monument symbolizes efforts toward peace and tolerance among peoples. Its dimensions are about 5|3 m.   Going up Manger Street you pass through the shopping area. After leaving the shopping area another road on the right leads to the S.O.S Village and another road on the left goes up the hill to al-Azah refugee camp and Bethlehem University. Farther over, on the right (200 meters before the end of the street) a road on the left leads to the Antonian Home for Aged Women run by the Sisters of Artas; next you will see the First Baptist Church and Mar Andrea (Bethlehem University Residence). Farther over on the hillside is the Caritas Baby Hospital run by the sisters from Padova. Passing the Caritas Hospital we find a road on the left that leads to the monastery of the Emmanuel Sisters. Going back to Manger St. you find the Paradise Hotel at right and al-'Azah refugee camp on the left. The next road on the right before the end of Manger St. is Caritas St. and leads to the Applied Research Institute.

Hebron Road

The Hebron Road on the right branch of the fork mentioned above, nearly separates the boundaries of the town of Bethlehem and Beit-Jala and leads to the town suburbs. Following the Hebron road from Rachel's Tomb to the south, you find on the right the former Secondary School for girls in Dar Jacir one of the most beautiful buildings of Bethlehem. Shortly after, there is the Bethlehem Bible College and exactly at the cross roads, the  House of St. Teresa (a university residence for girls). The road on the left leads to the higher part of town and to Bethlehem University, and the one on the right leads to the Governorate of Bethlehem and to Beit-Jala. Following the Hebron road, on the right hand is the House of Hope for the Blind and the Mentally handicapped, and on the left is the Jerusalem Open University. On the left hand corner of the crossroad is the Institute for Deaf and Dumb run by the Sisters of St. Dorothea. This crossroads is known as Bab-Izqaq (Gate of the Alleys). To the left, Paul VI St. leads to the center of the town of Bethlehem, and as-Sahel St. to the right leads directly to the town of Beit-Jala. Hebron road passes by the Presidential Palace, Bethlehem District Military Headquarters, the Heliport of Bethlehem, Dehesheh refugee camp, al-Khader village, Solomon's Pools and leads to the city of Hebron at a distance of 25kms (15.5 miles).

The Dehesheh refugee camp was established in 1949, after the war of 1948 which led to the flight of many Palestinians from their homeland. Its population is estimated to be 9000.

The length of Bethlehem in the direction of Hebron Road between Rachel's Tomb and Dehesheh region is 3 kms (1.8 miles), and its breadth between the borders of Beit-Jala and Beit Sahour is 2 kms (1.2 miles). Its area within the Municipality borders is about eight square kilometers.

Manger Square

Manger Square is the town's central area. Until recently, it has been used as a bus and car parking lot. On the Eastern part of the Manger Square, you can see the Armenian Convent. Behind it, there is the Milk Grotto Street with its numerous souvenir shops that sell mainly hand made crafts: crucifixes, medals, rosaries, figurines and boxes carved in olive wood and mother-of-pearl, and silver jewelry. The work is done in small workshops and executed in mother-of-pearl and olive wood. This has been the chief industry of Bethlehem for several centuries. To the right of the Milk Grotto Street, a steep road leads down to the Qawawsah Quarter, to al-'Ain (the spring) which was the town's water reservoir, to the Italian Tourist Information Point and to Mar Sharbel Convent on Wad Ma'ali Street.

An arched building of three floors stretches along the southern side of the square. Mainly souvenir shops occupy the ground floor and other offices and a small hotel are in the upper floors. On the western side you see the Bethlehem Municipality built in 1975. The post office occupies underground floor, the Cairo-Amman Bank, and St. George Restaurant occupy the ground floor. You also see the lofty minaret of the mosque of 'Umar, rebuilt in 1954. Between the two buildings is a road that leads to the Najajrah Quarter and the Municipal Market, then to the Fawaghrah Quarter and al-Madbassah Square. Beside, to the right of the Mosque there is Paul VI street. On the northern side there was a police station.

Paul VI Street

As souvenir of the pilgrimage of Paul VI, the first Pope who came to Bethlehem, the main trading street which crosses the town from the east to the west, from the Manger Square to the crossroad Bab-iz-qaq was given his name. On entering the street at a distance of a few meters from the Mosque, you will find a museum of traditional clothes and heritage items, belonging to the Arab Women's Union, called Our Old Bethlehem Home. As you head out from the Museum, al-Manara Square will be very close. On going up the stairs from al-Manara Square you will find the Market (Souq) on your left and the Syriac Orthodox Church on the right. This market was once in the Manger Square, and used to attract a lot of peasants and Bedouins from all around the region, but in 1929 it was transferred to this place. At the end of the stairs, the street narrows to three meters wide (10 feet), and continues until it reaches an intersection, where one will find al-Fawaghrah Quarter on the left, and to the right the Salesian Street leading to the International Nativity Museum and the Salesian's Convent. On going up 50 meters (150 feet), you find on the next intersection the Cave Museum and the Lutheran Church on your left, and the Salesian Technical School on your right. Continuing on your walk, you will pass al-Madbassah square then al-Bandak's building housing the Grand Hotel. At that point another street intersects with Paul VI St. leading to Star Hotel, St. Joseph's Nuns' Convent and girls' school, and to Bethlehem University. If you continue your walk in the main street, you reach another intersection known as Cinema Square. On the right, a one way road leads to the Arab Women's Union Society. On the left, Nasser street leads to the Shepherd Hotel, the Monastery of Betharram Fathers, the Carmelite Sisters' Convent, College des Frères and the new Rosary Sisters' Convent. Walking down Paul VI street, on your right is the Holy Family Hospital and church run by the Sisters of Charity. Beside the Hospital there is a Créche, which usually has some 90-100 orphans and straight ahead you reach the cross-road known as bab-iz-qaq. Walking through Paul VI street is enjoyable for visitors and shoppers of all tastes for they can find a variety of items.

The Star Street

Star Street begins at al-Manara Square, two minutes away from Manger Square, and continues to the site of the Wells of David. Leaving Star Square, you turn to the right through the old town and continue through Qaus Az-Zararah, known as the oldest principal gate to the town. Below you on the right is St. Joseph Secondary School for girls (1883). On the left there is the Greek Catholic Church. The stairway leads up to the International Nativity Museum. Continuing on, you pass on the left the Convent of the Rosary Sisters, founded in 1893. This part of town is called Ras Efteis. A road on the right leads into the Catholic Action Club and the Wells of David. Below, on the Manger Street there are the Church and school of the Syriac Catholics now run by the Dominican Sisters of Catherine of Siena. On the left the road leads to the shopping area of Manger Street.

Al-Madbassah Square

Al-Madbassah Square in the Old City of Bethlehem is near the Lutheran Church and in front of the Salisian convent. The Square lies on top of a hill, which constitutes the western gate or entrance to the old city of Bethlehem. In the old days, the square was the site of a molasses mill, where Bethlehemites came to make dibis (molasses) out of their grapes.

The Old Center

If one scans Bethlehem's horizon, there is an unusual array of towers and belfries, domes and spires, houses of worship of all kinds, redtiled roofs of monasteries and convents. Along its steep streets and lanes flows the daily life; the market place, the little retail shops, the children pouring out of school, and the cafes where the men haggle and gossip over little cups of Turkish coffee.  The narrow Bethlehem roads were paved with stone. Some were topped by rocky arches supported by the house walls from two sides, bearing houses and windows which give you a charming idea about the art of architecture in those days. It cannot be denied that the impressions left with visitors when touring the old city with its unique architectural styles and the strong oriental presence, will never be forgotten.

UNESCO has worked together with the Municipality of Bethlehem to put together the elements for a plan of preservation and enhancement of the old center of the town, to recover its old charm, restore its architectural pattern, and save the Palestinian cultural heritage of this historic town on the eve of the twenty first century. The project is intended, in particular, to rehabilitate certain public areas of the old town center. UNESCO took the initiative to organize a roving photographic exhibition “ Bethlehem 2000” which offers a compendium of 80 images of today's Bethlehem to raise the awareness of the public and donors.

People & Houses

People & Houses

Behind its often dilapidated facades, Bethlehem conceals a precious heritage. Apart from the many impressive religious buildings, churches, schools and convents, the town still retains a number of magnificent centuries-old houses, some architectural features of which may date back to the 16th and 17th centuries. Byzantine, Islamic, Crusader, Turkish and British remains and monuments intermingle with European architecture and blend with the local Palestinian style to form a unique and challenging heritage. Bethlehem's historic residential quarters developed through the ages represent part of the cultural heritage of Bethlehem. The quarters came together like a mosaic to form the corps around Manger Square.

Bethlehem today is more of a bustling tourist resort than the holy place one would expect. It is full of souvenir shops and restaurants which are part of the services that mark the city. Bethlehem and its satellite towns, Beit Sahour and Beit Jala have many churches, convents, schools, hospitals and charitable societies. There are also a number of mosques; the most prominant one is the Mosque of 'Umar across the square from the Church of Nativity. The visitor finds numerous foreign institutions in the town; some are of a religious nature. Among them are the Holy Family Hospital that belongs to the Knights of Malta, Efeta Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, The Children's Village S.O.S., Caritas Children's Hospital, SIRA (a Swedish Institute for the Handicapped), the Salisians' Technical School and many others.

The area of Bethlehem has a population of 61,000 half of whom are Moslems and half are Christians. The town of Bethlehem has 27,000 inhabitants, Beit Jala and Beit Sahour, the two neighboring sister towns, have respectively 13,000 and 12,000 inhabitants. Christians constitute the majority only in the two towns of Beit Jala and Beit Sahour. Among Christians, the Orthodox denomination is the largest.

Bethlehem suffered a migration drain through the twentieth century. Owing to several cruel events that befell the region since the beginning of the century, many of its inhabitants emigrated. The first strong wave of migration took place after the First World War and many left to Latin America. The continuous economic difficulties forced this migration to continue until today where we find close to 60% of the local Christians residing in the Diaspora within prosperous communities

History of Bethlehem

History of Bethlehem

Three thousand years before the birth of Christ, Bethlehem was already known as a Canaanite settlement. Canaanite tribes who settled in Palestine, built small cities surrounded by walls for protection against the attacks of raiders. One of these cities was Beit Lahama known today as Bethlehem. So, the word Bethlehem is derived from Lahmo the Chaldean god of fertility, which was adopted by the Canaanites as Lahama. In accordance with the Canaanite practice of building temples to their gods, they built a temple for Lahama on the present mount of the Nativity which overlooks the fertile valleys of the region. Walls, ramparts and other structures in different sites in Bethlehem clearly establish its Canaanite origin 3000 years before the birth of Jesus.

Bethlehem was mentioned around 1350 BC in the Tell al-Amarna letters, from the Egyptian governor of Palestine to the Pharaoh Amenhotep III. It was depicted as an important staging and rest stop for travelers from Syria and Palestine going to Egypt. The letters also signify that it was a border city of mid-Palestine and an outpost looking out towards the desert. The Philistines had a garrison stationed in Bethlehem because it was a strong strategic point. They entered the land of the Canaanites, mingled with its people and settled in the southern coasts between Jaffa and Gaza. The Philistines had achieved military supremacy over the greater part of the country around 1200 BC, and called it Palestine.

The narrative of the Old Testament mentions Bethlehem in the first book of the Bible when Jacob, son of Abraham, and his family were journeying to the city of Hebron passing by Bethlehem (Ephrata) (Genesis 35: 16-19). There, his wife Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin, and he buried her by the side of the Bethlehem Road where her tomb has been a shrine to this day: "And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem." In that time, Bethlehem was a small, walled town erected on a hill in the northern part of the present town of Bethlehem. The name of Bethlehem (Ephrata) "the fruitful" itself suggests a pastoral and agricultural life. The tale of Ruth, the Moabite, and Boaz suggests an atmosphere of idyllic rusticity that is still obvious today (Ruth 2-4). Ruth's grandson was King David of whose lineage Christ was born.

A decree of Caesar Augustus, ordering the taking of a census in all the provinces of the Roman Empire, brought Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Micah, spoken 750 years before: "And thou, Bethlehem Ephrata, art a little one among the thousands of Juda: out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be the ruler of his people"(Mikha 5:2). When Jesus was born in Bethlehem,  Herod the Great was a vassal of Rome and in 6 AD Palestine was incorporated in the imperial province of Syria.  Emperor Hadrian in 135 AD profaned the sanctity of the Grotto of the Nativity and turned it into a pagan shrine.

From Hadrian's time until the reign of Constantine, the population worshipped Adonis in the cave where the infant Jesus was born. Palestine, consequently, was officially pagan as was the whole Roman empire until 313 when Constantine proclaimed Christianity as the religion of the state. In the year 325 the Bishop of Jerusalem, St. Maccarius, took the opportunity of acquainting the Emperor Constantine with the neglected condition of the Holy Places in his diocese. Thus, the Emperor ordered the construction, at public expense, of monumental churches to commemorate the three principal events of Jesus' life: Nativity, Crucifixion and Resurrection. One of these was a church enshrining the scene of the Nativity. Christian traditions were so clear and deeply rooted that there was no problem in locating the correct place. Among the trees, not far from the village, was a cave which the local people and their parents had known for generations to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ. The cave was made the center of a scheme for the church and work began the following year (326 AD)

Toward the end of the 4th century, Bethlehem became a very important center of monastic life. In 384 AD St. Jerome arrived from Rome with a group of pilgrims. He came to Bethlehem to continue his work in the atmosphere of monastic life. He devoted himself to the tremendous task with which Pope St. Damasus had entrusted him, namely to review all old Latin translations of the Bible and produce a new version, the Vulgate, based on original Hebrew and Greek texts. Two Roman ladies of noble origin, St. Paula and her daughter Eustochium moved to Bethlehem in 386 to lead an ascetic life along with St. Jerome. They founded the earliest monastic community in Bethlehem which has lasted, with some interruption, to this day. Paula used her riches to build a hospice for pilgrims and two monasteries, one for St. Jerome and his followers, and the other for herself and the nuns.

When the Roman empire was divided in 395 into two empires, eastern and western, Palestine was attached to Byzantium, the eastern part. In the following years the life of the Latin-speaking communities of Bethlehem faded from view, eclipsed by the growth and more spectacular austerities of an eastern monasticism. As a result, the town of Bethlehem prospered and its population increased with the spread of churches, monasteries, and convents in Bethlehem itself, and the surrounding areas.  In AD 527 Justinian became Emperor in Constantinople. Under his reign Palestine witnessed a time of prosperity and expansion for its churches and for monasticism. Afterwards, in 529, the Samaritans rebelled against the Byzantine state and overran the country, plundering and destroying as they went. Churches and monasteries, towns and villages were all pillaged or gutted by fire. The walls of Bethlehem and its main church were destroyed. The revolt was soon quelled. At the same time the church was rebuilt in a grand style. The town wall and the defenses of the monasteries were repaired.

A few years later (614) the country was invaded by the Persians. According to an oral tradition, they did not cause any damage to the Church of the Nativity because they saw the pictures of the three Magi dressed as Persians, carrying gifts to Christ at his birth. Outside and above the roof of the narthex, the gable end overlooking the atrium was decorated with a mosaic scene of the birth of Christ with his mother holding the Child to her breast. In 637, soon after his entry into Jerusalem, the Muslim Caliph 'Umar ibn al-Khattab visited Bethlehem. The relations between 'Umar and the ecclesiastical authorities were friendly and a written agreement was granted to the Patriarch Sofronious. The tolerant policy was maintained by Umar's successors till 1009. In that year a fanatic Caliph, al-Hakim, the one who had destroyed the Holy Sepulcher, declared a real persecution against Christians. However, Bethlehem was once more spared because al-Hakim wished to continue receiving the tribute Christians had been paying since Umar's day.

The conquest of Palestine by the Crusaders in the year 1099 began a new chapter in the history of Bethlehem. Within a short time the Franks took over from the local clergy and installed a community of Augustinian canons under a prior who conducted services in the Latin language. The Crusaders reconstructed the town and made it a fortified outpost. They remained for about two centuries during which the town of Bethlehem prospered. Some of them intermarried with the local people and settled down. The 12th century opened Bethlehem to European social and ecclesiastical influences to an unprecedented extent. From every country, pilgrims could now visit the Holy Places bringing with them offerings to the church and prosperity to the merchants whose shops were built in front of it. In 1100, the Crusader King Baldwin succeeded in having Pope Pascal II establish a bishopric in Bethlehem.

In 1187, Saladin the Ayyubite captured Bethlehem. Although the Church of the Nativity was unharmed, the relations with the West were abruptly cut off, and the Latin Bishop and Canons were forced to leave. The life of the local people was seriously affected by the expulsion of the Latin community and the temporary interruption of the stream of western pilgrims on which the Bethlehemites primarily depended. However, because of two treaties, one signed by emperor Frederick II and Malek el-Kamel, sultan of Egypt, and the second by the king of Navarre and the Sultan of Damascus, Bethlehem was in Christian hands from 1229 to 1244. The Canons of St. Augustine could return to their convent and the Basilica was once more opened to the Christian world.

In 1250, the Ayyubid Dynasty was replaced in Egypt by Circassian Mamlukes, and the accession of the fanatical Sultan Rukn ed-Din Beibars brought an end to the tradition of tolerance that helped safeguard the Holy places. In 1263, Beibars ordered the dismantling of the towers and walls of Bethlehem. The church itself was not damaged, which gave rise to a legend that a serpent bit the marbles and cracked them, so that the Sultan could not take them to Cairo, as he wished. However, the Christians were banished from Bethlehem.

In the following century, western influences were reinforced; monks from the order of the Franciscan Friars Minor were established in Bethlehem in the old Augustinian priory, where they still reside.  The Franciscan Fathers had acquired possession of the grotto in 1347 and also, the right to administer the Basilica and to care for its maintenance. The Franciscan Custos, Giovanni, obtained from the Sultan Qaita Bey consent to renovate the roof of the Church of the Nativity. A few years later European influences at Bethlehem were set back by the expulsion of the Catholic Latin clergy for the second time.

With the Turkish occupation in 1517, the period of conflict between the Franciscans and the Greeks for the possession of the Sanctuaries began. Consequently, the Basilica passed from the Franciscans to the Greeks according to the favor enjoyed at the Sublime Porte (Ottoman Caliph) by the nation which supported the communities (Catholics or Orthodox). Under the Turkish regime the question of ownership and rights in the Holy Places took on an increasingly political and even international dimension. The first question in the dispute between France and Russia was concerned with the possession of the key to the main doors of the Basilica. The second was concerned with the mysterious removal, one night in the year 1847, of a silver star bearing a Latin inscription, which was put into a slab of marble beneath the altar of the Nativity. However, between the 17th and 18th centuries Bethlehem was on the verge of modern times. Long and continuous contact by the local people with travelers from Western Christendom had familiarized them with the manners and tastes of Western countries, and improved their economic condition.

Palestine was under Egyptian rule for ten years beginning in 1831. However, during this period, robbery and violence were too common, and the murder of a favorite of Ibrahim Pasha in 1834, resulted in the destruction of the Moslem quarter of the town and the disarming of the whole population. By 1841 Bethlehem was again under Turkish rule. The result was unemployment, oppression, compulsory military service and heavy taxes imposed on the inhabitants. This oppressive situation forced the people of Bethlehem to emigrate abroad, especially to the Americas, to earn a living and improve their life-style. By the end of the 19th century, several European missionaries came to Bethlehem and built schools.

The Turkish rule ended in 1917, and Palestine was placed under the British Mandate. At that time, the inhabitants of Bethlehem numbered about 8000. When the British withdrew from Palestine in 1948 the population of Bethlehem was 11,696. Wars between Arabs and Jews continued and the latter occupied most of Palestine and declared their state 'Israel'. The town of Bethlehem remained unoccupied and towards the end of 1948, the union of the eastern part of Palestine and Trans-Jordan was declared under the name of the Hashemite  Kingdom of Jordan. A second war between the Arabs and Israelis broke out in 1967, and the latter occupied the remainder of Palestine including Bethlehem. Bethlehem remained under the Israeli occupation until December 22, 1995 when the Palestinian Authority took over in compliance with the Oslo Accord of 1993.

In September 1993 Israel and the PLO signed the Oslo Accord. Among its provisions, the accord called for a five-year interim period of Palestinian Autonomy in the West Bank and Gaza at the end of which the final status of the occupied territories will be decided. However, the implementation of the accord met setbacks resulting from the intransigence of the Israeli extremists.