Study Abroad at BYU-Jerusalem: Bethlehem

Bethlehem was about a 30-minute drive from Jerusalem. It’s beautiful and some parts remind me up the old city. We first went to the Herodian where Herod the Great is buried. We got to see temple ruins and go underneath and visit his burial site. They have a square where you can go in the market and bargain with like 5 olive wood shops in a row. Olive wood is very popular in Bethlehem and a lot cheaper there than Jerusalem. We got to stop at multiple churches as well. Church of the Nativity was the most famous one where we pulled up the wooded floor to see the original mosaic floor they used thousands of years ago. The church is a traditional site where millions of people through out time have been coming to. The pillars are from the first century Egypt and the paintings have been collected throughout history. They are all faded, and I think it’s partly due to bright light and non-restoration of them. It’s really amazing to be in a church where so many people have spent their whole lives trying to visit and see their dedication in Christianity. We went to a couple other churches, including one that they worshipped the milk spilt from Mary’s breast when feeding baby Jesus. There was a place in square where there were different nativity sets from all around the world. For dinner, we ate in a tent restaurant eating fresh pita with hummus and salsa, and different kinds of meat as well (like sharma). And on the bus to each of these sites, we sang Christmas carols. It was so fun. We ended the night sitting out in Shepherd’s Field, while watching the sunset and having a Christmas program. Students read the Nativity story from the scriptures and then we also got to hear from students singing Christmas hymns. After, we got free time to go off on our own and ponder this site. I wish I could capture the feeling and view of overlooking Bethlehem at night under a starry sky. It looked like a picture. Some of the best moments I’ve gotten from this trip were spent pondering on my own and studying the scriptures. I’ll always have the pictures of the Bethlehem city lights across the way under a bright starry night sky.