Endangered Site: Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem
The 1,700-year-old basilica, believed to mark the birthplace of Jesus Christ, has survived invasions, rebellions and earthquakes
- By Abigail Tucker
- Smithsonian magazine, March 2009, Subscribe
Feuding monks at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem don't just cast the first stone—they stockpile rocks in anticipation of future altercations. Several holy men landed in the hospital two Christmases ago after a fight broke out over the dusting of church chandeliers. The occasional brawls at the 1,700-year-old basilica, believed to mark the birthplace of Jesus Christ, reflect the difficulty of housing three Christian denominations under a single roof.
And now that roof is rotting, threatening the structural integrity of the building. Parts of the wooden truss structure date to the 15th century, and holes in the timbers allow dirty water to drip upon the precious paintings and mosaics below. The problem has been worsening for decades, but the resident clerics—from the Greek Orthodox and Armenian Orthodox churches and the Franciscan order of the Roman Catholic Church—are jealous of each other's claims of custody and have been unable to agree on a plan of action. Despite the Palestinian Authority's recent effort to intervene, historians despair of saving the place.
"It is in the direst need of the greatest care," says Jaroslav Folda, a University of North Carolina professor emeritus of art history who studies the Crusader paintings on the basilica's red limestone columns. "This church is one of the holiest sites in Christianity. It is the victim here."
The fortresslike basilica is one of the oldest continuously operating churches in the world, having survived—some would say miraculously—various invasions, regime changes, fires, earthquakes and, most recently, the 2002 siege of Bethlehem, when armed Palestinians hid in the church from Israeli forces for weeks. Some wonder if the church has been spared only to be destroyed by the people who cherish it the most. The atmosphere of hostility "taints the holy place," says the Rev. Jerome Murphy-O'Connor, a Roman Catholic priest who teaches archaeology at the École Biblique in Jerusalem.
Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, which controls Bethlehem, promised last November that his government would help organize a roof restoration effort and set up a fund for donations. But money isn't the issue. In fact, all three churches seem to want the historic privilege of picking up at least part of the tab, as a means of edging out the competition.
The Church of the Nativity was built around A.D. 330 by the first Christian Roman Emperor Constantine and was mostly destroyed—possibly during a Samaritan rebellion in A.D. 529—though parts of the original mosaic floor remain. Soon after, the Byzantine Emperor Justinian rebuilt the church in a bigger, grander fashion—largely the structure that remains today. In A.D. 614, the Persians, who razed many other churches during wars with Byzantium, spared the Church of the Nativity, supposedly out of respect for a mosaic of the Magi shown wearing Persian attire.
When the Crusaders conquered the Holy Land in 1099, they sent a force of 100 knights to guard the church; eventually, artists from this era embellished the building with their own mosaics and column paintings of saints, done in the rare encaustic method, with pigment suspended in wax.
Political control of Bethlehem has flip-flopped many times since. (The church's famous entrance, the four-foot-high "Door of Humility," was built not to make pilgrims bow but rather to repel looters on horse- and camel-back after the Crusades.) The question of which Christians had the rights to what parts of the church eventually got so tense that the Ottoman sultans, who ruled over Palestine from the 1500s through World War I, instigated an unwritten system now known as the Status Quo, which mandates that things be done as they were always done. Anyone who has previously processioned down a certain aisle, used a particular cupboard or hung a given tapestry has exclusive rights to that task or item.
However, if someone else manages to use or care for an object, ownership passes to them.
"You know, 'If you break it, you buy it'?" says Adam Porter, an associate professor of religion at Illinois College. "Well, this is, 'If you clean it, you own it.'"
The highly publicized fight at Christmas two years ago was essentially a territorial dispute. The Greeks were cleaning an Armenian-controlled part of the church, and custom dictated that they could dust the chandeliers by standing on a ladder set up in an appointed place. But the Greeks tried to move their ladder, encroaching on Armenian turf.
"Well," says Raymond Cohen, an international relations professor at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, "they had to know this was like waving a red rag in front of a bull."
Religious officials in the region say that what seem like petty scuffles are part of a larger struggle.
"Our concern would be if we stood back and did not try to defend the rights of two billion Catholics," says the Rev. Garret Edmunds, a Franciscan friar who is the Vice Commissary of the Holy Land in Washington, D.C. and lives in Jerusalem for half the year. "Even things less consequential than replacing a roof, like cleaning a step, are important. If the [Greek Orthodox] were allowed to repair the roof without complaint or concern, 100 years from now they could say, 'In 2008, we paid for the roof and that is a sign of our ownership.'"
Cohen says the Palestinian Authority's intervention is a promising sign—not because of the funds it might raise, but because it represents outside leadership. He wrote a book about another charged restoration project at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, which was badly damaged after a 1927 earthquake. With later supervision from the Jordanian government, the custodial churches were able to begin negotiations, which lasted a mere ten years.
"Do I think the repairs [to the Church of the Nativity] will happen in the near future? I don't, but you have to start somewhere," Cohen says. "Sometimes the behavior is so childish—you can't believe these are grown men. You've got to knock heads together and say, 'Guys, we're taking charge.' "
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Comments (22)
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Although I see that the most recent post was made about 8 months ago, I'm going to go ahead and put my "Two Cents" in. I JUST visited this place 5 days ago for the third time and I will NEVER GO BACK!! I was on an organized tour all 3 times and SERIOUSLY considered not going 5 days ago. I sincerely DOUBT this is "the" cave where Jesus was born, first of all. SECOND OF ALL, the "holy" men (priests?? is THAT what they have the NERVE to call themselves??) are nothing short of the most EVIL people I've ever met. They are NOT in-dwelt by the Holy Spirit and frankly?? While always a generous person, I wouldn't give a nickel to "save/repair" this place. The "church", if it really IS a church (I have SIGNIFICANT DOUBTS on this!) belongs to GOD!! NOT to these ridiculous "men" who actually yell "Shut Up" to visitors. Do yourself a favor and STAY OUT OF BETHLEHEM altogether. Except for possibly supporting the Arab Christians (which IS WORTHWHILE), there is no other reason to go there. Overall, the place is filthy and that a wall needed to be built around the town by the Israeli government? NO surprise to me! BUT...DO pray for the Arab Christians there...AND?? if you decide to go, frequent THEIR stores, NOT the awful Palestinians ones. And ALWAYS: Pray for the PEACE OF JERUSALEM!!
Posted by Nancy on March 30,2011 | 04:42 PM
Dear Pastor or Bishop
Your church is very beautiful.
God Bless you more
Your Brother in Jesus
Bishop Akhtar Gill
Pakistan
Posted by akhtar gill on July 8,2010 | 01:22 AM
I don't believe that the church is built where Jesus Christ was born. Jesus was born in a stable on the outskirts of Bethlehem. The place was like that of a series of caves or dwellings which housed animals such as mules, camels, chickens etc. It was a very humble location that was a perfect place for the Savior of the world to be born.
Posted by Rick on January 27,2010 | 02:17 PM
It is a shame, however, if you go there, you will see what they say about these holy men. It's the same at the Holy Sepulcher, where 6 different churches fight over the site. The problem is, and we are all guilty of it, that it's like 6 family members fighting over the estate of the deceased Grandfather. It's stupid, it's demeaning, but they can't help themselves. the house goes to one son, the chimney to another, the prized awards to another... and they all fight about who gets what. And there, the fights go on centuries, not days or years. Look at Isreal and Palestine. They've been fighting since Hagar and Sarah and their sons. It's a Hatfields and McCoys taken to the nth degree. So, no matter how Christian you want to be, how to you stop the feud? Sure, saying "split the cost" seems the best answer, but who pays for the tiles? Who pays for the nails? And no one wants a secular government to come in because that could mean secular rules... and that could spell the end of religion or tradition in this place. It is a shame, but how do you fix it? Not simply, that's for sure.
Posted by annie on January 4,2010 | 09:14 AM
i am an asian catholic christian. for some reasons, i may never set foot in the church of the nativity, but really it never is a big deal to me. in the past, i was a bit troubled that my religion is an imported one. but it dawned on me that jesus' teachings are universal, and that made me to accept wholeheartedly the religion i was born into. after reading this article, it affirmed my belief that lots of people in this planet, and that includes peoples of all religion attaching importance to places and things that relate to the prophets, saints, or founders of their beliefs, are fools. these places and things are good for tourist consumption, but they offer little help for one's spiritual upliftment. christians quarelling over whose turf is it, whose got the right which corner in the church where supposedly jesus was born?!!! what a shame!
Posted by edi on December 21,2009 | 08:36 AM
I visited the Church in 2008. It was a wonderful experience. If those currently responsible for maintaining it cannot work together they must be relieved of this responsibility. The Church must be maintained and petty fighting is only destroying it. The responsibility of repairing the Church must not involve local politics in anyway or it will simply become a flashpoint more than it already is. Appoint a governing body that will determine what needs to be done and get the repairs done. This governing body does not need to be clergymen.
Posted by David on December 3,2009 | 05:24 PM
I visited there in 2001. While I lament the conflicts of those sharing control of the site; I was impressed by the faithful who meet there each day and pray for peace. There was also something very special that touched my spirit in a remarkable way of being able to visit the site where it is believed Jesus was born. It was also very sad to see all the shops closed and hear of the hardship the lack of tourists causes an economy so dependent upon them. I pray for the day when there will be peace in the Holy Land and those who claim Abraham as a common ancestor may live together in peace.
Posted by David E Smith on November 13,2009 | 06:00 PM
It's obvious these men don't have the Holy Spirit in them. If they love Jesus, they would know that this place belongs to God, not them. They're like the Pharisees. I can tell your hearts are with Jesus. We need to pray for them.
Posted by Elaina on September 25,2009 | 03:47 PM
I visited this place in 1994. It is amazing that it is still standing, even in the face of pride & prejudice & all that goes with it. How can these people who profess to love our Lord Jesus Christ act the way they do? This does not reflect well on Christianity. In this day & time we are confused as to who can stand up to hostility & hate by those who stand for this or that religion, expecting all who look upon them to understand. This building stands today as a monument to the faith that many do not recognize, understand, nor care about. Now we are involved in a war against terrorism, & I wonder if we will ever live in peace. Jesus is said to have wept over Jerusalem - I am sure he still weeps.
Posted by Lynda Reynolds on August 12,2009 | 10:40 PM
It is a sad commentary of any Christian sect that everything it professes to teach to others of the ideal Christian behavior is so lacking in the way they handle the most holy of Christian places. Is this what Christ was teaching so long ago, or has it become so twisted by the need of a few to have absolute control over others? Man has not seemed to understand what Christ said applied to each of us.
Posted by Jeanette Samuels on March 11,2009 | 09:51 PM
We tried to visit the church in March, 2008, but there was so much conflict that it was deemed unsafe. We were very disappointed, and angry that the people there seem to forget that this belongs to Christianity, not just them.
Posted by Nan Susan Hart on March 8,2009 | 03:11 PM
There is really only one way to repair the church, and that is for non-Christians to do it. However, with Bethlehem now a town with a Moslem majority, the sensible thing would be for the PA to subcontract the job to a Jewish Israeli firm. That way, the work would be done, and everyone could criticize everyone else.
Posted by Antigonos on March 7,2009 | 07:14 AM
The holiness of the grounds will always remain for those in touch with the holy spirit and God's word. True example of works of the flesh causing problems! Christ's birth in a stable is far from being represented.
Posted by Jen Freund on March 1,2009 | 10:29 AM
No matter how long - or how hard they fight with each other...the important thing to remember is that CHRISTIANITY WILL SURVIVE!
Posted by Leo Valovich on February 28,2009 | 09:30 AM
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