Bethlehem & Hebron Tour (Part 2)

After lunch we headed to a refugee camp. This camp is home to approximately 5000 people displaced from the 1948 boundry and Israeli construction. At first these displaced people lived in tents for roughly three years until the UN came in and started housing them. This means that some have been refugees here for over 60 years! As we walked the streets and observed the graffiti and murals, we also saw UN buildings, doors covered in bullet holes, and young children running the streets. On the main street is a section with names of displaced people under the title “We Will Return.” There is also a mural, read from right to left, depicting the progression of these people’s lives as farmers to being forced from their land, living in tents, and holding onto the hope of returning to their land. The symbol of a key refers to one of the few things these Palestinians took with them when they were displaced, and many still have their old keys as they hope to return home. Another symbol is the number “194,” which refers to the UN Resolution for Palestinian return and compensation, but this never happened. Palestinians were to receive 22% of land and currently Level A is only 20%. Included in the mural is a church next to a mosque to show that Christians and Muslims live peaceable here (unlike the media presents).

Mural with names of those who lost homes

"Here only tiger can survive....where only birds & butterfly are free"

Section of the mural in the refugee camp

Story telling mural in refuge camp - church & mosque represent religions living peaceable side by side

Under key symbol in the refugee camp

We rode a few blocks away and get out to walk along a large wall that the Israeli government started building in 2002 in order to make an Israeli road between two settlements (the road connects Hebron and Bethlehem to Jerusalem). Israel claims this is needed for security purposes. When the wall is built it will be more than 900km (100% longer than the green line on the territory maps, because it zigzags through neighborhoods). Along the wall are posters of displaced Palestinian’s who’ve turned the wall into a stage for giving voice to their situation. It is heartbreaking to read some of these stories. As we walk our guide points out a smaller wall that was built around an olive tree, as olive trees are considered to be valuable and worth building around rather than uprooting. He also points out that any building that is near the wall and taller than it is considered to be a threat, and that people living in these buildings are not allowed to live above the 3rd floor. Additionally, there is a house that must keep the shades closed at all times and not use the portion of the house above the wall. Also along the wall people have used graffiti to make their voice known. The boys got the opportunity to leave their mark on the wall.

A city wall built around an olive tree so as not to uproot it

Settlers Highway through Palestinian land - only Israelis may use the road
and they have constructed a massive wall around it in Palestinian lands

This home (built years before the wall) is not allowed to open its windows or use the floors
above the height of the wall because of proximity to the settlers highway

G leaving his mark, "A Cross and the word 'HOPE'"

Leaving some hope on the wall

As we drove towards Bethlehem we noticed USAid signs and asked how the US was viewed in all of this. We were told that people here like Hezbollah and Hamas because they help and support them. Technically the Palestinian government is ruled by the PLO, but Hamas won the last election in Hebron, which shows just how desperate these people are. While there is some USAid here, some people won’t accept US money because the US also supports Israel. Our guide stopped and insisted we try knafa for dessert. This was kind of him, and much different than we’d expected as he’d been talking about getting us a sweet treat. It was some type of melted cheese with a fried topping of bread crumbs on the top. Different…

Every place has to have a version of "Starbucks"

We moved on to Bethlehem, where tensions are lower and we visited the Church of the Nativity. We learned how the Persians attacked and destroyed all churches in Israel expect this one because of a picture of the magi that is in the church. The Persians saw this picture and thought that if their kings showed respect here and were respected in this place, that they should be respectful also, and the church was spared. We were able to go down in a cave-area to see an altar with a large star in the floor under it which supposedly marks the place where Jesus was born to the Virgin Mary. We learned that this was most likely in the back of the stable, unlike our manger displays, because Mary would’ve wanted privacy, it would’ve been cold and the back of the barn area would’ve been warmer, and that people in those days often brought their animals in to provide warmth and protection and the animals were typically at the front of the room.

Small door forces one to bow in reverence at the Church of the Nativity

Star on floor marks area where Jesus was born

Unfortunately, the Church of the Nativity has its own areas of contention. The church is shared by Catholics, Greek Orthodox, and Armenians. Every year December 31st is cleaning day and if any water is splashed across the denomination line, that priest will get beat up. Also, each denomination owns a part of the cave and has specific time for prayer. If the designated person for that denomination is late to prayer, the denomination will lose it’s right to prayer in the cave forever.

Interestingly, this church commemorating the birth of our Savior, which Christians celebrate on December 25th, has three different dates for celebrating this event. The Catholics celebrate on December 25, the Greek Orthodox, which are 85% of Israeli Christians, celebrate on January 7, and the Armenians celebrate on January 18th.

Our last stop of the day was to the Shepherd’s Field. Not only is this the location of the fields where the shepherds were watching their sheep by night when the angel appeared to announce the Savior’s birth (Luke 2: 8-18), but this is also Boaz’s field that Ruth gleaned wheat from in the book of Ruth. These fields were actually owned by our guide’s family at one point in history. It was interesting to learn how shepherds disciplined a stray sheep by twisting it’s leg after finding it and causing their to be pain in the leg so that when the sheep tries to walk it winces. The shepherd will then carry the sheep and provide for all its needs for roughly 10 days until it is healed, and during these 10 or so days, the shepherd is building a relationship of trust and care with the sheep so that it will not go astray again. Again, with the positioning of the animals in a pen or cave, our guide explained that Jesus’s illustration in John 10 would’ve been something that the shepherds would’ve completely related to.

Fountain in the Shepherds field

Selfie with our guide

There was a lot to process in everything that we’d observed during this unforgettable tour – not only from a Biblical perspective, but from a human rights and historical perspective. It was not an easy day, but we all agreed that we were glad to have this unique insight into these lands. Many tourists don’t visit Bethlehem or Hebron as they are a ways outside of Jerusalem and viewed as risky. It is truly unfortunate as they miss such a big picture of what modern day life is like in Israel, and what the media is not telling.