b71

i keep hearing reporters refer to this as the place where xtians believe christ was born. what is this belief based on? is there anything to back up the claim or is it just another case of church propaganda taking advantage of human ignorance.

Pandora

St Jerome wrote in 395 A.D. :"Bethlehem, now ours, and the earth's most sacred spot..., was overshadowed by a grove of Thammooz, which is Adonis, and in the cave where the Infant Messiah once cried, the paramour of Venus was bewailed..." Archaeological evidence indicates that this cave was a pre-existing sacred site dedicated to Adonis.

In 325 CE the Bishop of Jerusalem informed Emperor Constantine of the neglected condition of the Holy Places. Constantine ordered the construction at public expense of churches commemorating the three principal events of Jesus' life.

The work began at once in 326. The shape of the Nativity cave was based on architectural and devotional requirements.

In 529 the church was badly damaged during a revoltThe patriarch of Jerusalem sent St Sabas to Justinian (emperor since 527) to help to restore the churches. The architect sent by Justinian pulled it down and built in its place the present church. Its essential form has not been altered since.

These sites are quite interesting:

<a href="http://www.unesco.org/archi2000/pdf/shomali.pdf" target="_blank">www.unesco.org/archi2000/pdf/shomali.pdf</a>

<a href="http://198.62.75.1/www1/ofm/sbf/essay4.pdf" target="_blank">http://198.62.75.1/www1/ofm/sbf/essay4.pdf</a>

Personally, I go with the view that Jesus never existed so I found it interesting to see in one site I read that one of the first Pope's just happened to have his father born in Bethlehem.

[ April 04, 2002: Message edited by: Pandora ]</p>

butswana

Some jack-ass reporter on tv last night said it was the place were the manger was. Alluding to the traditional story of it being some sort of shed.
Yeah, Jesus was born in a mini-barn.

CX

Actually a manger is a wooden food trough used to feed livestock. The story says only that Joseph and Mary lay Jesus in one such in a lieu of a crib. Most early references put Jesus' birth in a cave.

Ragnarok

And now we take you back to Jesus "two sheds" Christ

Jesus 2SC: Stop calling me that!

Grumpy

Notice that many media sources refer to "the Biblical town of Bethlehem." You know, the one we read about every Christmas in that big book.

In other words, reporters have to dumb down the geography for people whose concept of the area is limited to the 2nd chapter of Luke.

Anunnaki

I`ve found it interesting to hear how different reporters phrase it.......
I can live with the first one...
"Where tradition says jesus was born"

The second one starts to bother me...
"Where Cwistians believe Jesus was born"

The third one goes up my ass sideways....
"Where jesus was born"

I hope the whole fucking thing gets destroyed in the fighting.

Grumpy

I've read all those varieties, as well. Frankly, I just edit out all reference to Jesus -- because it's not relevant to current events. The name of the building where Palestinians are holed up is "Church of the Nativity." The one in Bethlehem, you know. The Bethlehem of the Bible.

It would be an insult to the intelligence of my audience to add, "...where Jesus was born!!!"

Unless Christians somehow have a stake in this real estate squabble. (Yes, I know there are Palestinian Christians.)

[ April 09, 2002: Message edited by: Grumpy ]</p>