Bethlehem half-day tour

 I signed up a half-day Commerical tour to visit Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, whom Christians believe to be Messiah and Son of God. It will s located only 10 km (6 miles) south of the Old City of Jerusalem within the West Bank, yet within the Palestinian Authority. The tour started with the Star Street along which the three wise men following the star to locate the family of Jesus. Then we walked via the market to the Church of Nativity, and the Milk Grotto Chapel (where Mary spilled drops of breast milk while feeding Jesus before the Holy Family's escape to Egypt, turning the cavern milky white. The white powder scrapped from the cave is also sold as a fertility medicine inside the chapel).

The alleged site of Jesus' birth, is located in an cave in the church of Nativity, and the original Manger where Jesus was born was a cave, not a shed. We waited almost one hour in line to see a star marking the exact location of Jesus' birth in the cave, but the original Manger was occupied by a church group service. 

It was very hot today, so I hide in the hostel the whole afternoon. In the evening, I participated in the hostel‘s Shabbat ceremony, then took a walk on the empty street.  During Shabbat, Jewish people remember the story of creation from the Torah where God created the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th day.

Shabbat started with blessing and red wine, the lighting of candles, a further blessing by the father, known as the Kiddush, then eating Special plaited bread, known as challah, and a meal.