Bethlehem sits close enough to Jerusalem to be a half-day and far enough to feel like a different trip. The pace drops. The crowds thin. For anyone who has spent a fortnight preaching Advent from a study, standing in the Grotto is a quieter and stranger experience than they expect.
It is also the stop where a ministry group most often meets the local church. The olive wood workshops around Manger Square are family businesses belonging to Christian families who have been here for generations, and an hour spent talking to them is worth more than another site on the list.
Highlights
- The Church of the Nativity and the Grotto
- Shepherds’ Field
- Manger Square
- Local Christian-owned olive wood workshops
Best time to go: Paired with Jerusalem, so whenever your Jerusalem stay lands.
