Alas, there is no longer a little town of Bethlehem. The three villages of Bethlehem, Beit Jala, and Beit Sahour have grown so large that you can’t tell where one ends and the other begins. Now we all know that Mary and Joseph made their way to Bethlehem so long ago. And, we know that the angels announced the birth of the Savior first to shepherds watching their flocks by night. But, chances are good that you never heard of Beit Sahour. There are a few different translations of the name, but the one I like best is “House of the Night Watch”. How can you not like it when you know that shepherds watched their flocks by night?
Located to the east of Bethlehem, Beit Sahour is traditionally believed to be the location where the shepherds were on that blessed night. I can tell you by first-hand experience that the shepherds had to run a long way to find that babe in a manger. And, most of that run was uphill.
On a free afternoon, I asked if I might see the Shepherd’s Field. Silly me; I thought I would see a field. All of Beit Sahour has grown up around the traditional site. Shepherd’s Field is located in an area owned by the Greek Orthodox Church. It is enclosed by a stone wall and contains a garden of fruit and olive trees that surround a beautiful church. It’s a soothing stroll, but the only sheep I saw were made of stone, and the only shepherd was a mosaic.
Very fortunately for me, my driver had to run an errand. It took him to the edge of Beit Sahour where I saw fields dotted with caves where shepherds might have slept and possibly corralled their flocks. And, even better, I saw sheep and goats grazing along the roadside. It’s what I envisioned I would see in Bethlehem.
Unexpectedly, I had a second visit to the Shepherd's Field -- a different one! It really shouldn't come as a surprise that there are two locations to visit. In Nazareth, there were three places where Mary received the annunciation from the angel. In Jerusalem, there are two sites claiming to be where Jesus was resurrected. And, Bethlehem offers two Shepherd's Fields. One is run by the Greek Orthodox Church and the other the Catholic Church. After visiting both sites, I have to say that the Catholics have done it so much better.
First of all, the Catholic field is much larger and so very beautiful to stroll. It is also located in Beit Sahour. The area is rich in Biblical history. Not only did the angels show up in the area to make the shepherds sore afraid, it's the same area where Jacob buried his wife, Rachel. It also where the story of Ruth and Boaz unfolded. And, not to be forgotten, it was where King David watched his flocks as a young boy.
Art inside the Church of the Angels
Entrance to the cave, inside the grotto, and the only shepherd on the grounds.
Of course, there is a lovely Catholic church on the site, the Church of the Angels. It was built in the shape of a tent (which I didn't catch) to reflect the lifestyles of the shepherds. I'm not really why they needed a tent because shepherds back then lived in caves. Of course, there is a cave on the grounds. In one of the back corners of the cave was a nativity scene.
The final stop of the Shepherd's Field tour was the newly finished chapel with an incredible stone scene of the angel's annunciation. I'm so pleased that I actually was able to do it justice. It was so very elegant.
Yep, so sad to say, there is no little town of Bethlehem anymore.