Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity (Church of the Nativity) and Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem , World Heritage Site in Palestine

Ten kilometers south of Jerusalem, a church was built in the 4th century after this site was identified as the land where Jesus Christ was born. The current Church of the Nativity was built in the 6th century.The World Heritage Site includes not only the Church of the Nativity itself, but also the surrounding monasteries, churches, and pilgrimage routes.

Here, a World Heritage enthusiast explains why the Church of the Nativity and pilgrimage route in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, is a World Heritage Site in an easy-to-understand manner. Read this and you will definitely learn more about Bethlehem!

What is Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem?

Bethlehem is located in a hilly area about 10 km south of Jerusalem; since the 2nd century, the caves here have been worshipped as the birthplace of Jesus Christ, and a church was built around the caves in the 4th century.However, it was destroyed by fire in the 6th century, and Justinian I gave the church its present form. Only the floor mosaics of the original church are extant.

Since then, the Church of the Nativity has been enlarged and remodeled by various denominations, and is currently administered by the Greek Orthodox Church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, and the Holy Land Trust Project. A Roman Catholic church is also located next door, and on Christmas Day, December 25, Mass is broadcast live on television. Incidentally, the date of the Nativity may be January 6 or 7, depending on the denomination, so it is not celebrated by all Christians on the same date.

Not only the Church of the Nativity, but also the Franciscan, Armenian Apostolic, and Greek Orthodox monasteries built around the church are registered.And Bethlehem is the second holiest place of Christianity after Jerusalem, and is now visited by many people as a pilgrimage site. The road leading from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, including the path followed by Joseph and Mary, is famous as a pilgrimage route.

Reason for registration as a Critical Heritage Site

To begin with, the Church of the Nativity was applied for by Palestine, which had just joined UNESCO in 2011, and was immediately inscribed on the World Heritage List as a World Heritage Site in Danger (in danger).However, there were protests from the U.S. and Israel, and after an investigation, the committee recommended that the site not be registered, which was difficult to do, but it was eventually registered by the World Heritage Committee in 2012.

Although it became the first Palestinian World Heritage Site, the U.S. consequently suspended its UNESCO dues, resulting in a significant decrease in the World Heritage Fund’s financial resources.Incidentally, the site was removed from the list of threatened heritage sites at the 2019 World Heritage Committee meeting.

Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity (Church of the Nativity) and Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem is on the World Heritage List for what reason?

Bethlehem was recognized for

Registration Criteria (iv)
The Church of the Nativity must have been an early example of church architecture in Christian history.

Registration Criteria (vi)
The Church of the Nativity and its pilgrimage route is a holy place so revered that it has been restored and expanded many times by Christians from all over the world.It means a land of faith not only for Christians but also for Muslims.

Conclusions and Thoughts of a World Heritage Maniac

Even in Asia, which is overwhelmingly Buddhist, Christmas is a well-known event, and everyone is somewhat familiar with the fact that Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem. In fact, Bethlehem was already treated as a holy place in the 4th century as the birthplace of Jesus, and the church built around the cave has been rebuilt and restored many times since then, and is a valuable example of early Christian church architecture. And the fact that it still attracts Christians from all over the world as a place of pilgrimage is also a point of appreciation.

Nevertheless, in registering the site, Israeli-Palestinian political issues have arisen, and it is a bit shaky whether the site has been properly and objectively evaluated as a heritage site.

To put a finer point on it, the historical “Jesus of Nazareth” had his home in Nazareth in the Galilee region of northern Israel, so why Bethlehem became his “birthplace” is actually a mystery….However, it is an undeniable fact that the Bible also mentions Bethlehem and that the “birthplace” is worshipped by people’s faith.

*The contents here are considerations derived from the research of World Heritage enthusiasts. As for the data, interpretation differs depending on the media.