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About Nativity Hall

The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem

The Church of the Nativity is the oldest Christian church in the world. During the Persian invasion in 614 A.D., while all of the other churches built in Emperor Constantine's reign were being razed to the ground this church was spared. Both the interior and exterior on the church were renovated by Emperor Justinian in the early part of the 6th century and were restored once again by the Crusaders. In 1333 A.D. the Franciscans were allowed to reside and pray in the church. The Church of the Nativity, together with the Holy Sepulchre Church, is jointly administered by the Franciscans (Latins) the Greeks and the Armenian Orthodox Communities.

Interior View of the Nativity Church

As one enters the small passage of the church, the above panorama is seen. Parts of the flooring are covered by wooden panels. Beneath them is what is left of the original flooring of the Constantinian Church built in 335 A.D.

The forty - four columns on either side of the church are eighteen feet high and are from the Justinian period. As one looks up on the two sidewalls, one can see the remains of the gold mosaics from the Crusade period. In the foreground is the main altar of the Greek Orthodox community. It was built over the actual cave or grotto where the birth of Jesus took place. The steps leading down to the grotto from the entrance on the right was the original entrance. Later, a second set of stairs was built which is now the exit.

Armenian Orthodox section

Above lies the Armenian Orthodox section of the church with its small but ornate altar. On the right are the exit steps coming out of the Grotto of the Nativity.

This section of the Church of the Nativity belongs to the Roman Catholics and is administered by the Franciscans. It is at this Church that the 'Midnight Mass' is televised by major TV networks. It also serves as the parish Church for the Catholic faithful and was recently renovated and enlarged for the Jubilee Year.

The Memorial Hall Project at the Church of the Nativity

A New Challenge to preserve our Christian presence in the Holy Land

Ten years ago the Franciscan Custody, which has been ministering to Christians in the Holy Land for over 800 years, established the Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land. The ministry aims to diminish the exodus of Christians from this land by providing needed programs in the fields of education, employment and housing.

In response to this challenge, the Franciscan Foundation created the "MEMORIAL HALL" at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem to help raise the much needed funding for these programs. Through this project, Christians from around the world will be able to leave a lasting legacy at the Church of the Nativity, and help provide Christians in the Holy Land renewed hope and desire to stay in the land of Jesus.

Through your generous support we will be able to strengthen the Mother Church of Christianity and its community in the Holy Land. Become our partner in this Project and join us at the Memorial Hall where you will forever be remembered as a "living guardian" of Christianity's Presence in the Holy Land.

The Memorial Hall Project is divided into two options