Bethlehem

In order to visit Bethlehem, we rode out to Rachel's Crossing, one of the borders between Israel and the Palestinian Territories, and walked through security into the town. I know some people are concerned about travel there, but our experience was perfectly safe--we just had to wait in a long line to return to the Israel side, which isn't that great of an inconvenience. Once there, we headed to the site called the Shepherds' Fields, which the Catholics and Orthodox officially recognize as the cave belonging to the shepherds who were advised of Christ's death. I don't know that I'd commit myself to agreeing with them, but I did enjoy visiting the site, especially the Catholic chapel there, which is unique in design.

Next, we went to a Byzantine/Crusader-era building, the Church of the Nativity, said to enshrine the place of Christ's birth. The building's an architectural mishmash, but this comes across as charming, rather than poorly planned. I love the Crusaders' cross (or Jerusalem cross) that decorates the area.

One of the best parts of the tour of the building was getting to see the Crusader-era mosaic floors, which are still in phenomenal shape, given their age.

Another point of interest: the main figures (besides Christ, obviously) of the site. Saint George (he who slayed the dragon) is the predominant figure, seeing as he was a popular emblem of the Crusaders, but St. Jerome also has a presence, as he's buried on the grounds (and his statue stands in one of the courtyards):

After we finished our tour, we lunched across the square (of which I'm attaching a photo) in a delightful restaurant called St. George's--yum! A quick note regarding souvenirs: I would suggest that travelers consider purchasing Israeli souvenirs here. There's a large complex near the wall that is run by several Christian families who have formed a sort of co-op there. It's huge, contains a plethora of souvenirs (everything from magnets to fine jewelry to handmade crosses from olive wood), and the prices are reasonable.