Bethlehem - Palestine
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denben
N 31° 42.263 E 035° 12.428
36R E 709164 N 3509787
The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is a major Christian holy site, as it marks the traditional place of Christ's birth.
Waymark Code: WMMPJ7
Location: Palestine
Date Posted: 10/20/2014
Views: 8
The Church of the Nativity is considered to be the oldest continuously operating Christian church in the world. A church was first completed in ad 339 and the present edifice that replaced it after a fire in the 6th century retains elaborate floor mosaics from the original building. The site also includes Latin, Greek Orthodox, Franciscan and Armenian convents and churches, as well as bell towers, terraced gardens and a pilgrimage route.
The Grotto of the Nativity, an underground cave located beneath the basilica, enshrines the site where Jesus is said to have been born. The exact spot is marked beneath an altar by a 14-pointed silver star set into the marble floor and surrounded by silver lamps. This altar is denominationally neutral, although it features primarily Armenian Apostolic influences. Another altar in the Grotto, which is maintained by the Roman Catholics, marks the site where traditionally Mary laid the newborn Baby in the manger.
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