eastiseverywhere:Silver star marking the spot where Jesus was born, Church of the Nativity, Bethlehe

eastiseverywhere:Silver star marking the spot where Jesus was born, Church of the Nativity, BethlehemPalestine[Source], [Source], [Source], [Source], [Source], [Source]Just wanna remind everyone that Jesus was born in Asia. The Gospels of Luke and Matthew state that he was born in Bethlehem, which currently lies in the boundaries of the West Bank, Palestine.Jesus was, as everyone knows, Jewish. (Tip of the nib to @femme-and-furious.) However, Bethlehem’s now a Muslim-majority city, with a substantial Christian population that caters to all the pilgrims who come in to visit the holy sites. That population fluctuates wildly - they’ve got comparatively better financial and educational backgrounds, and so they’re more mobile, which means that they flow in and out depending on whether there’s violence happening.The Muslims and Christians get along pretty well, though, according to Rick Steves: For over a hundred years, the Mosque of Omar has shared Manger Square with the Church of the Nativity. Jesus and Mary are both a big deal for Muslims. I had a joyous interview with an imam after filming a prayer service in his mosque. He explained, “Bethlehem is holy for Muslims as well as Christians. For Muslims, Jesus is a major prophet. We also revere Mother Mary. In fact, an entire chapter in the Quran is named for her.” We sat cross-legged on the carpet of his mosque for an interview. I asked him to let me hear how he talks to God (but in English) and his prayer literally brought me to tears.Of course, this closeness has led to sticky situations, like that time in 2002 when Palestinian militants took refuge in the Church of the Nativity and the IDF held it under siege for 39 days.Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles TimesA Palestinian passes through the sanctuary of Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity during the last week of the siege. The men inside prayed twice a day, facing the right wall of the church, toward Mecca. Many slept in the sanctuary under blankets with their assault rifles near their heads. They cooked meals of weed soup and fried leaves. Palestine (2002)[Source] -- source link

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