PHOTOGRAPHY | PALESTINE

Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem

I saw the centuries-old stone riddled with bullets

My Journeys in Palestine: photo essays narrated using quotes from Fugitive Dreams

(Not a Medium Member? Read full article here.)

Birthplace of Jesus, the Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, Palestine (Photo by the author, 2019)

‘The oldest church in the world still in use, it was built in the 4th century AD, almost like a fortress, connected to the outside world by a tiny door.’

My six-year-old could barely walk through the door without bending (Photos by the author, 2017)

Mass at the Church of the Nativity (Photo by the author, 2017)

Lighting a candle by the star marking the birthplace of Jesus (Photos by the author, 2017 and 1993)

Life-sized nativity scene (Photos by the author, 2017)

Mosaics and paintings, only recently uncovered, that were previously hidden by layers of smoke and oil from burning candles (Photos by the author, 2019)

Hallway and courtyard inside the Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem (Photos by the author, 2019)

Outside the Church

Street scene behind the Church of the Nativity and the Milk Grotto (Photos by the author, 2004)

Traditional Palestinian embroidered dresses at a shop in the old city of Bethlehem (Photo by the author, 2004)

The 2002 Re-invasion