Bethlehem is a city in the Israeli-occupied West Bank of the State of Palestine, located about ten kilometres south of Jerusalem. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate, and has a population of approximately 25,000 people. The city's economy is largely tourist-driven; international tourism peaks around and during Christmas, when Christians embark on a pilgrimage to the Church of the Nativity, revered as the location of the Nativity of Jesus.
From top, left to right: Church of the Nativity, Graffiti on the Israeli West Bank barrier, Chapel of the Milk Grotto, Mosque of Omar in Manger Square, Church of St. Catherine and skyline of the city
Adoration of the Shepherds (1622) by the Dutch painter Gerard van Honthorst. According to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, Jesus was born in Bethlehem.
1698 sketch by Cornelis de Bruijn
A painting of Bethlehem by Vasily Polenov, 1882
Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in the southern Levant region of West Asia. It encompasses two disconnected territories — the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, collectively known as the Palestinian territories — within the larger region of Palestine. The country shares its borders with Israel to north, west and south, Jordan to the east and Egypt to the southwest. It has a combined land area of 6,020 square kilometres (2,320 sq mi) while its population exceeds five million people. Its proclaimed capital is Jerusalem while Ramallah serves as its administrative center and Rafah is currently its largest city. Arabic is the official language. The majority of Palestinians practice Islam while Christianity also has a significant presence.
Jericho is regarded as one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world
Women at the Western Wall
Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem is the third holiest site in Islam
Saladin — founder of the Ayyubid dynasty and is known as the "conqueror of Jerusalem"
