Do you know that? Palestine - City of Bethlehem I.

 When I thought of another Christmas theme of this piece, I realized that although the holiday of peace all around, little is known about where it all began. I am not an expert on religion and certainly geography tells me more, but even so I will try to bring you some of the story of the city where it all began.

The city, whose Arabic name is Beit Lachi, in a literal translation from the Hebrew "house of meat" "House of bread", is located in the autonomous territories of Palestine today in the central part of the West Bank. It lies about 10 kilometres from Jerusalem, Israel's largest city, which is considered by many as a major city, even though the administrative function in Tel Aviv. About 30 thousands of the capital city of the same Bethlehem governorate is also one of the most visited destinations of tourist interest. According to the Torah and New Testament, the city was the scene of important historical acts which are (according to the Torah), the coronation of King David - King of Israel and especially the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, which is described in the Gospel of Matthew and Luke in the New Testament.

Bethlehem Holy land has always been a place of contention was whether it was a religious belief, national borders, access to the Mediterranean Sea or simply attempt to conquer this or that piece of land. Perhaps nowhere in the world find a place to be on such a small area meet three true religion: Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Power and territorial disputes, bloody wars, terrorism, truth, and for their learning are the norm since time immemorial. Nowhere else thought so many lives for the truth of one and the same God, just with different interpretations. But I got to the topics that I am not very close, so I will continue to geographical rather factual. Bethlehem was plundered several times and restored, and the liberated subject. Once the city took too much of Islam, the second was liberated, as in 1099 when the city was liberated during the Crusades, which brought the city including the Roman Catholic religion. Domination of Christians did not last long and Bethlehem gained legendary Sultan Saladin, whose army has gradually gained a majority of the Holy Land, now Israel.

Another fate of the city and its present come up in another part.

Text: Jan Chaloupka

ilustration and photo: wikipedia commons: dobové rytiny, vánoční pohlednice, A.Taveneux