Bethlehem: Church of the Nativity—Entrance

‎Bethlehem. A person of average height has to stoop to enter the Church of the Nativity from the paved courtyard that is part of the Byzantine atrium. This entrance, called the “door of humility”, was lowered around the year 1500 to prevent the Moslems riding their horses into the church. Two other entrances at either side of the present door were also blocked up. The Basilica of the Nativity was built in 326 A.D. by the Emperor Constantine the Great and his mother, St. Helena, over the cave where Jesus was born according to tradition. The Basilica, which was burnt in a Samaritan revolt in the 6th century, was repaired and extended by the Emperor Justinian, who had his architect put to death because he didn’t like his work. Since then it has remained almost intact, enabling us to study the local versions of early Christian Basilica architecture.