http://http://www.examiner.com/destinations-travel-in-national/the-site-where-jesus-was-born
In Bethlehem, Israel, beneath the Church of the Nativity is the Grotto of the Nativity, where Jesus was born. The rectangular cavern beneath the church is entered by a flight of steps near the church altar. The cave has been honored as the site of Christ's birth since the 2nd century. The first evidence of a cave in Bethlehem being venerated as Christ's birthplace is in the writings of Justin Martyr around 160 AD. In the Grotto of the Nativity a silver star set in marble symbolizes the Star of Bethlehem and marks the spot where Jesus was born.
It is said the Saint Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine I was the person who verified the site and caused a basilica to be built on the site. The Church of the Nativity is one of the one of the oldest continuously operating churches in the world. Each year thousands of people visit the site. At any time of the year a visit to Israel is a spiritual experience for people of the Christian, Islamic and Jewish faiths but it is especially profound during the Christmas season. Today the care of the Church of the Nativity is shared by the Roman Catholic, Armenian and Greek Orthodox churches.
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