The renovation of the Church of the Nativity

[Eldorado]

A historic renovation of the Church of the Nativity is lifting spirits in the biblical town of Bethlehem ahead of Christmas, offering visitors a look at ancient mosaics and columns that have been restored to their original glory for the first time in 600 years.

City officials hope the renovation at the traditional birthplace of Jesus will boost tourism and a weak economy in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and perhaps slow a decades-long drain of the Christian population from the lands where the faith was born.

"Christians are leaving the Holy Land due to the lack of peace and economic hardships and we are struggling to keep them in their homeland," said Bethlehem Mayor Anton Salman. "This is one of the ways."

The renovation started in 2013, a year after UNESCO declared the church a world heritage site, and is expected to be completed by the end of next year. The Palestinian Authority formed a committee of local Christian leaders to oversee the renovation and contracted an Italian company to carry out the project.

Full article with great pics: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-6478451/Church-renovation-lifts-Christmas-spirit-Bethlehem.html

[Truthseeker007]

2 hours ago, Eldorado said:

A historic renovation of the Church of the Nativity is lifting spirits in the biblical town of Bethlehem ahead of Christmas, offering visitors a look at ancient mosaics and columns that have been restored to their original glory for the first time in 600 years.

City officials hope the renovation at the traditional birthplace of Jesus will boost tourism and a weak economy in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and perhaps slow a decades-long drain of the Christian population from the lands where the faith was born.

"Christians are leaving the Holy Land due to the lack of peace and economic hardships and we are struggling to keep them in their homeland," said Bethlehem Mayor Anton Salman. "This is one of the ways."

The renovation started in 2013, a year after UNESCO declared the church a world heritage site, and is expected to be completed by the end of next year. The Palestinian Authority formed a committee of local Christian leaders to oversee the renovation and contracted an Italian company to carry out the project.

Full article with great pics: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-6478451/Church-renovation-lifts-Christmas-spirit-Bethlehem.html

Just another way to suck money out of people and even the Gospels can't make up their minds.

Matthew seems to imply that Joseph and Mary lived in Bethlehem. Luke says they lived in Nazareth.

Matthew has no journey to Bethlehem, no inn, no manger, no shepherds—because it seems Jesus was born in their house in Bethlehem.

Luke makes no mention of magi, or of Herod slaughtering babies, and doesn’t say anything about living in Egypt for several years.

Matthew says that they move to Nazareth, where Luke says they return there.

And then you find a Nazareth didn't even exist.

 

[skliss]

The mosaics and the fresco are beautiful!

So Joseph was a descendant of the house of David which meant for the census taking place he had to take his family to Bethlehem from Nazareth where they lived to be counted. A quick Google search shows that the city of Nazareth was established in 2200 BC.