THE SHEPHERDS' FIELD

Although the Gospel does not pinpoint the exact location where the angel appeared to the shepherds to tell them of Christ's birth in Bethlehem, tradition places it at Siyâr el-Ghanam(Shepherd's Field ), near the present-day Palestinian town of Beit Sahour. The town lies 3 kilometers east of Bethlehem and has a population of around 15,000, 80% of whom are Christian and 20% Muslim. Urbanization has taken hold over the centuries, and nothing remains of the famous biblical fields.

As the Gospel remains evasive, there are two rival sites that claim to know the exact location of the angel's appearance to the shepherds. The Orthodox locate the place of the announcement a little further down the valley, to the southeast of the village, while the Catholics identify it to the northwest of the center. They built a church on the site in 1989, managed by the Greek Orthodox Church. For Catholics, the site is managed by the Franciscans. In addition to the Franciscan oratory and chapel built in 1953, you can also admire the remains of an ancient monastery whose original structure probably dates back to the early^5th century. You'll also visit a number of caves carved into the limestone rock, which served as shelters for shepherds in days gone by. The Franciscans converted them into small chapels. Every year, on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, thousands of pilgrims gather here to celebrate the birth of Christ.