Jerusalem Mountains, Israel

Photo: The Central Judean Hills, commonly known in Israel as Jerusalem Mountains.

Photo: The urban landscape area around Jerusalem, view from Jerusalem's entrance.

The Jerusalem Mountains is a mountain range spread across Israel and the West Bank. It is also known by names such as Judean Mountains, Judean Hills, Hebron Hills and Jibal al-Khalil. The mountain range has several religious and historical places which are sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims. Some of the holiest places of Judaism, such as the Temple Mount and the Tomb of the Patriarchs, are located in this mountain range. Also, Jerusalem and several other cities such as Hebron, Bethlehem and Ramallah are located here.

The Judean Mountains is a natural division between the Shephelah coastal plains in the west and the Jordan Rift Valley to the east, and rain shadow region responsible for the formation of the Judean desert is because of this mountain range.

The mountain range spans from north to south, and extends to west and east of Jerusalem and at the southern end is Mount Hebron. In prehistoric times, Judean Mountains was home to animals such as elephants, rhinoceros, giraffes and Wild Asian Water Buffalo, which were not found in the Levant region. The range has Karst topography, typified by landscape shaped by the dissolution of layers of soluble bedrock, including a stalactite cave in Nahal Sorek National Park between Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh and the area surrounding Ofra, where fossils of prehistoric flora and fauna were excavated.

Interior of the Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem

The construction of the first basilica was begun by Saint Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine I, in AD 327 and was completed in Ad 333. That structure was burnt down in the Samaritan Revolt of AD 529. The current basilica was rebuilt in Ad 565 by the Emperor Justinian I. When the Persians invaded in AD 614, they did not destroy the structure, because, according to legends, their commander Shahrbaraz was moved by the depiction inside the church of the Three Magi wearing Persian clothing. So he ordered that the building be spared. The Crusaders made repairs and additions to the building during the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem with permission and help given by the Byzantine Emperor. Over the years, the compound has been expanded. Currently it covers about 12,000 square meters. Now the church is administered jointly by Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic authorities, all of them maintaining monastic communities on the site.

The church was one of the direct causes for French involvement in the Crimean War against Russia.

Main entrance to Bethlehem from Jerusalem

Most of the entrances and exits from the Bethlehem to the rest of the West Bank are currently subject to Israeli check posts and roadblocks, and subject to Israeli security directives. Travel for Bethlehem's Palestinian residents from the West Bank into Israel-annexed Jerusalem is regulated by permits, acquiring of which has become difficult, though Israel has erected a terminal to ease transit.

Birthplace of Jesus Christ in the Grotto of the Nativity

Photo: This Silver Star, beneath the altar in the Grotto of the Nativity, marks the spot believed to be the Birthplace of Jesus Christ.

The antiquity of this tradition is attested by the Christian apologist Justin Martyr (AD 100-165), who noted in his Dialogue with Trypho that the Holy Family had taken refuge in a cave outside of town: “Joseph took up his quarters in a certain cave near the village; and while they were there Mary brought forth the Christ and placed Him in a manger, and here the Magi who came from Arabia found Him (Chapter LXXVIII).

Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem; Jesus’ birthplace

Photo: The Silver Star marks the place where Jesus Christ was born according to Christian tradition. The site is located in Bethlehem, precisely in the cave under the Church of the Nativity.

The Church of the Nativity is one of the oldest continuously operating churches in the world. The structure is built over the cave that tradition marks as the birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth, and it is considered sacred by followers of both Christianity and Islam.

Wikipedia states about Jesus in Islam, "In Islam, Jesus is considered a Messenger of God who had been sent to guide the People of Israel with a new scripture. The Quran, believed by Muslims to be God's final revelation, mentions Jesus 25 times. It states that Jesus was born to Mary (Maryam) as the result of virginal conception, a miraculous event which occurred by the decree of God (Allah). To aid him in his quest, Jesus was given the ability to perform miracles, all by the permission of God. According to Islamic texts, Jesus was neither killed nor crucified, but rather he was raised alive up to heaven. Islamic traditions (but not Quran) narrate that he will return to Earth near the Day of Judgment to restore justice and defeat "the false messiah", also known as the Antichrist. Like all prophets in Islam, Jesus is considered to have been a Muslim, as he preached for people to adopt the straight path in submission to God's will. Islam rejects that Jesus was God incarnate or the son of God, stating that he was a mortal man who, like other prophets, had been divinely chosen to spread God's message. Islamic texts forbid the association of partners with God, emphasizing the notion of God's divine oneness. Numerous titles are given to Jesus in the Quran, such as al-Massif (the messiah; the anointed one), although it does not correspond with the meaning accrued in Christian belief. Jesus is seen in Islam as a precursor to Muhammad, and is believed by Muslims to have foretold the latter's coming".