Day 4 morning in Bethlehem

We spent the first part of our morning at a local shop that makes olive wood bible scenes, learning how they make the scenes. John, pictured below, is part of the Nissan family who owns and operates the business. He also speaks Aramaic, the language Jesus would have spoke, and led us in The Lord's Prayer in the lanugage of Jesus. You also can see some of the pieces their artists make.

One of the crafstmen at work below...

Jesus and the children...

Jesus washes a disciple's feet below. The last picture is one of their "special editions" that uses a hollowed out olive tree trunk to look like a cave for the nativity scene. These pieces start around $1500.

The rest of the morning took us on a tour off the Herodium, the mountan fortress built by King Herod so he could "look over" Bethlehem as their Roman king. He could see most of Judea from this man made mountain. The views from the top are stunning.

The fortress from the ground as we approach is above. On our hike too the top we encountered this shepherd with his one month old lamb.

We enter the fortress from the top and the lower photo is looking down into the Herodium.

Herod built this home ampitheater to entertain his guest, as well as an olympic sized pool. You  can see Bethlehem in the distance. The final photo is the tomb of Herod found iin 2007.