Bethlehem is the birthplace of Jesus. The Star of Bethlehem in the Church of the Nativity marks the spot where Jesus was born.
The Church of the Nativity was later built over it in 530 AD, on the site of the ancient inn where Mary and Joseph stayed.The Church of the Nativity is one of Bethlehem's major tourist attractions and a magnet for Christian pilgrims. It stands in the center of the city (a part of the Manger Square) over a grotto or cave called the Holy Crypt, where Jesus was born.
Two accounts in the New Testament describe Jesus as born in Bethlehem. According to the Gospel of Luke, Jesus' parents lived in Nazareth but traveled to Bethlehem for the census of CE 6, and Jesus was born there before the family returned to Nazareth.
Most entrances and exits from the Bethlehem agglomeration to the rest of the West Bank are currently subject to Israeli checkpoints and roadblocks.
