Basilica of the Nativity
Built over the grotto traditionally venerated as the birthplace of Jesus.
Blessed Virgin Mary → Plan a trip hereThe Story
The Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem stands over the grotto that Christian tradition, attested from the second century, venerates as the birthplace of Jesus Christ. It is one of the oldest churches in the world in continuous use, and for Christians everywhere it marks the place where 'the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.' The first basilica was commissioned by the Emperor Constantine and his mother St. Helena and dedicated in 339. After that church was largely destroyed in the sixth century, the Emperor Justinian rebuilt it on a grander scale, and it is substantially his building that pilgrims enter today, stooping through the low Door of Humility. According to tradition, the church was spared during the Persian invasion of 614 because a mosaic depicted the Magi in Persian dress. Beneath the sanctuary, the Grotto of the Nativity is marked by a fourteen-pointed silver star, placed in 1717, bearing the Latin inscription 'Here of the Virgin Mary Jesus Christ was born.' The basilica is shared under the historic Status Quo by the Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, and Catholic communities, with the Franciscans of the Custody of the Holy Land serving the adjoining Church of St. Catherine, from which the Christmas Midnight Mass is broadcast to the world. In 2012 the church and pilgrimage route were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a major restoration has since renewed its roof and mosaics. Pilgrims come throughout the year, above all at Christmas, to kneel at the place of the Savior's birth.
Church Recognition
The site has been venerated as Christ's birthplace since the early centuries and is served under the historic Status Quo by the Greek Orthodox, Armenian, and Catholic communities, with the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land caring for the Catholic presence.
Catholic Teaching
The basilica proclaims the mystery of the Incarnation and the Nativity: that the eternal Son of God was born of the Virgin Mary in the poverty of Bethlehem for our salvation (CCC 525, 456-460).
Plan Your Visit
Practical
Additional Information
Pilgrims venerate the Grotto of the Nativity beneath the basilica, marked by a silver star.
Go Deeper
Read the infancy narratives in Matthew 1-2 and Luke 2, the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the mysteries of Jesus' infancy (CCC 522-534), and the pilgrimage resources of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land.
Location
See it on the interactive map →Pilgrim Photos
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In the Area
Other sacred sites within 40 miles.