In 323 AD, St. Helen, requested her son Emporor Constantine to build a Church on the birth place of Jesus. The place was not a stable but a grotto, or small cave. So who was right? St Helen or St Luke? Was Jesus born in a cave or stable? The short answer is, "Yes!"

According to the Gospel of St. Luke:

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem: because he was of the house and family of David, To be enrolled with Mary his espoused wife, who was with child.

And it came to pass, that when they were there, her days were accomplished, that she should be delivered.

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him up in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Everyone knows that mangers are in stables not caves. Or are they? In the time of Jesus and for many years afterwards, in the Holy Land, wood was scarce. Many buildings were made of stone. And the stone was often carved from the side of hills. Furthermore in the area around Bethlehem, numerous natural caves exists. The Inn Keepers in the City of David didn't waste precious building material for the construction of stables for animals. Instead they closed off the caves and hollowed out sides of hills and used them for stables. In fact even the poor of the city lived in such caves or grottos.

There is a multitude of historical evidence that suggest that St. Helen knew the spot of the birth of Jesus. Jesus was born in a grotto. No one in St. Helen's time would have been confused by the thought of a manger in such a grotto because in 323 AD, grottos were still stables. The gospels didn't need to specify what the satble was made of because it was common knowledge at the time. The wooden manger and stable were brought to us by the traditional view of mangers and stables in Europe as seen through the eyes of St. Francis of Assis, as opposed to what existed in the time of Jesus.

In the Grotto of the Nativity is a small chamber, partially lined with marble decorations. This chamber houses the Altar of Christ’s birth. A silver star lit by the light from fifteen silver lamps representing the different Christian communities marks the traditional place of Jesus’ birth. The hole in the star provides an opportunity to look down into the place where Jesus was born in a manger. The star bears a Latin inscription: "Hic de Virgine Maria Jesus Christus natus est - 1717".

Two more altars face each other across the Grotto. The Altar of the Manger is the place where the Baby Jesus was laid after he was born. A clay manger (yes clay, not wood!), was found by St. Helen, and was replaced by her with a silver manger. The Altar of the Magi stands at the place where the Virgin Mary paid homage to Jesus, the new-born King

There are three Christmas Eves in the Holy Land. One on the 24th December celebrated by the Protestant and Catholic Churches. The second for the Greek Orthodox, Coptic (Egyptian) and Syrian Churches. The third is the Armenian Church. At times, all three services are going on at the same time, but, in different parts of the church, as well as in different languages. For lunch they eat turkey, spiced with pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg and stuffed with rice, meat, pine nuts and almonds.

Early in the evening, members of the Protestant church groups would go around singing carols. On Christmas morning children would open their presents before breakfast. After breakfast Protestant people would go to church, and visit friends to wish them a Happy Christmas.

The Catholic Church priests would come and bless water from which all members of the family would take a sip.

The members of the Greek Orthodox Church Epiphany is very important. They have a special church service at which a cross was dipped into water to bless it. People would take the water home with them a drink three sips before eating anything.