Shepherd's Field of Bethlehem

Alas, there is no longer a little town of Bethlehem.  The three villages of Bethlehem, Beit Jala, and Beit Sahour have grown so large that you can’t tell where one ends and the other begins.  Now we all know that Mary and Joseph made their way to Bethlehem so long ago.  And, we know that the angels announced the birth of the Savior first to shepherds watching their flocks by night.  But, chances are good that you never heard of Beit Sahour.  There are a few different translations of the name, but the one I like best is “House of the Night Watch”.  How can you not like it when you know that shepherds watched their flocks by night?

Located to the east of Bethlehem, Beit Sahour is traditionally believed to be the location where the shepherds were on that blessed night.  I can tell you by first-hand experience that the shepherds had to run a long way to find that babe in a manger.  And, most of that run was uphill. 

On a free afternoon, I asked if I might see the Shepherd’s Field.  Silly me; I thought I would see a field.  All of Beit Sahour has grown up around the traditional site.  Shepherd’s Field is located in an area owned by the Greek Orthodox Church.  It is enclosed by a stone wall and contains a garden of fruit and olive trees that surround a beautiful church.  It’s a soothing stroll, but the only sheep I saw were made of stone, and the only shepherd was a mosaic.

Very fortunately for me, my driver had to run an errand.  It took him to the edge of Beit Sahour where I saw fields dotted with caves where shepherds might have slept and possibly corralled their flocks.  And, even better, I saw sheep and goats grazing along the roadside.  It’s what I envisioned I would see in Bethlehem.