Evening star., 1921-12-26

| The attention OF the Christian
world is now being turned to a sacred
/, spot in the near east. Bethlehem
| of Judea. the city Of David the site
of the nativity OF the Christ child"
Christmas morning approximately
2.0oG years ago iie glad :;nth"m
Peace on Earth and Good VIII 10
Men"
The present structure that marks
this sacred spot. it is said is neg
! lected. Inadequate and unworthy. be-
ins, Incomplete, insecure and par
tally III ruins, while the interior is
dis$raceful taMdry and cheap. 1t is
: one OF the o!lc.s. monuments OF
! snrIstian architecture" in the world
, erected by the Empress Helena IN
\. Il. 321 but has been partially d-s
| Troy "a on s.,"Iai occasions and ':'.'
r''s'"i'd. ions that have been mate
from liEi" 10 time were intended 20
+, be only teintor&ry.
Size Only Attraction.
The Church of the Nativity. as it is
called, is an enormus. irregular and
ugly pile Of building extending along
ridge of the hill on which Eetille-
:. hem is built, from east to west. and
includes three converts owned by
/ !
anu Armenian churches. ali OF them
connected wiki H. There is ab>"-
iut.!% n"ihiul> 10 excite interest ~
tl'. " Hhoi" strnctrT2 except its s.i...
! .iid 4 -" tnili.i3Iiln pillar. i.,ii
"piijrrit'u i,l":t..t''. ..Ei roof na...a.@
- %~a%r 81. i."i''n";.. ~ 'hiS
'iii'rn Baldwin w.s crowned King
"i Jerusalem. ana here hundred: oi
/ ',inS>. princes and p"tcnt5tcS and
'ther great men from The east ANA
! ! the west have knclL III prayer to the
Christ child
The Churrh OF the Holy Sepulclre al
Jerusalem. the Church Of the Annun-
ciatlon at Nazareth. the tomb of the
Virgin. the Garden of GethSemane
and all the other greater sanctuarieS
nave been the subject Of dispute for
! centuries Nothing definite can be
Sa!d FOR OF against their sut thenticity
! and therefore they probably always
VIII be involved in doubt and contro-
NerS%, which is used az Il reason, or
rather as an excuse. for not erecting
appropriate monuments over them,
; but no such objection can be offered
j To the Church. of the Nativity. The
traditions which surround il can be
traced back to th. very night of the
, SaNlor$ birth, and secular history
{ confirms them. 1t is known that Jesus
was born in stable, because there
w2S no room for His parents at the
! inn: it is also known that the ahle
was connected with Il cave. ANA chat
! it was situated in thc village: we
I know that the location Of the villa se
has not been changed, there being but
one cave, the chain of evidence is
clear.
Many False Reports.
Almost every old church throue hout
Palestine is attributed to the Empress
Helena. most Of them falsely: some
hi.Nc Deen erected within the last two
Or three centuries. and more dating
from the time Of the cruSadeS.
I ilc tn1rgN. th" enterprise and the
.tieiy Of that good woman We're so no
table and she did! 80 much to honor
and uuiift christianity that She is
credited with many works that She
neNer thought Of: but there is no
doubt that the tasjiica al Bethe-
hem. at least part Of it. was erect
ed by he: direction and under her
supervision. This fact is not dis
pul"d and is the only church in Pal
es;ina nf which this may DC said.
The Remaining buildings attributed
to her are more or less in doubt.
An arpeal was made some years
ago that the temple sheltcring the
birthplace of Christ should not be
turned into 4 hazaar as il is today
by the Greek priests. tn" Roman
Catholic pris are not guilty of this
s.,criiees. but :ie greeks no; only
pedal" all sorts Of religious SOU
rerirs before the very altar and ina